The latest leap by Mark Andrews didn't go as planned, but he wouldn't promise to stop hurdling tacklers.
During the second quarter of a 23-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Andrews tried to hurdle Bengals safety Brandon Wilson after catching a pass from Lamar Jackson. But while airborne, Andrews lost control of the football as he was hit, and the fumble was recovered by linebacker Nick Vigil.
A potential scoring drive was snuffed out, the Bengals got three points out of it, and Andrews felt sick about it when he reached the sideline.
However, Andrews didn't promise to eliminate hurdling from his repertoire, especially if he thinks that jumping over someone is the best way to avoid being tackled.
"It is what it is. I'm not going to stop being me, being an aggressive player," Andrews said. "It wasn't anything they did. I hit the ball with my own knee. I've got to be better than that. I can't do that to my team. It's not acceptable."
Hurdling has become a thing among the Ravens tight ends. Nick Boyle does it. Hayden Hurst does it. All three of the Ravens' tight ends are strong enough runners to put a shoulder down to gain extra yards. But they are also athletic and have used hurdling effectively on plays in the past.
"I'm not going to not be me," Andrews said, after another effective game with six catches for 99 yards. "I'm going to keep making plays and do what I can to help this team win."
The Ravens know turnovers can be costly, and the offensive unit was not happy on the sideline after Andrews' fumble. Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda slammed his helmet on the bench, and shortly after his fumble, Andrews went down the bench and gave fist pumps to teammates in a gesture of apology.
"They want to extend those plays, but we try to take care of the football at all costs," Yanda said. "We'll learn from it. It didn't cost us. It could've, but I'm glad it didn't. The ball carriers do their thing. Ball security as an offense is the No. 1 thing. Anybody that's carrying the ball, we want them to just take care of the football."
Andrews feels the same way. If he hurdles again, he will hope for a happier landing.
"It just sucks to do that to your team," Andrews said of his fumble. "I just wanted to let the guys know that I was going to try to make it up to them, and that it wasn't going to happen again. All the guys were understanding."
