ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Lamar Jackson was frustrated after the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. As he spoke, he kept clapping his hands together as if trying to wake himself from a bad dream.
“I tried to hold onto the ball, but it slipped out of my hand,” he said. “We have to take better care of the ball. I know that.”
Jackson’s frustration reflected how the entire team felt after their 27-25 loss in the AFC playoffs. It was a game filled with mistakes and missed chances. A dropped pass by Derrick Henry, a bad snap that led to a fumble, an interception, and a missed opportunity by tight end Mark Andrews on a two-point conversion attempt. All these errors cost the Ravens their chance to win.
When the game ended, Jackson pointed out that the Ravens never had to punt the ball. Instead, they kept giving the ball away through turnovers, allowing the Bills to take advantage.
This loss added to the ongoing discussion about Jackson’s playoff record. He now has three wins and five losses in the postseason. Critics focus on his struggles in big games, even though other great quarterbacks, like Peyton Manning, also had rough starts to their playoff careers. Manning lost six of his first nine playoff games before eventually winning two Super Bowls.
Despite Jackson’s talent, he has not yet reached that level of playoff success. With this loss, the Ravens’ season is over, and the Bills move on to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.
Jackson did not blame his teammates for the loss. He took responsibility for his mistakes, including two key turnovers. But when the team needed him most, he led a late drive that ended with a 24-yard touchdown pass, giving the Ravens a chance to tie the game. However, Andrews dropped the two-point conversion, ending Baltimore’s hopes.
After the game, Jackson defended Andrews. “We are a team. I made mistakes too. In the first half, I had two costly turnovers. I threw an interception that gave them points, and I fumbled. We all played a part in this. Mark has been great all season. He just came up short this time.”
Head coach John Harbaugh also saw it as a team loss. “This is football. Winning is tough. Only one team wins the Super Bowl each season. The rest fall short. That’s just how it goes.”
The Ravens had a great season but fell short in the playoffs again. They had tried to improve by adding Derrick Henry to help Jackson, but turnovers and mistakes cost them in the end. Now, the team must figure out what went wrong and how to improve next season.
Jackson was emotional after the loss. “I’m tired of being so close and not getting there. We need to finish the job,” he said.
For now, Baltimore is left wondering what could have been. Jackson and his teammates will have to regroup and try again next year, hoping to finally break through and reach the Super Bowl.
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