The Baltimore Ravens fell to 8-5 with their 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Ravens held a 9-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Saquon Barkley and Co. went on a 24-10 run to win their eighth straight game.
There were a number of reasons why the Ravens fell to the Eagles. Justin Tucker missed a total of three kicks while the offense went 2 of 5 in the red zone, but Lamar Jackson is taking some of the blame. He believes he could have run more, and it’s something his mom apparently emphatically communicated to him after the game.
“Yes, my momma just told me that,” Jackson said when asked if he could have run the ball more, via NFL.com. “She just cussed me out, so I’m mad. We’re going to get after it. I’m not going to lie to you; we’re going to get after it. I can’t wait for this bye [week] to get on. We have the Giants coming up. I’m ready to go. I’m just ready to go.
“She said there were lanes I should have [taken] and ran, but I was trying to let guys develop routes. We had developing routes. I was just trying to go through my progressions, but yes, she’s right. I’m sorry for this. I’m just mad, because I feel like we should win these games, and we’re not getting them done.”
Jackson did pick up 79 yards on eight rushes, but 39 of those yards came on a scramble with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter when the Ravens were already down 12 points.
The eight rushing attempts for Jackson on Sunday were on par with what he usually averages per game, and the 79 rushing yards actually rank third among his single-game performances this season. But it’s clear Jackson (and his mother) felt like he passed on some opportunities to pick up yards with his legs.
Jackson’s ability to scramble is why he’s one of the most lethal playmakers in the game today. In fact, he’s just 174 yards away from passing Michael Vick as the all-time quarterback rushing leader.