Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are in the AFC Championship Game, but two lapses by Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews led to a 27-25 victory on Sunday.
Andrews lost a fumble in the middle of the fourth quarter after making a reception as the Ravens raced down the field trying to take the lead. On the next possession, Andrews sank the game-tying two-point conversion with 1:33 remaining, ultimately clinching the Ravens’ loss.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh was quick to come to Andrews’ defense after his critical mistake was a major reason for the loss.
“There’s no one with more heart, more compassion, more fight than Mark. We wouldn’t be here without Mark Andrews,” Harbaugh told reporters after the loss. “That’s what you tell him.
“It’s like anything else. Destiny is the decisions you make. Decisions are how you deal with what happens in life, and Mark, as always, deals with it in a great way, Because he’s a man of character and he’s a tough man.” He’s a good man, and I’m just as proud of him as I am of everyone. ”
Andrews was a major contributor to the Ravens’ offensive success this year, helping the Ravens lead the league in receiving yards and helping Lamar Jackson win the MVP award. The three-time Pro Bowler had 55 receptions for 673 yards and a team-high 11 touchdown catches during the regular season.
Andrews also led the Ravens in receptions on Sunday with five catches for 61 yards. His penultimate reception brought the Ravens into Bills territory for a 16-yard gain as Baltimore led Buffalo, 24-19. However, as he attempted to cross Buffalo’s 44-yard line, Andrews failed to hold the ball in a safe position, allowing Bills safety Terrell Bernard to punch out and retrieve the ball. It was the second fumble lost in Andrews’ career.
Still, Andrews accounted for a significant portion of Baltimore’s production, and his Ravens teammates came to his defense.
“One play doesn’t define you. He has the all-time record as a touchdown receiver in Ravens history.” Kyle Hamilton talked about safety. “He’s been a consistent beacon of success the entire time he’s been here, and I think it’s unfair for anyone to take anything away from him and his work ethic.”
Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley called Andrews “.”warrior,“We’re a team,” Jackson reportedly told Andrews after dropping the two-point conversion.
“I’m just as hurt as Mark. That’s not true.” [think it’s] It’s his fault,” Jackson told reporters. It’s a team effort. You can’t say that to Mark, brother, he’s been fighting all season. He’s done all the great things all season. Things don’t always go your way. We wanted to do that, but the timing isn’t right and things don’t seem to be going our way. we need to understand that. ”
Andrews’ mistake came at the most important moment of Sunday’s game, but it wasn’t the only one made by Baltimore. Jackson had an unforced interception in the first quarter, but lost a fumble that set up the Bills’ score in the second. As a team, the Ravens committed four more penalties than the Bills.
Those turnovers and penalties were just part of the reason the Ravens lost to the Bills despite outscoring them (416-273) and converting on 7 of 10 third-down opportunities. Ta. Andrews did not speak to reporters after the game, but Jackson was particularly hard on himself for missing Sunday’s loss, completing 18 of 25 passes for 254 yards and 39 rushing yards.
“Tales. That can’t happen-” Jackson said. “That’s why we lost the game. As you can see, we had great ball movement. Hold onto the ball as it flies. Sorry for the bad language. This is annoying. I…” I’m tired of it… ”
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