Tyler Loop misses a 45-yard field goal attempt as time expires.
It's not uncommon for Steelers vs. Ravens to come down to just one play. It's happened so many times over the years. So, in a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium, why not have the game decided on one play?
The Steelers prevailed by a score of 26-24, clinching the AFC North title and No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs. They held onto that advantage because as time expired on Sunday night, Tyler Loop had a chance to kick a game-winning 45-yard field goal for the Ravens, but wound up pushing the kick wide right:
"Operation was great. It was a great situation. We got exactly what we wanted," Loop said after the game. "Unfortunately, I just mis-hit the ball. We call it hitting it thin. It spins fast, then it goes off to the right. And, yeah, that was it."
The missed kick itself was a wild ending to a wild fourth quarter. The score was 13-10 in favor of the Steelers when the quarter began. But the teams traded touchdowns on four straight series. Lamar Jackson hit Zay Flowers for a 50-yard bomb, then the Steelers answered with a Kenneth Gainwell 2-yard running score. Jackson hit Flowers on another splash play (64 yards), but with :55 remaining, Aaron Rodgers connected with Calvin Austin III for a 26-yard passing touchdown.
If that back-and-forth swing of emotions wasn't enough for you, all that was needed was some special-teams hiccups to put everything over the top. Chris Boswell trotted onto the field after Austin's touchdown, just needing to make an extra point to put the Steelers up by three. That way, in case the Ravens went down the field far enough to kick a field goal, the game would at least go into overtime.
However, Boswell's kick took a hard right turn and missed wide right, keeping it a two-point lead:
What made the situation even worse for the Steelers is they allowed Keaton Mitchell to return the ensuing kickoff to the Baltimore 48-yard line, putting the Ravens just a first down or two away from Loop's range.
After the Ravens converted a fourth-and-7, with Jackson finding Isaiah Likely for a 26-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 24, it seemed as if the Steelers' fate was written. It was well within Loop's range, having not missed any of his seven previous attempts between 40-49 yards all season.
In addition, this attempt was also going to be kicked in the direction of the north end-zone, which is typically the easier of the two at Acrisure Stadium. The south end of the stadium is open, allowing for winds coming off the Ohio River to affect attempted field goals, especially in December and January.
However, just to add another layer to this whole ordeal, a priest sprinkled holy water on the north end-zone prior to the game.
"I'm not gonna ask questions," Cam Heyward said after the game. “The good Lord made a good decision tonight. I’m thankful, and we keep moving on."
Regardless of how or why Loop missed the field goal, the fact is his kick didn't go through the uprights. Some may call it lucky. Others may view it still as those three points needing to be earned, not just expected.
Mike Tomlin likes to say there's a fine line between a Pro Bowler and a backup. Well, that kick had a fine line: If it's good, then his team's season is done, a 9-8 season in which they failed to win the division after the Ravens started the season 1-5. But if he missed, they are not just in the playoffs, but division champions.
Tomlin broke out a new saying to describe how he felt about that fine line, and it felt like the perfect coup de grâce to a ridiculously wild night on the North Shore:
"You know how it is," Tomlin said. "If my aunt had male parts, she would be my uncle."
THE ASYLUM
The Big Play: Loop 'mis-hit the ball'
JUSTIN K. ALLER / GETTY
Tyler Loop misses a 45-yard field goal attempt as time expires.
It's not uncommon for Steelers vs. Ravens to come down to just one play. It's happened so many times over the years. So, in a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium, why not have the game decided on one play?
The Steelers prevailed by a score of 26-24, clinching the AFC North title and No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs. They held onto that advantage because as time expired on Sunday night, Tyler Loop had a chance to kick a game-winning 45-yard field goal for the Ravens, but wound up pushing the kick wide right:
"Operation was great. It was a great situation. We got exactly what we wanted," Loop said after the game. "Unfortunately, I just mis-hit the ball. We call it hitting it thin. It spins fast, then it goes off to the right. And, yeah, that was it."
The missed kick itself was a wild ending to a wild fourth quarter. The score was 13-10 in favor of the Steelers when the quarter began. But the teams traded touchdowns on four straight series. Lamar Jackson hit Zay Flowers for a 50-yard bomb, then the Steelers answered with a Kenneth Gainwell 2-yard running score. Jackson hit Flowers on another splash play (64 yards), but with :55 remaining, Aaron Rodgers connected with Calvin Austin III for a 26-yard passing touchdown.
If that back-and-forth swing of emotions wasn't enough for you, all that was needed was some special-teams hiccups to put everything over the top. Chris Boswell trotted onto the field after Austin's touchdown, just needing to make an extra point to put the Steelers up by three. That way, in case the Ravens went down the field far enough to kick a field goal, the game would at least go into overtime.
However, Boswell's kick took a hard right turn and missed wide right, keeping it a two-point lead:
What made the situation even worse for the Steelers is they allowed Keaton Mitchell to return the ensuing kickoff to the Baltimore 48-yard line, putting the Ravens just a first down or two away from Loop's range.
After the Ravens converted a fourth-and-7, with Jackson finding Isaiah Likely for a 26-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 24, it seemed as if the Steelers' fate was written. It was well within Loop's range, having not missed any of his seven previous attempts between 40-49 yards all season.
In addition, this attempt was also going to be kicked in the direction of the north end-zone, which is typically the easier of the two at Acrisure Stadium. The south end of the stadium is open, allowing for winds coming off the Ohio River to affect attempted field goals, especially in December and January.
However, just to add another layer to this whole ordeal, a priest sprinkled holy water on the north end-zone prior to the game.
"I'm not gonna ask questions," Cam Heyward said after the game. “The good Lord made a good decision tonight. I’m thankful, and we keep moving on."
Regardless of how or why Loop missed the field goal, the fact is his kick didn't go through the uprights. Some may call it lucky. Others may view it still as those three points needing to be earned, not just expected.
Mike Tomlin likes to say there's a fine line between a Pro Bowler and a backup. Well, that kick had a fine line: If it's good, then his team's season is done, a 9-8 season in which they failed to win the division after the Ravens started the season 1-5. But if he missed, they are not just in the playoffs, but division champions.
Tomlin broke out a new saying to describe how he felt about that fine line, and it felt like the perfect coup de grâce to a ridiculously wild night on the North Shore:
"You know how it is," Tomlin said. "If my aunt had male parts, she would be my uncle."
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