NFL playoffs: Stephen A. Smith reveals who’s not to blame on Ravens loss against the Bills

More than mere disappointment, Baltimore Ravens fans are grappling with frustration over how key moments unfolded in their NFL Divisional Round loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith addressed the defeat, offering a pointed defense of one Ravens player who he believes is not to blame.

Despite the Ravens outperforming the Bills in rushing yards, the outcome highlighted a familiar truth in football: it’s not just about yardage, but how effectively a team capitalizes on scoring opportunities. The Bills excelled in turning chances into points, a decisive factor in their victory. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson put forth a commendable effort, distributing the ball effectively and creating scoring opportunities. However, his teammates struggled to execute in critical moments.

Smith was quick to absolve Jackson of responsibility for the loss, emphasizing the quarterback’s performance. “This is not on Lamar Jackson. He did his job,” Smith stated on his X account in response to criticism directed at Jackson following the defeat.

One player who endured a particularly tough outing was tight end Mark Andrews, a usually reliable contributor for Baltimore. Smith lamented Andrews’ uncharacteristic errors in pivotal moments. “Unfortunately, the great Mark Andrews — who hasn’t lost a fumble since 2019 and doesn’t drop passes — got stripped for a fumble and then dropped the 2-point conversion that would’ve tied the game with under two minutes left. Tragic! Absolutely tragic,“ Smith wrote.

Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens looks on during the the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Jackson defends Ravens teammate Mark Andrews

The debate is heating up on social media. While many fans point to Andrews’ mistakes as crucial, they were not the primary reason the Ravens fell to the Bills. Addressing the situation, Jackson made it clear to the media that Andrews should not shoulder the blame.

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“We are a team. In the first half, we had a lot of turnovers. It’s not his fault. We’re not going to put that on Mark,” Jackson stated firmly after the game. Despite the quarterback’s defense of his teammate, the Ravens’ tough loss has ignited discussions about their struggles and the challenges they now face heading into the rest of the season.

Ravens fans recall Deja Vu from last season

Baltimore has consistently been one of the top teams in the AFC during the regular season, but postseason struggles have become a recurring theme. Last season, the Ravens’ championship hopes were derailed by key mistakes in critical moments, and this year seems no different.

Fans were quick to draw parallels to last year’s playoff heartbreak, when Zay Flowers’ costly fumble in a decisive game contributed to the team’s elimination. This time, Andrews found himself in the spotlight after another untimely error that left the Ravens once again without a postseason win.