If he’s worried or angry about the Baltimore Ravens’ latest failure to hold a lead in the fourth quarter, Lamar Jackson isn’t showing it. Instead, the star quarterback was philosophical about how things unfolded during Week 2’s shock 24-17 defeat to the New Orleans Saints.
The unexpected setback at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, September 20 continued a streak where “Baltimore has lost 15 games in which it held a fourth-quarter lead,” according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
This is the Ravens’ 15th loss after holding a double-digit lead since Lamar Jackson became the full-time starter in 2019.
That’s the most such losses by any team in the NFL over that span.
Jackson’s reaction to another late collapse at home was somewhat surprising. He told reporters, including Hensley, “Things just don’t go our way sometimes, at the wrong time. That is what I believe. Certain calls happen. We get the momentum going, get brought back, penalties here and there. Anything can go down. That is why I believe we have not been finishing, or we have the lead and we don’t have it anymore. We just have to tighten up.”
That’s a measured response to an ongoing problem derailing too many seasons for the Ravens. Things were supposed to change when Jesse Minter replaced John Harbaugh as head coach this year, but the 2026 Ravens are already repeating unwanted patterns.
Jackson’s still not worried, nor frustrated. Not based on him telling Hensley, “I see where we can be. I see what we’re capable of. I see it day in, day out.”
Staying calm and calling for perspective after defeat is easier to do this early in the season. Yet, Jackson can’t ignore the growing trend for wasting leads that threatens to define his otherwise decorated career in the wrong way.
Especially after his role in the game-sealing interception against the Saints.
Lamar Jackson Staying Positive After Another Collapse
Intensity hasn’t worked for Jackson, so he’s trying an overdose of positivity after the Ravens succumbed to another late collapse. This one stung because of the hype generated by the 41-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.
That result had the Ravens seemingly primed to run over the winless Saints. Things didn’t play out as expected, although Jackson can escape most of the blame.
He wasn’t helped by a shaky and depleted offensive line allowing three sacks and heavy pressure. Nor was Jackson aided by some lopsided play-calling from new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, who inexplicably ignored the other star in the Ravens’ backfield.
Those factors conspired to see the Ravens let a 14-3 lead slip. That wasn’t supposed to happen as often after the Ravens struggled finishing games late in Harbaugh’s tenure.
Jackson needed to turn the page on this recent history and shed the label he can’t win the big games. The two-time NFL MVP’s keeping his cool after Week 2, but other senior Ravens aren’t being so measured.
Ravens Eager to Snap 4th Quarter, Home Woes
All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey is among those Ravens not as calm as Jackson. Humphrey made it clear “everyone is kind of tired of doing what we just did. I think it is a lot of older guys — a lot of guys that it just feels like it is time. Hopefully we will make this a hiccup and not [let] this be a bridge that is final and cannot be repaired,” per Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink.
This level of frustration is more relatable than Jackson’s zen-like fatalism after the Ravens lost again at home. The team’s now 3-10 at M&T Bank Stadium dating back to the start of last season.
There isn’t a good way to sum up that record, but right tackle Roger Rosengarten probably put it best. He told Hensley, “It sucks. I can’t remember the last time we won at home.”
There’s a balance between rage and perspective, but a Ravens team heavily tipped for the Super Bowl cannot tolerate wasting home advantage, nor surrendering more games in the fourth quarter.
Lamar Jackson Sends Ravens Blunt Message About 4th-Quarter Streak