It's not often that you can look to the opposing teams' players for a win. But, with how many turnovers and lapses from the Baltimore Ravens in their game against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional game, it was almost a given that they'd manage to hand the Bills a victory, somehow.
It just wasn't clear how, and it was especially unclear after Lamar Jackson pulled off an incredible drive at the end of the fourth quarter to bring the Ravens to within two of the Bills. All that he and the Ravens needed was a two-point conversion, and they'd tie it up with Buffalo for a chance to take the game into overtime.
Then, the unthinkable happened - the Bills found themselves on the lucky side of a truly unlucky play by Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews.
Mark Andrews gets Buffalo the win with terrible drop in the end zone
On the two-point conversion attempt by Jackson, he found Andrews streaking towards the corner of the end zone and near the pylon. Andrews had the ball in his hands after Jackson found him, and he fumbled with it until completely dropping it.
MARK ANDREWS DROPPED THE GAME-TYING PASS 😳
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2025
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/dGHC30xxun
That was Andrews second huge negative play for Baltimore in the game, with his first coming earlier in the contest on a fumble. It was his first since 2019 and just the second in his career, so it's fair to wonder if the cold and wet conditions in Buffalo played a role in his poor play. The usually reliable target for Jackson completely fumbled the game away in a crucial moment, and saved the Bills.
Read more: Bills stand strong in second half to punch ticket to AFC championship game
Now, Buffalo is taking a trip across the country to Kansas City to face off with the Chiefs to try and punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, while Baltimore is faced with yet another postseason that's left much to be desired from everyone not named Jackson. He did everything he could on the last drive, and it was nearly a generational one. But, he couldn't throw the ball and catch it, too.
Andrews will now live in infamy if the Bills make it to the Super Bowl and past the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. He will have played a huge role in helping them get there, which can't be a good feeling for him, Jackson, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, or a Ravens team that finally seemed to be peaking at the right time.