Lamar Jackson & Co. Fail to Change Old Ways Despite Promises as Ravens Face Tough Loss to Bills

I can’t believe it! That’s what every Ravens fan is uttering at this time. The Buffalo Bills pulled off one of the wildest comebacks in NFL history on Sunday. The Ravens were up 40-25 in the fourth quarter with just over nine minutes to go. Everyone thought that the game is just a mere formality now. But after the fourth quarter, everyone was jaw-dropped. The Bills managed to snatch the game 41-40. Yes Right. 41-40. It appears that the Ravens somehow manage to find new ways to blow big leads, especially late in the game.

Last night, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens could not convert the crucial first downs during their final drives in the last quarter. This seemingly cost them a game that was supposed to end in a one-sided, dominating victory. But this collapse by the Ravens is not a one-off. For the past 10 seasons, they have blown a double-digit lead seven times.

The mishaps in the later part of the game seemed very common in their 2024 campaign. The most unbelievable defeat of the season came against the Las Vegas Raiders. They had a 10-point lead with less than 10 minutes left in the game. The Raiders, led by quarterback Gardner Minshew, rallied 13 straight points and stole the game by 26-23.

This season, the story remains the same. In a powerpacked preseason game against the

Dallas Cowboys in August, the Ravens held a 28-6 lead, but in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys went on to score 19 points with three straight touchdowns. Though the Ravens emerged victorious by 28-25 but what could have been the learning here was not to repeat similar mistakes. The turnovers, defensive lapses, and even a missed extra point will cost them a game and even the season.

Well, the Baltimore Ravens have a fully loaded roster, and even though Jackson seemed promising in the game, a great

quarterback’s job includes leadership and poise under pressure, especially late in games. The Ravens seem to have a lack of control during the final stretch of the games. And if they do not rectify their mistakes and harness past errors for future success, it will continue to hurt them in the 2025 season as well.

After the Ravens’ embarrassing defeat, who should be held responsible?

The offense led by

Lamar Jackson mostly did its part during the initial part of the game. He had plenty of feet on the ground by completing 14 of 19 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. From the 2 TDs, the first was a screen pass to Zay Flowers (who had 143 yards on the night) then a deep fade to DeAndre Hopkins. He also rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown on only six carries. But during the latter part, the offence also seemed to run out of luck.

Derrick Henry must be feeling awful after that fumble in the end that gave the Bills a chance. Although he rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns on only 17 carries, that

fumble in the end will haunt him for a long time. The defense had a tough time on the gridiron, allowing more points than it did in any game of the previous season. Tyler Loop, the rookie kicker, also missed a crucial extra point. Thus, the question still flutters: who should be on the hot seat for the embarrassing defeat? Well, that’s for the management to decide.

From a strategic point of view, the Ravens need to change their approach, especially in the final quarter of the game. The 2-time Super Bowl winner has to revamp the heavy runs and work on better clock management. For Harbaugh, it is important to rethink the late-game defensive play calling. They need to understand that if they want to be a potential Super Bowl contender, they should not lose such winnable games.