‘Keep your hands to yourself’ – Lamar Jackson issues apology to Bills fan after shove during late game collapse
Lamar Jackson has issued an apology to the Buffalo Bills fan that he shoved on Sunday night as the Baltimore Ravens suffered a heart-wrenching 41-40 defeat.
Although the Ravens were leading - and leading big - for most of the contest, after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter, a Bills fan expressed his disappointment by getting physical with some members of the Flock's offense.
"I got pushed, and [I was] like, 'What?'" Jackson explained on Wednesday. "I thought I was outside. I wasn't even thinking about me being out there on the field.
"But my apologies to whoever that was. I don't know who it was. My apologies to him.
"Just chill next time. You can talk trash and stuff, but keep your hands to yourself. That's all I can say."
How the incident with Jackson unfolded
After Jackson threw a 29-yard dart to veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in his Ravens debut for an incredible touchdown, the offense celebrated close—perhaps too close—to the Bills Mafia.
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As they were walking back to the sidelines, one fan reached out and hit Hopkins on the helmet, to which he got no reaction from the five-time All-Pro receiver.
So, the fan tried his luck again and extended his arm out to hit Jackson on the helmet, and the two-time NFL MVP gave him exactly what he wanted in a reaction, springing into action and shoving the fan back into the stands.
Although the individual responsible was ejected from the game, and later handed a ban from stadiums all over the NFL, the damage had already been done.
Thus, this off-field incident completely derailed the team's momentum, which saw Josh Allen and co capitalize upon this to stage a huge fourth-quarter comeback victory late in the fourth.
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"I seen him slap D-Hop [DeAndre Hopkins] ... And then he slapped me," Jackson told the media after the game on Sunday. "He's talking, so I just forgot where I was for a little bit.
"You got to think in those situations, we got security out there, let security handle it. I let my emotion get the best of me. Hopefully it won't happen again. I'll learn from that."
Following the altercation, there was some speculation that Jackson could be fined or even suspended by the league for his own actions.
However, no punishment was handed to the Ravens' star quarterback.
Despite the loss, Jackson showcased that he is still very much an MVP frontrunner - as is Allen who accrued almost 400 yards in the air - throwing an efficient 14-for-19 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.
The 28-year-old also rushed for an additional 70 yards, trailing only teammate Derrick Henry in that category, who exploded for 169 yards and two touchdowns from just 18 carries.
Next up in Week 2, the Ravens host AFC North division rivals the Cleveland Browns in their home opener, where a familiar face in Joe Flacco returns to M&T Bank Stadium.
The veteran quarterback, now aged 40, was under center for the Flock when they won Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, and was still on the roster when Jackson first entered the league as a rookie in 2018.
On whether it will be weird to see Flacco on the opposition, Jackson told reporters: “Yeah, definitely. Division rival, and how many times he faced those guys [Browns]. Seeing the guy in the meeting room my rookie year, it’ll definitely be different.”
He even took a trip down memory lane to share what it was like to be teammates with the veteran.
“How cool he was…how funny he was," Jackson said. "I don’t know if people know, but Flacc’s funny, dog. He used to have me rolling. This man just say stuff so nonchalant. He’s a great person to be around.”
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Once they hit the field on Sunday, though, it'll be strictly all business from the pair as both teams are desperate to tack on their first win of the season.
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