Lamar Jackson and Rashod Bateman have both had their say on their respective roles in the late interception that condemned the Baltimore Ravens to a shock 24-17 defeat at home to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
Jackson’s late heave toward Bateman went straight to Saint’ defensive back Julian Blackmon to ice the game at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, September 20. It appeared as though Bateman either ran the wrong route or simply stopped short of the full pattern.
The wideout was emphatic about his route-running when speaking to reporters after the game. Bateman bluntly stated, “No, it wasn’t no miscommunication at all. (I) ran the right route, just thought the ball was… what it was, and that’s really what it is. It’s just one of those plays that you look at and can’t get back. Lamar played well,” per Josh Tolentino of The Baltimore Sun.
Jackson seemed to corroborate Bateman’s recollection of the play. The two-time NFL MVP quarterback admitted, “We were just trying to make something happen. It was the same group of guys out there and I feel there was a little fatigue. … It was a timing thing. I feel like I want that pass back tho’, per Ravens Vault co-host Sarah Ellison.
The latter also noted Jackson’s response to being asked if Bateman hadn’t ran the right route: “No, no, no, he ran his route. He ran his route.”
This was a mature response from a team leader fronting up after a bitterly disappointing collective loss. Yet, it’s hard to believe Jackson’s fateful pick would have played out the same way had his go-to target Zay Flowers been on the field instead of Batemann.
Flowers missed the game with a hamstring problem, and his absence exposed major limitations in the Ravens’ offense.
Lamar Jackson, Rashod Bateman Connection Was Erratic
Baltimore’s passing game was always going to suffer somewhat without Flowers, but Jackson expressed plenty of confidence in Bateman. That confidence didn’t exactly look well-placed after Bateman drew a blank during the 41-23 road win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.
Bateman still entered the game against the Saints as a former first-round pick with the speed to stress every level of coverage. He’s never justified his draft status, but Bateman did step up in Flowers’ absence, snagging seven of his nine targets for 88 yards, including this 22-yard touchdown catch.
The score should’ve been the cue for Bateman to break the 100-yard barrier, but he didn’t get open enough. Even if he had, Bateman’s big day would have been marred by his role in the Blackmon INT.
It looked like an overthrow by Jackson, but the reaction of Bateman (7) made it look like there was some confusion on his end.
Perhaps the most notable part of the play was the pressure Jackson faced in the pocket. It was part of a worrying theme on the day.
Ravens’ Offense Had Bigger Problem vs. Saints
Jackson took three sacks and was hit and hurried on several other dropbacks. The offensive line in front of him crumbled too easily, even before All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley left the game early after being overcome by a lingering toe injury.
Stanley had been a doubt to suit up for the game, and the risk of playing him hardly paid off for the Ravens. They had problems protecting Jackson even with Stanley on the field.
The Saints exposed those issues by winning an inevitable matchup nightmare created by edge-rusher Chase Young, He logged 1.5 sacks and kept the heat on Jackson to short-circuit what was a high-powered Ravens’ offense a week ago.
Unfortunately, injuries at core positions showed the Ravens it doesn’t matter how creatively new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle calls plays. Not if he doesn’t have enough talent and depth to work with around Jackson.
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, Rashod Bateman Assign Blame for INT vs. Saints