Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills went to the AFC Championship Game, but two mistakes by Baltimore Ravens’ Mark Andrews helped them win 27-25 on Sunday.
Andrews lost a fumble midway through the fourth quarter after making a reception as the Ravens drove down the field to try and take the lead. On the next possession, Andrews dropped a game-tying two-point conversion with 1:33 left, sealing the Ravens’ deficit.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh immediately defended Andrews after his mistakes played a major role in their loss.
“No one 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 not a decision you make. It’s a decision how you handle what comes in your life, and Mark will handle it as well as he does, because he’s a great person, he’s a strong person. And he’s a good person. I’m proud of him as I am proud of all the boys.”
Andrews has been a huge part of the Ravens’ 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 catches during the regular season.
Andrews also led the Ravens in receiving in Sunday’s game, recording five catches for 61 yards. His touchdown reception sent the Ravens into Bills territory, resulting in a 16-yard gain as Baltimore trailed Buffalo, 24-19. But as he attempted to cross the Buffalo 44-yard line, Andrews didn’t keep the ball in a safe zone, allowing Bills safety Terrell Bernard to strip it and return it. It was the second losing game of Andrews’ career.
Still, as Andrews accounted for a good amount of production for Baltimore on Sunday, his Ravens teammates defended him.
“One game 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 entire time he’s been here, and for anyone to take anything away from him and his work ethic, I think it’s wrong.”
Ronnie Stanley called Andrews “a hero,” telling reporters he told Deadline he loved him and that he could come from what happened in Sunday’s loss. Jackson said he told Andrews “we’re a team” after he dropped the two-point conversion.
“I’m hurt like Mark [think it’s] his fault,” Jackson told reporters. “Like, we all played a part in the game. It’s a team effort. I’m just not going to put that, bro, because you’ve been fighting all season. He was doing all the great things he’s been doing all season. It doesn’t always go our way. We wanted to but at the wrong time it seems like it’s not going our way. We have to see that.”
Andrews’ mistakes came at key moments in Sunday’s game, but they were far from the only mistakes Baltimore made in Sunday’s game. Jackson threw an unforced field goal in the first quarter and lost a fumble that stopped the Bills scoring in the second quarter. As a team, the Ravens committed four more penalties than the Bills.
Those turnovers and penalties were part of the reason the Ravens outgained the Bills (416 to 273) and converted 7 of 10 third-down opportunities. Since Andrews didn’t speak to reporters after the game, Jackson took more credit for his mistakes in Sunday’s loss, where he completed 18 of 25 passes for 254 yards to go along with 39 rushing yards.
“Turnvers. We can’t have that s—,” Jackson said. “That’s why we lost the game. As you can see, we were moving the ball incredibly. Just hold on to the f—ing ball. I’m sorry for my language. This is— offensive. I’m sorry I’m tired of this—.”
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