Jaire Alexander Admits Guilt for Ravens’ Loss After Failing to Stop Bills WR

The Baltimore Ravens had the win in their hand, only to see it slip away in a matter of minutes. Holding a 15-point advantage deep into the fourth quarter during their game against the Buffalo Bills, the Ravens seemed on the verge of kick-starting the season with a solid statement victory on Sunday Night Football. Instead, what they experienced was a meltdown that transformed lead into misery. For a team that values toughness and discipline, this sort of loss hurts. And at the heart of it was cornerback Jaire Alexander, the offseason addition who was at the epicenter of the collapse.

Alexander wasn’t running away from the responsibility. While addressing the media following the 41-40 loss, the two-time Pro Bowler acknowledged his strengths hadn’t been where they needed to be. “There’s no excuse for how I played tonight,” Alexander said. He admitted his limited practice time in camp had hurt his preparation, but asserted the level needs to be higher.

Asked what the biggest problem was in the second half, Alexander complimented Buffalo instead of placing blame: “I mean, I wouldn’t say it was one big problem…we’re playing against a good team, a good quarterback. That was the problem. It’s Week 1, we’ve just got to learn from it.” His tone expressed that he took on himself much of the burden for the defeat.

In the game’s final sequence, as the Buffalo Bills drove for what would be the game-winning drive, receiver Keon Coleman got past Alexander easily on the outside. Alexander slipped and fell, and Coleman was all alone to gain that flipped field position. And then later came Matt Prater’s game-winning field goal, completing the comeback. However, Alexander’s mistake was not the only reason for the Ravens‘ loss. The cornerback who signed in June to a one-year, $4 million contract with $2 million in incentives to stabilize the secondary was down on the turf in the night’s biggest moment. It was his chance to shine after overcoming injuries.

Head coach John Harbaugh didn’t mention any particular player, but his words summed up the general sentiment. ”Difficult loss, very disappointing,” Harbaugh admitted. ”We’re disappointed, but we’ll be fine. We’ll go back to work.” Harbaugh has always given importance to accountability, and he will need his locker room to lean on in the coming weeks. Moreover, the coach knows how close his team was to victory and how quickly the game flipped.

Alexander and team crumble late

Aside from Alexander’s mistake, the Ravens’ loss was a product of an overall fourth-quarter collapse. Baltimore’s offense went unchecked for the majority of the evening. The game’s turning point was when Derrick Henry, who had been almost perfect, fumbled a ball deep in Bills territory with just over three minutes left. This shifted the momentum and shortened the margin. Even after Henry answered with a spectacular 46-yard dash to the end zone, the Ravens missed the extra point. That which would have been a comfortable cushion for them.

Defensively, the Ravens wore down towards the end of the game. The final minutes of the game were a lesson in contrasts: the Bills thriving amidst mayhem, the Ravens melting down once control was secure. The Ravens won’t have time to dwell on the meltdown. They play the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, another AFC North rival that lost to Cincinnati in a close match. With the margin for error already slim in the division, Baltimore will be eager to make things right before it’s too late. For Jaire Alexander, the next few weeks are to redeem and establish his trademark.