Mark Andrews hurt the Ravens again in a potentially season-defining loss to the Steelers.
On fourth down from the Steelers’ eight-yard line with the Ravens down 27-22 with just 2:28 remaining, quarterback Lamar Jackson was moving around looking for an open receiver, when DeAndre Hopkins came free in the back of the end zone with his hands up begging for the ball.
NFL analyst Brian Baldinger pointed out during a film review that Jackson seemingly unloads the ball to Hopkins as Andrews came across the field and used his 6-foot-5 frame to deflect a ball that looks pretty clearly not intended for him.
Andrews’ hand knocked the ball off its trajectory to Hopkins and fell incomplete as the drive stalled deep in Pittsburgh territory, foiling their best chance to score a touchdown and take the lead in a crucial game.
After Andrews accidentally spoiled what appeared to be a sure-fire Hopkins touchdown, Jackson put his hands in the air in shock after having missed an opportunity to take the lead and perhaps win the game.
Andrews ended the game with one catch for five yards on five targets.
The Ravens tight end, who just received a three-year, $39 million contract extension from the team, has been a part of some of the Ravens’ biggest moments of the past couple of seasons — with it often not ending well.
Andrews fumbled against the Bills in the AFC Divisional playoff round to kill a potential go-ahead drive with the Ravens trailing 24-19.
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Andrews would then drop a wide-open two-point conversion to tie the game in the closing minutes. The Bills then recovered the onside kick and knelt the game out from there, as the Ravens fell to the Bills 27-25 in a crushing loss.
Now, it will be challenging for the Ravens to get back to the playoffs.
The loss to the Steelers on Sunday doesn’t quite end their season, but it is a serious gut punch to their playoff hopes.
The 6-7 Ravens now trail the Steelers by one game in the AFC North and face an end-of-season gauntlet starting with a matchup in Cincinnati against the Bengals, whom they already lost to on Thanksgiving night.
That’s followed by a home game against the Patriots, at the Packers and then a rematch with the Steelers in Pittsburgh to end the season.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
