The Ravens have been knocking on the door of the unbelievable.
Quarterback Tyler Huntley was within the midst of his finest efficiency of the 12 months. The Ravens had scored two touchdowns in a single sport for the primary time since star Lamar Jackson’s knee damage on Dec. 4. Baltimore — which was with out its finest participant and taking part in on the highway towards the AFC’s hottest crew — was about to take a fourth-quarter lead in enemy territory.
But as Huntley, on a third-and-goal from the 2-yard line, sought to leap the pile and attain the soccer previous the airplane of the tip zone for a landing, the ball was knocked free. As it slipped away from him, so too did the Ravens’ probabilities.
Cincinnati defensive finish Sam Hubbard caught the ball out of the air and scooted 98 yards for a landing, the longest fumble return landing in NFL playoff historical past. Tight finish Mark Andrews stalked Hubbard down the sphere, finally getting blocked and collapsing on the 20-yard line. He kneeled there for a number of lingering seconds as Bengals followers rejoiced and Ravens followers shook their heads in bewilderment.
During the play, which lasted about 12 seconds, Baltimore’s possibilities of profitable fell from 54% to 13%, per NFL’s Next Gen Stats. The Ravens had three extra possessions, however finally misplaced, 24-17, to finish their season after a last-second hail mary bounced across the finish zone and off the palms of broad receiver James Proche II.
That fumble — which was additionally the longest go-ahead landing within the fourth quarter in NFL postseason historical past — erased what had been a robust efficiency by the Ravens. After a first-quarter interception, the Ravens’ offense settled into a powerful sport, its finest since Jackson, the crew’s star for years, injured a ligament in his left knee six weeks earlier than.
Huntley’s fumble overshadowed what had been a productive day for him. He accomplished 17 of 29 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns, plus the interception.
Running again J.Ok. Dobbins had a robust sport, too, catching 4 passes for 43 yards and a rating and including 62 dashing yards on 13 carries. Andrews added 5 catches for 73 yards.
In the primary quarter, the Ravens’ protection couldn’t get off the sphere. They didn’t quit many chunk performs, however the Bengals marched; within the first quarter, Cincinnati had eight first downs whereas the Ravens ran simply 5 offensive performs.
On the sport’s opening drive, the Bengals transformed a area aim. On the Ravens’ opening drive, they threw an interception, as Huntley misfired on his second move of the night. Cincinnati then scored a landing however missed the additional level to take a 9-0 lead early within the second quarter.
The Ravens, nevertheless, modified the sport’s route with a powerful 17-play, 75-yard drive within the second quarter, capped by Dobbins stretching to get the nostril of the ball over the airplane for a landing.
Kyle Hamilton, a Ravens’ first-round decide in final 12 months’s NFL draft, then pressured a fumble with a well-timed hit on Bengals tight finish Hayden Hurst — a one-time Ravens first-round decide. Hamilton popped the ball free after which corralled it, which arrange a 22-yard area aim by Ravens kicker Justin Tucker after the offense stalled on the 3-yard line. With the kick, Tucker handed Matt Stover because the Ravens’ main scorer within the playoffs.
The Ravens took a 10-9 lead into halftime, however, after a Baltimore punt to open the third quarter, the Bengals scored a landing and a 2-point conversion to take a 17-10 lead. Baltimore responded with a 41-yard landing from Huntley to a wide-open Demarcus Robinson, tying the sport at 17.
Following a Bengals’ three-and-out, the Ravens drove 80 yards on eight performs earlier than Huntley’s fumble. On the play, the ball received inside 0.6 yards of the tip zone, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Baltimore had three extra fourth-quarter possessions however couldn’t discover the landing they wanted to tie the rating, lastly getting stopped on fourth down within the waning seconds.
Many had written off the Ravens with out Jackson, however their protection performed properly sufficient towards Cincinnati’s well-oiled offense and their offense appeared to play properly sufficient, too. But their probabilities have been doomed by one 98-yard mistake. With the loss, Baltimore has nonetheless gained only one playoff sport since 2015.
Now, as a substitute of trying ahead to a postseason date with the Kansas City Chiefs subsequent week, Ravens followers will enter the offseason with a burning query in thoughts: What is Lamar Jackson’s future in Baltimore?
Questions linger across the contract standing of Jackson, a pending free agent who didn’t journey with the crew to Cincinnati, in line with NBC. He and the crew might conform to a long-term deal, or the Ravens might place the franchise tag on him — locking him up for subsequent 12 months for roughly $45 million — commerce him, or, much less seemingly, let him check free company.
Without him Sunday night time, the Ravens almost pulled off an unbelievable win. Ultimately, they got here up simply quick.
This story might be up to date.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
