Against all odds, the Cincinnati Bengals needed a miracle play to get the job done versus the Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens.
Tyler Huntley was moving the chains late in the second half, with the game tied at 17 and the Ravens threatening to take the lead in the fourth quarter.
Gus Edwards was stopped just short of the goal line on second-and-goal, so the Ravens set up a quarterback sneak that was all but guaranteed to give them a six-point advantage.
But the Bengals’ front seven rose to the occasion, knocking the football out of Huntley’s hands just before he broke the plane, and then Sam Hubbard became the hero.
The defensive end grabbed the ball and went off to the races for a 98-yard touchdown, with Ravens TE Mark Andrews nearly tackling him short of the goal line.
Eventually, that epic touchdown gave the Bengals the seven-point edge they needed to seal the win and advance to the AFC Divisional round versus the Buffalo Bills, but it most definitely meant more for Hubbard, who has officially reached hometown hero status.
The former Buckeye has spent his entire football career in the state of Ohio, attending Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati before committing to Ohio State and then being taken by the Bengals in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Sam Hubbard has spent his entire football career in the state of Ohio.
• Archbishop Moeller High School (2010-14)
• Ohio State (2014-17)
• Cincinnati Bengals (2018-present)The hometown kid is a hometown hero. pic.twitter.com/tA2BVXNwCw
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) January 16, 2023
Hubbard must’ve dreamed of this career-defining moment for decades, and he finally made it true in one of the biggest games of his career thus far.
So, if you’re walking the streets of Cincinnati and watch this man go by, buy him a beer or two; it’s the least you can do.
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