The Ravens were mighty in 2024, but they were sometimes their own worst enemy, and that's ultimately what knocked them out of the playoffs.
Three turnovers and a dropped two-point conversion doomed Baltimore in its 27-25 loss at snow-covered Highmark Stadium to the Buffalo Bills.
Tight end Mark Andrews, a highly respected and reliable team captain, had a fourth quarter fumble and dropped a two-point conversion that would have tied the game in the final minutes.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson, in the midst of his best season yet, had two turnovers in the first half as Baltimore fell behind.
The Ravens outgained the Bills, 416-273. Baltimore didn't punt once. The defense held Josh Allen to just 127 passing yards. Yet it was the Bills who are moving on to the AFC Championship in Kansas City because they played a cleaner game with zero turnovers.
"Protecting the ball – that's the number one priority, and we didn't do it," Jackson said. "Especially me, I'm the leader. I have to protect the ball, so I'm hot."
Another fantastic Ravens season, featuring a comeback run to claim the AFC North crown and playoff win against the rival Steelers, fell short of what could have been.
"Like I've been saying all season, whenever we're in situations like this, turnovers play a factor. Penalties play a factor," Jackson said. "Tonight, the turnovers, you can't have that [stuff]. That's why we lost the game."
Jackson couldn't keep his postgame frustrating from bubbling over.
"As you can see, we're moving the ball wonderfully," Jackson said. "Hold onto the [freaking] ball. I'm tired of that [stuff]
The Ravens' miscues started early. After throwing a 16-yard touchdown to Rashod Bateman on Baltimore's opening drive, Jackson was intercepted on the next when targeting Bateman on a deep shot.
Jackson took full responsibility for the interception, saying he should have held the safety, Taylor Rapp, in the middle of the field with his eyes but didn't.
On the Ravens' next drive, after they had driven to Buffalo's 28-yard line, Jackson couldn't cleanly catch Tyler Linderbaum's wide snap. After corralling it, Jackson tried to make something happen with his legs but dropped the ball. Von Miller returned it 39 yards and the Bills scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
"Just go down," Jackson said. "It's a playoff game. Split second, I'm trying to make something happen. Just go down."
The Ravens trailed by 11 points at halftime but turned the game around in the third quarter. The defense stiffened, forcing back-to-back Bills punts, and the Ravens offense scored on back-to-back drives behind a ground game that started clicking.
The Ravens trailed by five points and had the ball in the fourth quarter when Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard punched out the ball as Andrews tried to fight for extra yards at the end of a 16-yard pass that put the Ravens in Bills territory.
It was the first fumble Andrews lost since the 2019 season and it came at the worst time, just as Baltimore was taking off.
The Ravens still weren't done, however. After the defense held Allen out of the end zone to force a field goal, Jackson drove Baltimore back down the field in a hurry and delivered an unreal 24-yard touchdown to Isaiah Likely after extending the play.
Baltimore had a shot to tie it but had to hit the two-point conversion. The Ravens also had a failed two-point try on their previous touchdown when Matt Milano tipped Jackson's pass at the line of scrimmage.
This time, Andrews broke wide open and Jackson delivered a perfect pass on the move, but Andrews dropped it.
Andrews didn't speak with the media after the game, but numerous Ravens said they didn't put the loss on him.
Head Coach John Harbaugh: "The same thing I would say to all the guys like Mark ... There's nobody that has more heart and cares more or fights more than Mark. We wouldn't be here without Mark Andrews. 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. 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."
QB Lamar Jackson: "I'm just as hurt as Mark. All of us played a factor in that game. It's a team effort. I'm not going to put that on Mark. He's been battling all season."
TE Isaiah Likely: "Mark's a pro's pro. … Any other situation, Mark holds onto the ball, he does everything right. That's why he's my big brother and I look up to everything he does. I try to be a sponge with everything he does. It happens. He's human."
RB Derrick Henry: "It's not on him. We're all in this together. He's a warrior, and there's a lot to be proud about from this season [for] us as a group. We always [are] going [to] back him."
C Tyler Linderbaum: "Mark's a great player. Best tight end in the league. There's nothing to say. It doesn't come down to one play. It's a four quarter ballgame for a reason. You can't allow it to come down to one play. We have all the faith in Mark."
S Kyle Hamilton: "[Stuff] happens in this league. I dropped a pick earlier in the year," safety Kyle Hamilton said. "People don't turn on one another. We go through so much from fall camp to now. One play doesn't define anybody. [Andrews is] the all-time leading touchdown receiver in Ravens history, so for anybody to say anything about him, you have to look in the mirror and really evaluate your thought process [given] what he's done for this franchise [and] what he will do for this franchise in the future. 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."
