Is Lamar Jackson trying to do too much late in games?

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The struggles of Baltimore Ravens backmost Lamar Jackson successful the 4th fourth this play tin beryllium summed up by his costly interception successful Sunday’s 24-20 nonaccomplishment to the New York Giants.

With 3 minutes remaining and the Ravens holding a three-point lead, Jackson picked up an errant shotgun drawback and ran to his close to elude pressure. If helium had thrown the shot distant connected 3rd down, Baltimore would’ve punted the shot distant and forced New York to spell the magnitude of the field. Instead, Jackson tossed an off-balanced, leap shot walk to 300-pound fullback Patrick Ricard that was picked disconnected by the Giants and rapidly converted into the winning touchdown.

"Many times you spot Lamar travel retired of that and he'll spell marque a play,” Ravens manager John Harbaugh said Monday. "I person to equilibrium that a small spot due to the fact that of the unsocial backmost that we have. But that's decidedly 1 he's going to privation back, there's nary uncertainty astir it.”

In the archetypal 3 quarters this season, Jackson’s QBR (72) is the fourth-best successful the league. In the 4th quarter, Jackson’s QBR (28) is 29th successful the league.

But Jackson has been dealing with a supporting formed that's been successful flux due to the fact that of injuries. He hasn't played 1 crippled this twelvemonth with his No. 1 wide receiver (Rashod Bateman) , No. 1 moving backmost (J.K. Dobbins) and All-Pro near tackle (Ronnie Stanley)in the lineup together.

Asked if Jackson is trying to bash excessively much, Harbaugh said: "You tin picture it that mode probably, and that concern [the interception] is astir apt a truly apt description.”

After the game, Jackson shook the hands of astir 20 players successful the locker room.

“It was like, ‘Look, we cognize everything is going to beryllium alright,” Ravens defender Kevin Zeitler said.

The Ravens cognize they could beryllium 1 of the apical teams successful the NFL. There person been 2 teams who person held double-digit leads successful their archetypal six games: the Philadelphia Eagles and the Ravens. The Eagles (6-0) are the league’s lone undefeated team, and the Ravens are 3-3 due to the fact that of their inability to finish.

Of Jackson's 13 touchdown passes, 12 person travel successful the archetypal 3 quarters. But 4 of Jackson’s six interceptions person occurred successful the 4th quarter.

“We’re going to request [Jackson] successful immoderate and each facet that helium provides for this team; leadership, his physicality, his game-breaking ability,” Ravens moving backmost Kenyan Drake said. "So, he’s going to evidently enactment a batch connected his shoulders, but astatine the aforesaid time, we’re a team. He can’t bash it by himself, I can’t bash it by myself.

“You conscionable person to proceed to determination guardant with the things that we tin control, which is moving guardant with [our adjacent opponent] Cleveland and making definite evidently [Jackson] gets connected the bus, due to the fact that we can’t bash it without him.”

The Ravens person plentifulness of issues, which person led Baltimore to blowing 3 double-digit leads successful the archetypal six games of the season. There person been untimely penalties (an amerciable enactment connected third-and-1 successful the 4th quarter), busted coverages successful the secondary and questionable playcalling connected discourtesy (Kenyan Drake lone ran the shot 10 times contempt averaging 11.9 yards per carry).

But Jackson tin offset a batch of mistakes erstwhile he’s connected apical of his game. The Ravens conscionable don’t usually flooded errors erstwhile helium isn’t sharp.

Baltimore is 22-1 erstwhile Jackson has a QBR implicit 70. The Ravens are 18-14 erstwhile his QBR is beneath 70.

“Lamar is the man. It conscionable isn’t connected him, it’s connected a batch of us,” Zeitler said. "He ne'er gets excessively precocious oregon excessively low. I warrant you he’s already focused connected adjacent week.”

Jackson conscionable has to get backmost to playing similar himself. He’s already thrown 2 interceptions extracurricular the pouch this play — including Sunday’s haphazard 1 — aft lone getting picked disconnected erstwhile extracurricular the pouch successful his archetypal 4 seasons. His fumble connected Baltimore's last thrust was the archetypal clip helium mislaid the shot with nether 2 minutes successful a crippled successful which the Ravens were trailing.

"You can’t enactment it connected him erstwhile helium is the crushed wherefore we triumph truthful galore games,” Ricard said. “You can’t enactment much unit connected him.”