For believers in momentum, everything was on the Baltimore Ravens’ sideline in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s AFC Divisional Round Game against the Buffalo Bills.
How a single punch swung the AFC Divisional Round game between Bills and Ravens
What was Mark Andrews thinking?
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
Then with one punch, momentum changed.
The Bills took a 21-10 lead into the locker room at halftime, thanks in large part to some miscues from the Ravens. But in the second half, Baltimore clawed back into the game, led by their defense and a stout rushing attack. Derrick Henry barreled into the end zone for a five-yard touchdown run to cut Buffalo’s lead to 21-19, and while the Bills extended that lead to 24-19 on their ensuing possession, the Ravens were still in striking distance.
On their next drive, Baltimore faced a 2nd-and-11 situation, but quarterback Lamar Jackson calmly hung in the pocket before finding tight end Mark Andrews wide open in the middle of the field. Andrews pulled in the throw at the Buffalo 43-yard line but immediately looked for more.
That’s when the punch that swung the AFC Championship Game landed.
As Andrews tried to cut east-west to make a move, Buffalo defender Terrel Bernard threw a perfectly timed “Peanut Punch” at the football, knocking it loose from Andrews’ right arm:
This image shows just how much space Andrews had before the fumble:
For good measure Bernard pounced on the loose football, giving possession back to the Buffalo offense and wildly swinging the momentum in this game. Buffalo drove deep into Baltimore territory on their ensuing possession, working more than five minutes off the clock, before finishing that drive with a short field goal from Tyler Bass to push their advantage to 27-19.
Taking all that momentum right back from Baltimore, and putting the Bills on the cusp of the AFC Championship Game.
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