A harsh defeat brought an end to the Baltimore Ravens’ hopes of securing the final playoff spot. Lamar Jackson finished the game completely stunned, watching as the final kick veered wide to the right.
“Definitely. Definitely stunned,” Jackson said, via the team’s official transcript. “I thought we had it in the bag. I thought we had it in the bag. I don’t know what else we can do.”
His words were followed by questions from reporters, who began to wonder about the quarterback’s future with the franchise moving forward. Clearly, though, Jackson couldn’t take his focus off the one concern that mattered most in that moment.
“We just lost a game — a divisional game — a game to put us in the playoffs,” he said when asked if he feels like he’ll remain a Raven next season. “I’m not even thinking about that right now, to be honest with you. I’m still caught up in what just happened. That’s not my focus right now.”
“You’re asking me about next year,” Lamar also added. “I’m so caught up in what just happened tonight. I can’t focus on that right now, I just told you. Like he asked me, ‘Are you stunned?’ I’m stunned right now, and I’m still trying to process what’s going on. I know we lost, but what the … you know?”
The kick that could have changed Baltimore’s fate
The Baltimore Ravens’ postseason dreams came to a heartbreaking end after kicker Tyler Loop missed a potential game-winning field goal, resulting in a 26–24 loss to the Steelers. This critical failure left the team on the outside of the playoff picture, prompting a wave of frustration across the locker room.
In the aftermath, Lamar Jackson dropped a one-word reaction to game-deciding play, simply posting “SMFH” on social media to express his disappointment with the season-ending outcome.