The Baltimore Ravens’ season came to a heart-wrenching end in a playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The Ravens mounted a desperate comeback, and Lamar Jackson connected with Isaiah Likely for a touchdown that brought the team tantalizingly close to tying the game.
But Mark Andrews dropped the subsequent two-point conversion pass to seal the Ravens’ elimination, leaving fans and players alike in stunned silence.
Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton, never one to shy away from football analysis, criticized the play’s design, arguing that the strategy fundamentally limited Jackson’s extraordinary capabilities.
“For me in that situation, I know I got Lamar Jackson. I’m going to give him options to have a quick throw, a man-to-man answer, and then if all else fails, use that 53 and a third (width). That’s why I didn’t like it,” Newton said, via “4th&1.”
"Lamar Jackson thrives on using the full field—why shrink it to half?"@CameronNewton calls out the @Ravens’ final play call that cost them the game pic.twitter.com/HtyJbjiAgU
— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) January 23, 2025
Newton argued that Jackson, being the most dynamic dual-threat quarterback in the game, needed more space to operate.
Though he understood the intent of getting Jackson on the edge to run, Newton emphasized that rolling out doesn’t truly give a quarterback the option to run effectively.
He also offered a compassionate perspective on Andrews’ pivotal drop, acknowledging his significant contributions to the Ravens’ successful season.
The moment encapsulated the razor-thin margins in playoff football, where inches and split-second decisions can transform triumph into heartbreak.
For the Ravens, the loss will undoubtedly fuel an intense offseason of reflection and preparation.
NEXT: Mark Andrews Posts First Comments After Playoff Drop
