If you mess with an NFL player, don’t be surprised when they hit back.
As the Baltimore Ravens kept scoring at Highmark Stadium on Sunday night, one Buffalo Bills fan appeared to take issue with it. After a huge touchdown in the third quarter of the Ravens’ 41-40 loss, a group of Ravens players walked along the outer wall of the stadium and passed several Bills fans — including one who struck receiver DeAndre Hopkins and quarterback Lamar Jackson on the helmet.
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The blow to Jackson’s head was strong enough that his head visibly moved back. Jackson then immediately dished it back to the fan and shoved him into the stands.
The altercation took place moments after Hopkins managed to pull in a stunning one-handed touchdown catch, which gave Baltimore a 34-19 lead at the time.
Jackson said he saw the fan strike Hopkins before he received a blow from the fan.
“I just forgot where I was for a little bit,” Jackson told reporters postgame. “You gotta think in those situations. You got security out there. Let security handle it. I just let my emotion get the best of me. Hopefully it won’t happen again. I learned from that.”
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The Bills fan’s discontent only grew as the Ravens’ score did. After Baltimore running back Derrick Henry got his second touchdown of the night in the fourth quarter, someone threw what appeared to be a water bottle on the field in Henry’s direction. The water bottle bounced inches behind Henry’s feet in the end zone, though it didn’t hit him.
The Ravens’ lead, however, didn’t last. Josh Allen and the Bills made a wild comeback in the fourth quarter, set up in part by a rare fumble from Henry, before Matt Prater drilled a game-winning 32-yard field goal. The Ravens looked absolutely stunned as Bills fans erupted throughout the stadium.
Hopkins finished with 36 yards and a touchdown on just two carries. Jackson ended up going 14-of-19 for 210 yards and two touchdowns in the air, with another 70 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Josh Allen went 33-of-46 for 394 yards and two touchdowns, and he had another two rushing touchdowns in the win for the Bills.