Three-time Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews received the lion’s share of the blame after the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff run came to an abrupt and excruciating end. Andrews failed to secure a short pass from Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on a two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter.
A completed catch would have tied the hard-fought division tie at 27. Instead, the Ravens were forced to attempt an onside kick, which was recovered by the Buffalo Bills. A pass and a couple of knee drops by quarterback Josh Allen punched the Bills ticket to the AFC Championship game.
Instead of pointing the finger solely at Andrews, former NFL quarterback and current analyst Chris Simms suggested that Jackson should shoulder a significant portion of the blame.
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Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens steps back to pass against the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter during the AFC Divisional Playoff at Highmark Stadium on January 19, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
“A lot of people are going to be on Mark Andrews for the missed two-point conversion,” Simms said this week during an appearance on “Up & Adams” as video of the failed two-point conversion played.
While Simms admitted that Andrews needed to “catch” the ball, he also argued that Jackson’s pass was “not accurate.”
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“Throw it, throw it! It’s too late, Lamar Jackson makes $55 million a year, that ball has to be on time and it wasn’t accurate. Mark Andrews has to catch it, don’t get me wrong, but Lamar Jackson’s He made 55 million dollars a year, and he grabbed it and threw it like an arrow.”
NBC Sports’ Chris Simms before an AFC divisional playoff game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs on January 21, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Simms then praised Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken for making the “perfect play call” as he continued to highlight Jackson’s throw during the play in question.
“This was the perfect play call. So we can’t get mad at Todd Monken,” Simms said. “What I’m saying is that in the meeting today with Baltimore, Mark Andrews will get a negative grade for the drop, but also, Lamar Jackson’s meeting with his quarterback coach and the offensive coordinator, he will get a negative grade for It was late. He didn’t throw it with the same authority he usually throws it behind him.
Mark Andrews #89 of the Baltimore Ravens throws a pass for a two-point conversion during the second half of an NFL football divisional playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on January 19, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Jackson finished the 27-25 loss with a pair of touchdown passes against one interception. The Ravens also lost two fumbles, one of which was charged to Jackson. Andrews also fumbled the ball in the fourth quarter.
After the match, Jackson pushed back against the idea that Andrews was responsible for the loss. “We’re a team,” the two-time NFL MVP quarterback said. “It’s not his fault. We don’t want to put it on Mark.”
