'We Got to Finish!' Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackon on Cleveland Browns Loss
The Baltimore Ravens are again left lamenting missed opportunities in their 33-31 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
In a game where the Ravens had a 14-point lead twice, the Browns would snatch victory with a Dustin Hopkins 40-yard field goal as time expired.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson says the team has to do a better job at finishing off games.
“We just got to finish the game,” Jackson said. “We [were] up 14 points, we just got to finish like we've been doing.”
With the vaunted Ravens defense doing their job, only allowing field goals up until the third quarter, on offense, the second quarter wasn't very good. On Baltimore's three possessions, they went punt, blocked field goal, and then an interception.
The fourth quarter wasn't much better, as the Browns scored back-to-back touchdowns. When a long sustained drive was needed, the Ravens could only have a nine-play, 21-yard drive that ended in their third punt of the game and, as such, gave the ball to the Browns with a chance to win, and they did.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson says the team has to finish games better after again giving up a 14-point lead.
USA Today Sports
For Jackson, the Browns' offense did a good job of keeping them off the field as they had a 20-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that took over 10 minutes off the clock, along with a 4:55-minute drive at the end of the game, which ended in Hopkins' field goal.
“I mean, we had glimpses of it [Ravens offense], but you know we was on the sidelines so long it was cold," Jackson said. "You know those guys were trying to, I believe trying to keep us off the field. But it's football, you know, every Sunday not going to be our day.”
Things don't get easier for the Ravens as another division game is up next with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals rolling into M&T Bank Stadium.
With Baltimore now keeping the door open for the AFC North as they only have a one-game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers, who own the tie-breaker, things are tightening up.
The Ravens had a chance to put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack and were twice in a position to put the game away, but they just couldn't get it done.
If Baltimore is in the same position against the Bengals, they need to make it count, as there is now little margin for error in the division.
