The San Francisco 49ers defense harassed Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson into an early safety — with an assist from the officials.
On 1st-and-10 at their own 20, Baltimore’s Jackson retreated into the end zone after 49ers linebacker Fred Warner came through unblocked on a blitz. Also retreating was the official, who lost his footing and fell in front of Jackson. The Ravens QB took a tumble as well, and when his desperation pass was called for intentional grounding, it was a safety and two points for San Francisco.
A referee is considered part of the field, so Jackson’s safety still counts, just like if he’d tripped over a divot or a sprinkler head. The official did manage to avoid physical contact with Jackson, but he was clearly part of him falling down.
Do the Ravens have a grievance? Not really. The main reason for the safety was Jackson’s decision to sprint backward more than 20 yards into his own end zone. No referee would have told him to do that. Plus, it’s hard to blame an official for running away from a charging Nick Bosa — plenty of quarterbacks have made the same mistake.
While Jackson’s mistake cost his team two points, his opposite number, Brock Purdy, threw three interceptions. Not one of them could be blamed on a ref.
