Tyler Loop didn’t just kick a 56-yard field goal to beat the Cowboys 34-31 in Rio de Janeiro; he punted 266 days of pure, unadulterated Ravens heartbreak into the stratosphere. That game-winner, coming with just one second left, wasn’t just a win, it was an exorcism, a direct shot fired back at their past demons.
That Crushing Week 18 Nightmare
Remember Week 18? Man, that one hurt. Just 266 days earlier, Lamar Jackson pulled off some late-game magic against the Steelers, and then Tyler Loop missed wide right. The Steelers went to the playoffs. The Ravens went home. Jackson, freezing in disbelief, could only say, “We did all that to come up short. Devastating. Furious. … I thought we had it in the bag. I don’t know what else we can do.” Since 2022, the Ravens have lost ten games where they led by eight or more points in the second half, the most in the NFL. That’s a brutal stat, and Sunday’s game felt like it was destined to be the eleventh.
The Boogeyman Almost Struck Again in Rio
This Sunday, in steamy Rio de Janeiro, it felt like déjà vu all over again. The Ravens were up by as much as eleven, but then the Cowboys cut their lead to three. Baltimore embarked on a long drive, only for Derrick Henry to get stuffed on fourth-and-goal from the Dallas 1-yard line. A crucial failure to convert late. The Cowboys went 96 yards in seven plays after that stop, with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott igniting the drive with a 49-yard connection, and KaVontae Turpin finishing it with a 9-yard touchdown. A total defensive lapse. The Ravens, now trailing, then went three and out. Offensive coordinator Anthony Weaver even told NFL ON CBS color commentator JJ Watt that these late-game losses were the Ravens’ “boogeyman.”
But Lamar Jackson said, “Not today.” He scrambled 17 yards on the opening play of the next drive, later converted a third-and-10 to Mark Andrews, and found Zay Flowers for 14 yards to move the chains on two separate occasions. He then found rookie Matthew Hibner for a touchdown to put them back ahead. The Cowboys responded, moving right down the field, helped by plenty of missed tackles and a controversial pass interference flag on Nate Wiggins. It felt like the script was writing itself again. But this time, after Jackson’s 27-yard dime to Zay Flowers with one second left, Loop stepped up and absolutely drilled that 56-yarder.
The pure, unbridled joy of the team-wide celebration, players streaming across the famed Maracanã Stadium to lift their kicker on their shoulders, Lamar Jackson screaming “Let’s go!” the entire way? You absolutely love to see it. This wasn’t just a win; it was proof they can finally conquer the ghosts of games past.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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