Mark Andrews breaks silence on gut-wrenching playoff drop that cost Ravens
NY Post
Mark Andrews broke his silence Thursday on his brutal miscue that led to the end of the Ravens’ season.
The three-time Pro Bowl tight end, who dropped a pass on what would’ve been a game-tying two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter of the team’s Divisional Round loss to the Bills, addressed the flub on Instagram after not speaking to the media Sunday after the game or Monday during Baltimore’s end-of-season access.
“It’s impossible to adequately express how I feel. I’m absolutely gutted by what happened on Sunday. I’m devastated for my teammates, my coaches and Ravens fans,” Andrews wrote. “I pour every ounce of my being into playing at the highest level possible, because I love my team and the game of football like nothing else. That is why it’s taken me until now to collect my thoughts and address this publicly. Even though the shock and disappointment are unlike anything I’ve felt before, I refuse to let the situation define me. I promise that this adversity will only make me stronger and fuel us as we move forward.
“I thank everyone who has shown me and our team genuine support these past severaldays. Despite the negativity, I’ve seen heartfelt love and encouragement, including from those who have generously donated to the Breakthrough T1D organization. Even when the moment seems darkest, perspective can reveal that there’s still a lot of light in this world. I’m now going to do my part to bounce back and contribute to it. #GodBless 📝🔒.”
Lamar Jackson led an eight-play, 88-yard drive in 1:56 to bring the Ravens within two points with 1:33 left in the fourth quarter.
Jackson then rolled to his right on the two-point try and threw it to Andrews, who was a yard shy of the goal line with open space to score, but he couldn’t hold onto the ball.
It was only a three-second glimpse, but Matt Rempe, finally, showcased offensive strides. The ones he started talking about in the preseason — after a summer’s worth of work — and kept doubling down on, even when he fluctuated in and out of the Rangers lineup and shuttled back and forth to AHL Hartford.
In a different time, in a season to come, we may be inclined to wax poetic about the way this one played out. In a different time, in a season to come, the Nets will be seeking to stack wins and not losses, will be fighting for playoff seeding and not for a few extra ping-pong balls in the draft lottery this spring.
The NBA has an All-Star Game problem. Despite Adam Silver’s efforts to inject juice into the February showcase — including a format alteration to the 2025 game that is too confusing to attempt to understand before it’s inevitably changed again — there’s little interest in watching teams eschew defense for a series of layup line highlights. That also means the most entertaining part of the NBA All-Star Game is just like the Pro Bowl — debating over who should get a spot.