Painful Hit Sparks Outburst in Ravens' Lamar Jackson

The outburst underscored how pivotal the moment felt. Baltimore entered the night in near must-win territory, already trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the division. Losing Jackson, even temporarily, altered the game’s direction and amplified the stakes attached to the hit.

For the two-time MVP, the frustration was less about the pain itself and more about being sidelined during a critical stretch of the season.

Ravens Face Steep Climb Without Margin for Error

The defeat dropped the Ravens to 7-8, putting them two games behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North with only two contests left.

Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley handled the second-half duties and helped Baltimore build a 24-13 advantage in the third quarter, but the offense stalled late.

New England capitalized behind rookie quarterback Drake Maye, closing the night with a fourth-quarter surge to escape with the four-point win.

Head coach John Harbaugh described Jackson’s injury as a bruise, saying more clarity would come after additional testing.

“It’s a bruise of some kind,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t know how serious he’ll be. We’ll have to find out in the next couple of days.” Harbaugh added that if Jackson could have returned, he would have.

The timing could hardly be worse. Jackson has already navigated multiple issues this season, missing three games with a hamstring injury and appearing regularly on the injury report with various ailments.

His availability now looms over Week 17, when Baltimore travels to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers in another game with little room for error.

“That’s the goal,” Jackson said when asked about playing next week. “We’re going to do a little scan and then see what it shows.”

For a Ravens team that has now lost six home games and watched several late leads disappear, the path forward is unforgiving. Keeping playoff hopes alive will require wins and outside help. But Sunday night made one reality clear: Baltimore’s season hinges on whether its quarterback can stay upright — and on the field — when it matters most.