Baltimore vs. Buffalo
Ravens Lose Heartbreaker to Buffalo After Andrews’ Dropped Two-Point Conversion Pass
In a game featuring two of the top teams in the NFL, with the top two MVP candidates squaring off, it was almost unfair that either the Baltimore Ravens or Buffalo Bills wouldn’t be playing in next week’s AFC championship game.
In the end, it was almost unfair that Mark Andrews – one of the best and most reliable tight ends this decade – had what would’ve been the game-tying two-point conversion bounce out of his hands in the final moments, which was the difference in Buffalo’s 27-25 win at a raucous Highmark Stadium on Sunday night.
But no one said football is fair. It is often a game decided by the slimmest of margins, and it was no different in this AFC divisional round playoff game featuring teams that won a combined 25 games in the regular season.
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Despite Andrews’ drop at the game’s most pivotal moment, his teammates had his back.
“One play doesn’t define anybody. He’s the all-time leading touchdown receiver in Ravens history,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “He’s been a consistent beacon of success the whole time he’s been here.”
Overall, losing the turnover battle by a margin of 3-0 is what will keep head coach John Harbaugh awake during the offseason.
“It was uncharacteristic to have turnovers like that. There were opportunities for us to not have those, but we had them,” Harbaugh said. “You try to bounce back from them in the course of the game. You can’t take them back.”
Lamar Jackson had an interception and a fumble, and his career playoff record when committing a turnover fell to 1-5.
“We got to get over this, because we’re right there,” said Jackson. “I’m tired of being right there. We need to punch in that ticket.”
GAME RECAP
The game started perfectly for the Ravens, who received the opening kickoff and scored less than five minutes later when Jackson found Rashod Bateman in the end zone. The pair opened the scoring for the second straight week.
The defense struggled in the first half, however, as the Bills scored three times. The Ravens could only muster a Justin Tucker field goal on their end to make it 21-10 at halftime.
After a field goal on their first possession in the third quarter, the Ravens capitalized again on their next drive with a Derrick Henry five-yard touchdown run. But the Ravens tried to tie it with a two-point conversion and failed when Jackson’s pass to Isiah Likely was incomplete.
The Bills had field goals on their next two drives to make it 27-19 when the Ravens got the ball with 3:29 left in the fourth. On a 2nd and 6 play, Jackson found Andrews for 19 yards, and on the next play, Jackson connected with Likely on a 24-yard touchdown strike to set up the fateful two-point conversion drop by Andrews. The Ravens were then unable to recover the onside kick attempt, and the Bills ran out the clock on the Ravens’ 2024 season.