Bryn Renner had never taken an NFL snap before Thursday night's preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints.
And he couldn't have written a better script for how it ended.
The Ravens' third-string quarterback orchestrated a 14-play, 80-yard drive in the final two minutes to give the Ravens a thrilling 30-27 comeback victory. To make the drive even more impressive, Renner capped it off with a 1-yard touchdown run of his own for the exclamation point.
The 25-year-old quarterback was swarmed by his teammates and coaches as he ran to the sidelines. He even got a bath from veteran Terrell Suggs, who dumped two water bottles over his head.
"I haven't gotten a water bath since I was in high school," Renner joked.
Renner couldn't hide his excitement in the locker room after the game as teammate after teammate came by to shake his hand and offer their congratulations.
"That speaks volumes for this team," Renner said. "To have guys like Terrell Suggs and Steve Smith come up to you, and support you the whole way means a lot. They could have cashed it in after the first quarter when they were done. But they're supporting you, helping you on the sidelines, and they're still involved in the game."
The comeback victory was particularly meaningful to Renner because it took him from the doghouse to the penthouse. He had thrown an interception previously in the fourth quarter, which set up the Saints for a touchdown and put the Ravens behind for the first time all game.
Renner paced the sidelines hoping to get the ball back in his hands.
"I was chomping at the bit," he said. "I didn't want to cost this team a loss tonight. We played so well for three quarters and for me to come in and throw an interception was a letdown for the team."
Renner and the offense got their chance with one minute, 56 seconds left on the clock and the football at their own 20-yard line. The Ravens trailed by four points and had to drive 80 yards for the victory.
Their chances looked particularly bleak when they faced fourth-and-20 at their own 46-yard line, but Renner hit rookie tight end Maxx Williams in the flat and he barreled through a pair of defenders to keep the drive alive with a 22-yard gain.
Renner then connected with wide receiver Tom Nelson on a 19-yard pass. He attempted another pass to Nelson and drew a pass interference call, which placed the ball at the 1-yard line. With just two seconds left, Renner ran a bootleg on third down and dove into the end zone for the victory.
