WIDE RIGHT: Tyler Loop’s Missed Field Goal Dooms The Ravens And Sends The Steelers To The Playoffs After a Thriller To Close Out The Regular Season
Unbelievable football game to close out the regular season. That 4th quarter had it all. Lamar and Rodgers dueling it out for the AFC North title, and the final spot left open in the postseason. Four lead changes on four consecutive touchdowns. Multiple blown coverages by Pitt that allowed Zay Flowers to inexplicably slip behind the defense for back-breaking TD passes. Seriously what was this?
Pitt blew all of their timeouts early at the goal line with the headsets malfunctioning. Kyle Hamilton got hurt which pretty much doomed any shot of Baltimore getting a stop in that final quarter. Rodgers just kept leading them down the field despite his weapons being Calvin Austin, Adam Thielen, MVS, and his running back duo. Just when you thought the Ravens had them dead, the old man found Austin breaking free down the left sideline.
Oh you want another plot twist? The always trust worthy Chris Boswell blew the extra point, leaving Lamar and the Ravens just under a minute with three timeouts and only needing a FG to move onto the postseason.
It sadly appeared like a fitting way for an Aaron Rodgers season to end, maybe his last one ever —a special teams fuck up. Rodgers had seen this story before. The amount of times he lost like this in Green Bay. Guy had to be getting serious hits of PTSD the moment that extra point missed and the return brought the ball to midfield.
Lamar would hit Likely on 4th down from mid field to set up the Ravens in field goal position to win the game.
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At the 24 yard line Lamar took a knee and out came Tyler Loop for the kick, even though the Ravens had a timeout to spare and could have gotten closer. I don't know how many times they need to be reminded, but they have Derrick Henry on their football team. Really feels like that part of the offense escapes Baltimore far too often. Pittsburgh is always a brutal place to kick, hell Boswell just missed an extra point 30 seconds ago. Nope, they settled right there, asking Loop to boot it home and boy did he not do that. Something about Tyler Loop's name that I just didn't trust in that spot.
A little religious help to get the job done? Whatever it takes.
Good for Rodgers, man. He deserved to be on the right side of one of these. He was so good in that 4th quarter.
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They get the Texans at home next Monday night with DK Metcalf coming back from suspension. I'll be responsibly taking the under in that game whatever the number is. I don't think the total score is hitting 30 between those two teams.
As for the Ravens? Gonna be a fun offseason where they figure out how to move forward. Is it with Lamar?
Is it with Harbaugh? Both of them? None of them? Feels like some sort of major shakeup is on the horizon? Maybe they just chalk up the injuries and try to run back something that hasn't worked the way they hoped. Their defense was brutal all year, even when they were mostly healthy. Zero pass rush whatsoever from start to finish won't get it done. There were those reports about Lamar and Harbaugh not being on the same page. I guess we'll see how true that was. Gonna be a long offseason for Baltimore.
What a football game. Playoffs so soon.