Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Ravens Receiver Addresses Controversial Interception

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Anthony Miller | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 9:00 AM ET

There was certainly a lot of conversation surrounding one of the worst plays of the 44-10 Baltimore Ravens loss to the Houston Texans that summed up their day pretty well.

In the fourth quarter, Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush was looking to throw the ball deep on the sidelines to wide receiver Rashod Bateman, but the ball fell into the hands of Texans defensive back Kamari Lassiter. Initially, it looked like a bad throw by Rush as if he overthrew Bateman.

That didn't turn out to be the case at all. It appeared on the replay that Bateman actually slowed up, leading to the interception by Lassiter. Now, it has become a topic of conversation about whether Bateman and the Ravens gave up at the end of the game.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was asked about the play earlier this week, as the reporter mentioned that it looked like Bateman gave up on the play. Harbaugh, at the time, was not ready to say whether he did or not.

"I haven't talked to him about it," Harbaugh said. "But you got to keep running through that ball."

Peter Casey-Imagn Images

This resulted in Bateman having to face the music himself for his response to what happened in the play. He made it crystal clear that he did not give up on the route.

“I looked up for the ball, and it wasn’t there," Bateman said. "I looked down, and I thought he threw it away. I apologize for what it looked like to the fans. It wasn’t a ‘give up on the ball.’”

Bateman had one of the worst games of his career against the Texans as he was essentially a non-factor in the contest. He finished with zero catches despite having three targets his way.

This season in general has been quite the disappointment for Bateman after having career-highs in yards (756) and touchdowns (nine) last year. He has caught 10 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown in five games. Bateman has only had one game where he had more than 25 yards, and that was in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions as he had season-highs in receptions (five), yards (63), and touchdowns (one).

Part of the issue has been Lamar Jackson being injured, so the quarterback play hasn't quite been there. Also, the lack of a consistent running game is hampering the passing game from getting going.

Ravens fans hope Bateman is being honest about the play, as the spotlight will be on him more than ever before. He needs to step up to the plate and help Rush out should he start on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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