It was another heartbreaking day for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens fans as the Buffalo Bills edged out a narrow 27-25 win at Highmark Stadium on Sunday. With the loss, the Ravens’ Super Bowl hopes were dashed, and Lamar Jackson’s divisional-round struggles continued, marking his fourth loss at this stage of the playoffs.
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But for the Bills, it was the perfect revenge game after their 35-10 blowout loss to the Ravens in Week 4. Notably, two key moments defined Baltimore’s loss on Sunday: Mark Andrews’ dropped two-point conversion attempt with 1:33 remaining, which could have tied the game, and Lamar Jackson’s two costly turnovers, which hurt the Ravens chances. In a game this close, those mistakes proved decisive.
Reflecting on the game, Shannon Sharpe pointed out how Andrews’ drop and Lamar’s turnovers contributed to the Ravens’ downfall in a must-win game.
“But at the end of the day, this game came down to turnovers and missed opportunities. The Ravens are going to kick themselves. They turned the ball over. Lamar had two turnovers early in the ball game. And then, this is the game that Mark Andrews is gonna want to forget. He had a couple of drops, Ocho. He had a costly fumble and then the two-point conversion. You know, in a situation like that, Ocho, the weather is bad like that—if you bobble it, it’s over,” Sharpe explained on the Nightcap post-game show.
Shannon further elaborated: “You are not gonna catch it again because the ball is too slick, and you got no footing. So, once he bobbled it, you know it was like, ‘Well, this is it. This is the opportunity,” highlighting how slim the margin for error is in playoff football amid adverse weather.
In what turned out to be a disappointing game, Lamar finished with 254 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, along with six carries for 39 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Andrews had two carries for three rushing yards and five receptions for 61 receiving yards against the Bills. Understandably, the duo missed the most during the game’s crucial moments.
Amid criticism of Andrews, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh came to the defense of his star tight end. Harbaugh highlighted Andrews’ crucial role in the team’s playoff run with a heartfelt statement.
“There’s nobody that has more heart and cares more and fights more than Mark. We wouldn’t be here without Mark. That’s what you say to him,” Harbaugh said in his post-game press conference.
However, for the Ravens, it’s another season of coming close but falling short in their quest for a Super Bowl. Lamar Jackson is still chasing his first championship, while the team’s last Super Bowl victory came in 2013—a drought that feels at odds with their huge potential.
