Lamar Jackson addresses shoving fan during Ravens' loss to Bills

The most controversial moment of the Baltimore Ravens' brutal 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night involved Lamar Jackson shoving a fan who slapped the Ravens quarterback on the helmet in the third quarter of the game. 

Following the defeat, Jackson addressed an action he seemingly regretted. 

Lamar Jackson hopes to learn from fan incident

"He slapped me, and he was talking -- so, I just forgot where I was for a little bit," Jackson explained, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN. "You have to think in those situations. You have security out there; let security handle it. But I just let my emotions get the best of me. Hopefully, it doesn't happen again. I learned from that."

Late in the contest's third quarter, Jackson connected with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for a 29-yard touchdown pass that extended Baltimore's lead. The two players celebrated near the stands when a fan wearing a red Bills jersey hit Hopkins and then Jackson on their helmets. Jackson shoved the individual, who was ejected from the stadium.

It was the second time in Week 1 of the campaign that a prime-time game featured a much-discussed moment that wasn't a play. This past Thursday night, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was tossed from the regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the matchup's first snap. Carter is expected to be fined regarding that incident. 

Could NFL punish Lamar Jackson for shoving fan?

"While, ordinarily, fans are a no-touch proposition, the fan initiated contact," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio shared on Sunday night. "Lamar’s reaction seemed proportional and reasonable. He didn’t climb into the stands. ...The guy shoved Lamar. Lamar justifiably took exception to the gesture. Lamar should suffer no consequence for it. The fan should be banned permanently."

As of early Monday morning, it was unclear if the NFL would fine Jackson for physically engaging with the fan. Regardless, he insisted that what occurred at Buffalo's Highmark Stadium won't change how he celebrates scores moving forward. 

"I've never seen our fans do that," Jackson said about being slapped on the helmet by a paying customer. "So, I'll probably do it again when we score a touchdown. It's not nothing against the fans. I'm just celebrating when my teammates get a touchdown."

Jackson and Co. will have more important things to think about during this week, as the Ravens will host the 0-1 Cleveland Browns on Sept. 14. The Browns suffered a 17-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.