Mark Andrews is the Baltimore Ravens’ favorite villain these days for his blunder against the Buffalo Bills in the NFL Divisional Round. However, former quarterback Chris Simms exonerated the tight end, pointing his finger in the opposite direction toward quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The Ravens did it again. They were one of the most dominant teams in the regular season but falling apart in the big moments. Jackson in particular had another MVP season but fell short in his quest to reach the Super Bowl.
The game against the Bills was even more frustrating as they came up one catch away from sending the match into overtime. However, Andrews slipped and fumbled as they went for the tying two-point conversion in the final minute. Fans and analysts tore the TE apart, but Simms begs to differ.
Related:
- Super Bowl 2025: date, time, halftime show and everything you need to know
- Where to watch the 2025 Super Bowl? TV channel and streaming where you can watch the game
- Super Bowl 2025 Halftime Show: Everything you need to know about Kendrick Lamar’s show
- Super Bowl Winners List: All the teams that have won the Super Bowl by year
- Gatorade Color Super Bowl: Odds, history and more about the traditional Gatorade bath
Lamar is partly to blame
In a chat with Kay Adams, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback said, “That ball needs to be on time and it was not accurate. This play is open. This was the perfect call, so we can’t get mad at [OC] Todd Monken.” Simms admitted that Andrews would get a negative grade from the coaching staff, but he shouldn’t be the only one.
“Also Lamar Jackson’s meeting with his quarterbacks coach and offensive coodinator, hes gonna get a negative grade for this throw,” Simms said. “It was late, he didn’t throw it with the same authority he usually throws it. He made it as hard as it could possibly be for a wide open touchdown.”
The former quarterback is one of the few who thinks so. Analysts from ESPN, The Washington Post, and other media outlets insist on condemning the tight end. However, others also side with Simms and Andrews.
Emmanuel Acho destroys Lamar
In a talk on Fox Sports’ “The Facility,” the former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker said, “Lamar Jackson, when it matters the most, for whatever reason he doesn’t show up. Is it coincidence, causation, or correlation?”
Acho noted, “The biggest issue at hand is when Lamar Jackson has to play his best, he simply does not play his best.” The Ravens’ quarterback admitted that his two turnovers-an interception and a fumble-weighed heavily on the final score. However, Andrews’ mistake will be a source of controversy for a long time.