With the Ravens committing three turnovers in a 27-25 defeat at Buffalo in the divisional round on Sunday night, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. The season began with a loss by a toe and ended with a drop by the franchise’s all-time touchdown leader. “It’s week by week. This is three or four weeks for the rest of our lives.” Mark Andrews uttered those words last week. I feel for him.
2. We’ll never know what would have happened if Andrews had caught the 2-point conversion. Josh Allen and the Bills had 1:33 and two timeouts with which to work, so Baltimore may not have even gotten a shot at overtime. Still, it doesn’t get much more excruciating than that.
3. Andrews has 51 touchdowns and 26 drops credited by PFF over 104 regular-season games. He has no touchdowns to go with a fumble and eight drops — when including that failed 2-point conversion — over eight playoff contests. The three-time Pro Bowl tight end’s postseason performance has been a problem.
4. The interception didn’t prove too costly beyond losing a possession, but Lamar Jackson’s fumble cannot happen. Tyler Linderbaum’s poor snap blew up the timing of a run-pass option, meaning Jackson could only run with linemen already downfield. He even tucked the ball before Damar Hamlin wrapped him. A game-changing mistake.
5. I’d have given Derrick Henry the ball again on second-and-goal late in the first half and I didn’t like motioning him out on the first 2-point try, but I was fine with an offensive game plan that produced 7.3 yards per play. Turnovers and drops were the story — not coaching.
6. Todd Monken tried to break tendency with the running backs as Justice Hill finished with 50 yards on six carries, but Henry dropping two passes wasn’t ideal. With the way Buffalo was selling out to stop Henry, Baltimore needed to change it up some to not be too predictable.
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7. Baltimore allowed only six points in the second half, but Terrel Bernard’s forced fumble on Andrews is the kind of game-altering turnover the Ravens defense hasn’t been able to create in playoff losses. A takeaway like that would have gone a long way against Buffalo or Kansas City last year.
8. Isaiah Likely will be entering the final season of his rookie deal while Andrews enters the last year of his contract in 2025. Likely’s performance against Buffalo is the latest reminder of the need to keep him involved in this offense more consistently moving forward. He’s a playmaker.
9. For someone with 18 career receptions, Tylan Wallace seems to have a knack for making a big play. His catch and run for 27 yards on the final drive showed the trust Jackson has in him. A pending free agent, Wallace is a depth piece and special-teams contributor worth re-signing.
10. I suspect Roger Rosengarten earned respect from veteran teammates for the way he went after Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver for his tackle of Jackson out of bounds that sure could have drawn a penalty. Rosengarten had a rock-solid rookie season on which to build.
11. The fourth quarter was a positive as it relates to Jackson’s postseason performance, but I’m not sure what the win does for Allen if he loses to Kansas City. The same would go for Jackson. Either quarterback’s legacy depends on getting past Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs at this point.
12. Using DVOA, this is the third time in six years Baltimore ranked among the best regular-season teams since 1978. At this point, the Jackson-era Ravens are in danger of going down as one of the best not to make a Super Bowl, let alone win. Another 12 long months await.
