Former Cowboys All-Pro predicts Lee Evans-like fate for Mark Andrews after Ravens TE's costly drop vs. Bills
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews took the brunt of the blame in their divisional round loss to the Buffalo Bills. He made several costly mistakes, including a crucial drop during a two-point conversion. Those two points were the difference between the team, as Buffalo won 27-25.
Former Cowboys All-pro wide receiver Dez Bryant had a warning for his fellow all-pro, recounting another player whose drop cost the Ravens a playoff game:
"I'm not saying Mark Andrews is going to get cut, but the last player who dropped a pass that kept the Ravens from going to the Super Bowl was cut the next day. I forgot the WR's name…"
The usually surehanded Andrews had several mishaps in the game. With the Ravens trailing by five points in the fourth quarter and gaining momentum, Andrews had a costly fumble after catching the ball in the middle of the field. While he was trying to run downfield, Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard punched the ball out and recovered it.
Andrews then compounded this during the two-point conversion with just 1:33 in the game. Quarterback Lamar Jackson rolled out to the right and delivered a strike to his favorite target running along the touchdown line. Commentator Jim Nantz confidently shouted, “Got it!”, before realizing the line judge signaled no catch. Replays then showed that Andrews dropped the ball.
Those points proved to be valuable as the Bills got the ball back and ran out the clock.
Dez Bryant recounts Lee Evans’ dropped pass amid Mark Andrews' errors
Former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant took to X to remind NFL fans of the case of Lee Evans. Evans was famously cut after dropping a pass in the 2011/2012 AFC Championship Game.
In that game, the Baltimore Ravens were trailing by 3 to the New England Patriots. Quarterback Joe Flacco found wide receiver Lee Evans in the end zone with just 23 seconds to go. Evans dropped the game-winning pass when Patriots receiver Sterling Moore pushed the ball out of his hands.
Coincidentally, the game was also called by CBS’s Jim Nantz, John Harbaugh already coached the Ravens and the incident happened on the same right pylon. The drop effectively ended Evans’ career. He was cut in March and never played a full season in the NFL again.
Although both incidents share some similarities, it is unlikely that the Baltimore Ravens will cut their star tight end. Evans was a recent acquisition at that time and did not build up as much equity. Andrews is also one of the best tight ends of this era, and he has amassed an impressive career with Baltimore. He currently holds the Ravens' single-season record for receptions and receiving yards.
After the game, Ravens teammates including quarterback Lamar Jackson refused to blame Mark Andrews for the drop. Coach Harbaugh summarized the team sentiment with this sentence.
“We wouldn’t be here without Mark Andrews.”
The Ravens will look to bounce back and come back even stronger next season.