Following the Baltimore Ravens’ loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in the NFL’s Divisional Round, most pundits placed the majority of blame on Ravens tight end Mark Andrews for two critical late-game errors. However, NBC NFL analyst Chris Simms explained that Andrews is not the only one at fault for the failed two-point conversion attempt, which could have sent the game into overtime.
After Lamar Jackson led the Ravens down the field for 88 yards, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken drew up what appeared to be the perfect play for a two-point conversion to tie the game at 27. Mark Andrews found himself wide open on the goal line, yet he inexplicably failed to catch the pass from Jackson, leading to a decisive first down for the Bills’ offense that ended the game and set up a Bills-Chiefs AFC Championship matchup.
Jim Nantz & Tony Romo on the CBS call for the Mark Andrews drop.
“THE BALL IS DROPPED! HE HAD THE 2-POINT CONVERSION IN HIS HANDS! ANDREWS DID NOT HOLD ON!” – Nantz
“Oh my goodness.” – Romo
“It’s shocking.” – Nantz
“It’s shocking… That’s caught 999 out of 1,000.” – Romo https://t.co/Hcs8sQaey9 pic.twitter.com/CuWAPZ609w
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 20, 2025
Andrews, who also lost a fumble in the third quarter, became the center of criticism on social media to the point where he opted not to speak to the media after the game. While it was a pass Andrews needed to catch, Simms suggested during an appearance on the Up & Adams show that Lamar Jackson didn’t help matters with the throw, labeling it as “not accurate.”
“Right here, this is perfect,” said Simms, discussing the play call shown on Up & Adams. “Throw it! Throw it! Throw it! It’s too late. Lamar Jackson is making $55 million a year. That ball needs to be on time, and it was not accurate. Mark Andrews needs to catch it, don’t get me wrong, but Lamar Jackson is making $55 million a year, and he double-clutched it and threw it like a dart. This play is open. We can’t get mad at Todd Monken. Mark Andrews will get a negative grade for the drop, but so will Lamar Jackson for the throw. It was late, and he didn’t throw it with the usual authority, making it as difficult as possible for a wide-open touchdown.”
If one were to point fingers at Jackson for anything in this game, it could easily be his two first-half turnovers that put the Ravens in a difficult position. However, Simms’ assertion that Jackson should be blamed for a pass that hit Andrews squarely in the hands is certainly controversial, and many in the media did not agree with his assessment. “Ain’t no way in the world man! This is so unserious,” wrote ESPN’s Marcus Spears on X.
Ain’t no way in the world man! This is so unserious https://t.co/CmGkrao0Va
— Marcus Spears (@mspears96) January 20, 2025
“I’m just going to say it, Chris Simms is not only stupid, but I truly believe there is underlying reasoning for his perspective. He’s more about hot takes than actual analysis,” wrote Rushard D. Anderson of the Washington Post.
I’m just going to say it, Chris Simms is not only stupid but I truly believe that there is underlying reasoning for his view of things like this. He’s more about hot takes than actual analysis. https://t.co/DzvpWUdZBP
— Rushard D. Anderson (@MaxJulien__) January 20, 2025
ESPN’s Liam Beatus also weighed in, stating, “Sir, it was right in between the numbers.”
“This ball wasn’t accurate”
Sir it was right in between the numbers. https://t.co/6tsJBYRe0q
— Liam Beatus (@notliambeatus) January 20, 2025
