It looked like the Baltimore Ravens were ready to shock the Buffalo Bills with an improbable comeback and send their divisional round playoff game into overtime. After trailing by 11 points at halftime, Lamar Jackson staged a second-half comeback, highlighted by an eight-play, 88-yard drive late in the fourth quarter that was capped by an Isaiah Likely touchdown with 1:33 left. remaining.
All Baltimore needed was the two-point conversion to tie the game. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken made a play to leave veteran tight end Mark Andrews open on the ground. Jackson saw him, threw him the ball… and Andrews dropped it. The Ravens were unable to recover the ensuing onside kick and the game ended with the Bills advancing to the AFC Championship game with a 27-25 victory.
You could argue that one play doesn’t determine the outcome of a 60-minute game, but this fall by Andrews was the final nail in the coffin of the Ravens’ 2024 season. And Andrews had a nightmare fourth quarter. Before his pivotal drop, he also lost possession on Baltimore’s previous drive. Monken gave him a chance to redeem himself at a crucial moment, but he couldn’t do it.
After the game, Ravens coach John Harbaugh addressed Andrews’ critical mistake and said his tight end will handle this adversity the right way because of his great character.
“There is no one who has more heart, cares more and fights more than Mark. We wouldn’t be here without Mark Andrews,” Harbaugh said. “Mark is going to handle it fantastically, like he always does, because he’s a high-character guy, he’s a tough guy and he’s a good guy. I’m proud of him, just like I’m proud of all the guys.”
Andrews had not dropped a pass since Week 6, according to ESPN. He had two drops on Sunday night. The Ravens had Super Bowl aspirations in 2024, but were unable to return to the AFC Championship game.