Ravens' John Harbaugh Sends Stern Message After Lama...

By Matthew Schmidt

Contributing Sports Writer

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The Baltimore Ravens were routed by the Cincinnati Bengals at home on Thanksgiving night, falling 32-14 thanks much in part of five turnovers. Three of those giveaways came courtesy of Lamar Jackson, who threw an interception and fumbled twice.

After the game, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was obviously not happy about his team's lack of ball security and sent a rather stern message to his group.

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“We had a bad game with that,” Harbaugh said, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “We did not protect the football. It’s not good. It’s on me. I’m a coach, and my job is to make it clear to the guys that that’s not OK. You put the ball away. You protect the football. … You catch it, you put it away, you finish the run. You do whatever you have to do to protect the football because that’s job No. 1."

While Harbaugh did not go as far to mention Jackson by name, he certainly wasn't exempting him, and let's face it: Jackson accounted for most of Baltimore's turnovers on the evening.

“That’s what wins and loses games. Our guys know that," Harbaugh added. "Everybody knows it, and it’s my responsibility to make sure they understand that and that we practice it that way every single day, and it carries over to the game.”

Lamar Jackson, John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens

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Jackson went just 17-for-32 with 246 yards during the affair, marking his latest subpar performance over the last several weeks.

The reigning MVP missed three games midseason due to a hamstring injury. He returned in Week 9 and threw four touchdown passes, but since then, Jackson has amassed a grand total of one touchdown pass and three picks. He has gone three straight games without tossing a touchdown, and he also hasn't punched in a rushing score since the season opener.

Jackson has also been dealing with knee and toe injuries since returning from the hamstring issue, and for as much as the 28-year-old is refusing to use his health as an excuse, it seems pretty clear that he is not 100 percent.

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The Ravens had won five games in a row heading into the Bengals matchup and had the opportunity to grab sole possession of first place in the AFC North with a win. Instead, they fell a half-game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers for the top spot in the division.

Baltimore will host the Steelers in a massive showdown on Sunday, Dec. 7.

For more on the Baltimore Ravens and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.

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