The first team in NFL history (regular season and postseason) to lose a game in which

• They rushed for more than 175 yards
• Completed 70% or more of their passes
• Averaged more than 10 yards per pass
• Converted on 70% of their third downs
• Didn’t punt the ball or miss a field goal.

That is the piece of stat about the Baltimore Ravens that started doing rounds after their 27–25 divisional-round loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. But wait. Isn’t that cherry-picking missing a vital point? How can one forget that they had three turnovers? And that did cost them the way it should have been.

That streak of self-sabotage started with no other than Lamar Jackson. He overthrew wide receiver Rashod Bateman on a first-quarter interception under pressure. Jackson later coughed up the ball while trying to escape more pressure, a fumble scooped up by Von Miller and run back 39 yards. That play set up a Bills touchdown that put them up 14-7 in the second quarter. If these were not enough, their ‘Mr. Reliable’ failed the Ravens too.

Their star tight end, Mark Andrews, reeled in a pass from Lamar Jackson near mid-field and had yards of empty space around him. Rather than go down or run vertically down the field, Andrews tried to juke a Bills defender and run laterally. The move backfired, as Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard saw a golden opportunity to punch the ball out and force the fumble. Bernard would recover it, too, giving the Bills possession with a 24-19 lead and with little less than nine minutes to go. Quite incredibly, it was Andrews’ first turnover since 2019, but it couldn’t have come at a worse time. However, the worst happened a few minutes later.

Bills were leading 27-19 at that point when the Ravens drove 88 yards in less than two minutes for a touchdown with 1:33 remaining. That made the score 27-25 and put them a two-point conversion away from tying the game and potentially sending it to overtime. On the conversion attempt, quarterback Lamar Jackson took the snap, rolled to the right, and found Andrews open near the goal line. But Andrews shockingly dropped the pass and fell backward into the end zone, giving the game away. You are surely thinking that the Ravens were their own enemies on Sunday, right? Well, you will get Bill Belichick and Tom Brady beside you in that.

Hopping on the Let’s Go Podcast, Belichick was asked, “Does it drive you crazy, coach, when teams beat themselves?” Well, Belichick gave a clear answer about his opinion, calling out the Ravens for self-sabotage. “You know, I’ve been saying this all year about the Ravens. I think they’re maybe the best team in football. But when they’ve beaten themselves. They’ve beaten themselves. And I thought yesterday was, unfortunately, another example of that for the Ravens.” See, it isn’t like Belichick accused the Ravens of shooting themselves in the foot out of the blue.

He also gave the reasons behind it: “They fumble the ball, quarterback fumbles the ball without getting hit. Tight end fumbles the ball really without even getting hit. They drop a couple of key passes and drop a 2-point conversation.” Now, Belichick wasn’t the only one who accused the Ravens of being the villain of their own fairy tale. His former player, none other than Tom Brady, also echoed the same sentiments on the podcast: “That’s the reality. It’s just the self-inflicted wounds.” Can you guess how deep the wounds were? Let’s tell you statistically.

Top Comment by Marques Pinkas

What a two point conversation? You discuss it twice..some writer…seems as though you also fumble the ball or drop a...more

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According to Next Gen Stats, the dropped two-point pass by Andrews cost the Ravens a -22.8% win probability. But the three turnovers collectively cost the Ravens a total of -36.7% in net win probability. Interestingly, Jackson’s interception (-5.9% win probability) was the least costly, but Jackson’s fumble was the most hurtful of the three (-19.3%). Andrews’ fumble was in the middle, at -11.5% win probability lost. The QB did not mince words while accepting the mistakes.

“Tonight, the turnovers, can’t have that s—. That’s why we lost the game. ‘Cause as you can see, we’re moving the ball wonderfully. Just hold on to the f—— ball. Sorry for my language, this s— annoying. Tired of this s—.” Jackson added, per The Athletic: “I got to get over this. We’re right there. I’m tired of being right there. We need to punch our ticket.”

“We’re a team,” Jackson said. “First half, I had two costly turnovers. Me not holding the safety, me just knowing the coverage, me knowing it was man. Threw a B.S. interception. The fumble. Just trying to make something happen. It was like a RPO play, so I couldn’t really throw the ball to (tight end Isaiah) Likely. … I was trying to make something happen, tired to squeeze the ball. It slipped out of my hand. Von Miller picked it up, got some yards, I think that led to points for them,” he further added.

However, no matter what anyone had to say about the way the Ravens exited the playoffs. Their head coach, John Harbaugh, isn’t someone who is really keen on blaming his players.

John Harbaugh defends his players after disappointing playoff exit

After a slow start this season, Andrews rediscovered his role in the Ravens offense, catching a team-high 11 TDs. On a day when the Ravens were without Zay Flowers, Andrews stepped up with five second-half catches for 61 yards. He also converted two key first downs with QB sneaks, including a 2-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the Baltimore 39-yard line with 10 minutes left. But it’s his two major mistakes in the fourth quarter of a winnable game that will linger for a long time. Andrews did not speak after the loss, but Ravens head John Harbaugh also came to his tight end’s defense.

“I would say the same thing to all the guys, like Mark,” Harbaugh said. “There is nobody that has more heart or cares (and) fights more than Mark. We wouldn’t be here without Mark Andrews. That’s what you say to him. So, it’s like anything else, destiny is a decision that you make. It’s a decision on how you handle what comes in your life. Mark will handle it fantastic like he always does. He’s a high-character person, tough person and a good person. So, proud of him just like how I’m proud of all the guys.” 

That was such a class act there from Harbaugh when he could have easily thrown him under the bus. However, Harbaugh wasn’t the only one who didn’t want Andrews to shoulder all the blame. Lamar Jackson, who also turned the ball over two times, stood up for the Ravens’ TE, “I’m just as hurt as Mark. It’s not his fault. All of us played a factor in that game. It’s a team effort. We’re not going to put that on Mark because he’s been battling all season.”

At this time, the only way for the Ravens to move forward is to stick together. Yeah, there could be pointing fingers at certain individuals. But you cannot undone what’s already happened. So, it’s better to plan what’s next instead of wondering what could have been.