Mark Andrews’ drop joins the list of the NFL’s worst playoff moments ever

On By Littum

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“Bless his heart, he must be the sickest man in America.”

It’s been 46 years since legendary broadcaster Verne Lundquist made that exclamation point during Super Bowl 13 after witnessing a fumble from future Hall of Fame tight end Jackie Smith. (More on that later.)

Yet Lundquist’s sentiment could just as easily have been applied to Baltimore Ravens‘ Mark Andrews, a potential Hall of Fame tight end himself, but now one—like Smith—who may not be best remembered for his abundant NFL accomplishments.

Andrews had the worst game of his seven-year career Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. He had already lost his first fumble in more than five years in the fourth quarter, a serious blow to the Ravens’ comeback bid during a game in which they mostly trailed. But that was just the beginning.

Presumptive MVP Lamar Jackson nearly pulled Baltimore back to even, his 24-yard touchdown strike to Isaiah Likely with 93 seconds left to cut Buffalo’s lead to 27-25. A successful two-point conversion on the next snap would have tied the game … but a wide-open Andrews simply dropped Jackson’s eminently catchable pass as he drifted toward the nearby pylon before losing his feet. In short, it was a brutal one – a mistake Andrews makes once in 100 chances? Maybe 1,000?

“(It’s not) his fault,” Jackson said of Andrews. “All of us played a factor in that game. It’s a team effort. We don’t want to put it on Mark.”

Andrews’ other teammates also rallied to his support, although he did not speak to reporters after the game.

“The best tight end in the league,” Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum said. “There’s nothing to say. It doesn’t come down to one play. It’s a four-quarter ball game for a reason. There’s 160 plays in a game. You can’t let it come down to one play and we’ve all the faith of the world in Mark.”

Unfortunately for Andrews and the Ravens and their fans — just a year removed from wide receiver Zay Flowers’ unfortunate goal-line fumble in the 2023 AFC Championship Game — that faith was not rewarded Sunday in a loss that will be hard to stomach for a team that absolutely had the firepower to win the Super Bowl.

And so it takes its place on this list of 15 infamous playoff pills, one that isn’t necessarily exhaustive—oh, the number of kickers we could roast—but rather meant to illustrate that postseason heartache concentrated in one unfortunate play or moment is all too common. :

The fumble

Earnest Byner was a great player who had a great career and had a great day in the 1987 AFC Championship Game in Denver, racking up 187 yards from scrimmage and two TDs for the Browns as Cleveland tried to reach its first Super Bowl. Unfortunately, his late fumble near the goal line negated the team’s comeback and cemented a 38-33 defeat a year after the Browns succumbed to “The Drive” led by Broncos QB John Elway. Cleveland still hasn’t played on Super Sunday.

‘That’s my quarterback’

The 2006 season was Tony Romo’s first as a starting quarterback in the NFL. It ended with the Dallas Cowboys’ newest star making the catch (of a slippery ball) for what would have been a chip-shot field goal that likely would have propelled “America’s Team” past the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round . Alas. “That’s my teammate, that’s my quarterback,” tearful Dallas receiver Terrell Owens said afterward.

Junk snap

The New York Giants squandered a 38-14 lead in a 2002 wild-card game with the San Francisco 49ers. Still, they would have survived with a converted 41-yard field goal on the final play of the game … had veteran Trey Junkin, who had been coaxed out of retirement to handle long snapper duties in the postseason, not failed in his offer to holder Matt Allen. Junkin took the blame for the loss in what was his final NFL game, one too many for his liking.

Minnesota accident

Stefon Diggs’ 61-yard catch-and-run on the final snap of the 2017 divisional round gave the Minnesota Vikings a 29-24 triumph in the “Minneapolis Miracle” against New Orleans. That never happens if Saints safety Marcus Williams doesn’t completely whiff on his attempted tackle on Diggs.

Jackie Smith’s fall in Super Bowl 13

Wide open in the end zone, the eventual Hall of Famer — Smith was playing in his final NFL game — dropped a perfect pass from Dallas QB Roger Staubach that would have tied the game against the “Steel Curtain” Pittsburgh Steelers 21-21, prompting Lundquist’s heartfelt response. The Cowboys would eventually lose 35-31.

Russell Wilson’s INT in Super Bowl 49

Pivotal. Shocking. Unforgettable. Undrafted New England Patriots rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler made that rarest of plays, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat by intercepting Wilson at the goal line with 20 seconds left to preserve a 28-24 victory in Super Bowl 49. In the process, Butler derailed the Seattle Seahawks dynastic bids and launched a lifetime of second-guessing for the Legions, who dismissed Seattle coach Pete Carroll for not instructing Wilson to hand off to RB Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch, who had scored earlier in the game.

Broad right

That’s where Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood’s 47-yard field goal attempt (barely) missed with 4 seconds left in Super Bowl 25. The Giants held on for a 20-19 win, and Buffalo would never get closer to a title , although they reached Super Sunday three more times. Probably the most infamous missed kick of all time.

Gary Anderson’s miss

One of the greatest kickers in league history, he converted all 94 of his attempts (35 FGs, 59 PATs) for the 1998 Minnesota Vikings. That is until Anderson missed a 38-yard field-goal attempt that would have given the Vikes a 10-point lead in the waning minutes of the NFC championship game. The Atlanta Falcons tied the score on the ensuing drive before prevailing in overtime.

John Kasay’s wayward kickoff

The Carolina Panthers had just tied Super Bowl 38 29-29 with 73 seconds left. Then Kasay booted the ensuing kickoff, putting Tom Brady and the Patriots at their own 40-yard line. Six plays and 37 yards was all they needed to set up Adam Vinatieri for the kill-shot field goal. We promise, no more kicker stories after this.

Marlon McCree’s takeaway giveaway

The 2006 San Diego Chargers could have broken through to the Super Bowl victory the franchise is still waiting for. The AFC’s top seed that year was poised to defeat Brady’s Patriots – especially when McCree picked off TB12 on fourth down with the game tied and the Bolts up 21-13. But instead of securing the ball and turning it over to the LaDainian Tomlinson-led offense, McCree attempted to return it and was stripped, giving the Pats another set of downs that led to a game-tying touchdown … and ultimately , a New England win.

Ossai’s unnecessary unnecessary roughness

Two years ago, the Cincinnati Bengals were trying to win their second straight AFC Championship game on the road in Kansas City. And they might have … had their 22-year-old pass rusher not hit QB Patrick Mahomes late on a scramble to the sideline, the 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty set up a game-winning 45-yard field goal for the Chiefs in the final seconds.

Ford’s Theater of the Absurd

The Chiefs might be trying for a second Super Bowl treble if they had hung on to win the 2018 AFC title game against the Patriots. And they almost certainly would have if pass rusher Dee Ford hadn’t been offsides in the final minute when Brady threw what appeared to be a game-sealing interception … which was negated by Ford’s fork.

Roger Craig’s fumble

Speaking of three-peat bids, the 1990 49ers had a unique chance to be the first (and only) team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Their loss to the Giants in the NFC Championship game is mostly remembered for knocking out QB Joe Montana (and he would largely miss the next two seasons with a subsequent elbow injury). Still, the Niners would have hung on to win that game had RB Roger Craig’s rare fumble with less than three minutes left not set up the Giants’ game-winning field goal.

Favre out

No one in NFL history has thrown more interceptions than Hall of Famer Brett Favre. But with apologies to Vikings fans, none is more infamous than his final pass as a Green Bay Packer — an ill-advised throw in overtime of the 2007 NFC Championship Game that was kicked by the Giants, who kicked the game-winning field goal four plays later.

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Cast: Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

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