Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are heading to the AFC Championship Game, but a pair of blunders by Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews helped them secure a 27-25 win on Sunday.
Andrews lost a fumble in the middle of the fourth quarter after making a reception as the Ravens drove down the field to try to take the lead. On the next possession, Andrews dropped the game-tying two-point conversion with 1:33 remaining, which ultimately sealed the Ravens’ loss.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh immediately came to Andrews’ defense after his crucial mistakes played a large role in their loss.
“There’s nobody that has more heart and cares more and fights more than Mark. We wouldn’t be here without Mark Andrews,” Harbaugh told reporters following the loss. “That’s what you say to him.
“It’s like anything else. Destiny is a decision that you make. The decision is how you handle what comes in your life, and Mark will handle it fantastic like he always does, because he’s a high-character person, he’s a tough person and he’s a good person. I’m proud of him just like I’m proud of all the guys.”
Andrews was a big part of the Ravens’ offensive success this year, helping them lead the league in yards while boosting Lamar Jackson’s MVP case. 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 in Sunday’s game, recording five catches for 61 yards. His penultimate reception got the Ravens into Bills territory, making a 16-yard gain as Baltimore trailed Buffalo, 24-19. But as he tried to get beyond the Buffalo 44-yard line, Andrews didn’t keep the ball in a secure position, allowing Bills safety Terrel Bernard to punch it out and recover it. It was only the second lost fumble of Andrews’ career.
Still, as Andrews accounted for a decent amount of Baltimore’s production, his Ravens teammates came to his defense.
“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, and for anybody to take anything away from him and his work ethic, I think it’s just unfair.”
Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley called Andrews a “warrior,” sharing with reporters that he told the tight end that he loved him and that he can come from what happened in Sunday’s loss. Jackson said he told Andrews that “we’re a team” after his drop on the two-point conversion.
“I’m just as hurt as Mark. I don’t [think it’s] his fault,” Jackson told reporters. “Like, all of us played a factor in the game. It’s a team effort. Just not gonna put that on Mark, bro, because he’s been battling all season. He been doing all the great things he’s been doing all season. It don’t always go our way. We wanted to but at the wrong time it’s like it’s not going our way. We need to figure that out.”
Andrews’ miscues came at the most pivotal moments in Sunday’s game, but they were far from the only ones Baltimore made. Jackson threw an unforced interception in the first quarter and lost a fumble that set up a Bills score in the second quarter. As a team, the Ravens committed four more penalties than the Bills.
Those turnovers and penalties were just part of the reason why the Ravens lost to the Bills despite outgaining them (416 to 273) and converting on 7 of 10 third-down opportunities. As Andrews didn’t speak with reporters after the game, Jackson was especially harsh on himself for his errors in Sunday’s loss, in which he completed 18 of 25 passes for 254 yards to go with 39 rushing yards.
“Turnovers. We can’t have that s—,” Jackson said. ” That’s why we lost the game. As you can see, we were moving the ball wonderfully. Just hold onto the f—ing ball. I’m sorry for my language. This s— is annoying. I’m tired of this s—.”
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