Lamar Jackson drops one-word reaction to game-deciding play in Ravens vs Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens season came to a crashing end as Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal in the dying seconds of Week 18 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This meant the team lost by two points and is now eliminated from playoff contention. After the game, quarterback Lamar Jackson had just one word on his mind.

Former NFL defensive back, now analyst, Jason McCourty posted on X about how the Steelers should’ve been flagged for leveraging. Lamar Jackson saw the post and reacted saying “SMFH.” In English, that means “shaking my f—— head.” Hence, disapproving the fact that the referees didn’t throw flag on the plays.

The Steelers won the game by two points, which meant they won the AFC North and secured a playoff berth. This conversely meant the Ravens season had a premature end. Jackson was apparently not having it.

Should it have been a flag?

There is a case for it to be considered leveraging. Still, the field goal missed by a large margin and it wasn’t deflected. Therefore, the Ravens shouldn’t be blaming the referees for not going to the playoffs. Still, one must wonder what would’ve happened if Loop was given another try on a shorter field goal.

Lamar Jackson spoke on Tyler Loop’s missed field goal. “I talked to him during the game because I was kind of livid at him when he kicked the ball out of bounds. But I told him ‘you know I’m just hyped based on emotions of the game right now.’ I felt like it was gonna come down to him winning the game for us at the end. Just how the game was going. He’s a rookie. It’s all good. Just leave it in the past, man.”

see also

Mike Tomlin makes strong statement about Aaron Rodgers following Steelers’ big win vs Ravens

The Ravens must make changes

Having a two-time MVP as quarterback, and a future Hall of Famer as running back at the peak of their powers should make for a Super Bowl contender, not for a team without playoffs. This makes the end of season all the more disappointing.

Much has been said about the future of John Harbaugh as the head coach of the team. His tenure might have come to a definitive end. Also, rumors about his broken relationship with Jackson have flourished quite a lot recently. Eyes must be put on the Ravens, as big changes might be coming.