Raven Country

Ravens Explain Baffling Two-Point Conversion

The Baltimore Ravens laid an egg with the game on the line.

Jon Alfano

Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) stops Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) short of the end-zone on a two point conversion attempt during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) stops Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) short of the end-zone on a two point conversion attempt during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
In this story:

Despite all the self-inflicted wounds throughout the day, the Baltimore Ravens miraculously had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Lamar Jackson hit Zay Flowers with 1:06 left to make the score 18-16, and of course, the Ravens went for two and the tie.

What happened next was possibly the most bizarre play call of the day. Baltimore called a designed run to the left for Jackson, which Pittsburgh's defense completely sniffed out. He threw the ball up in desperation at the end of the play, but it had no chance of ever being a complete pass.

"It was a QB run. They just stopped it; they did a good job," Jackson said postgame.

Beyond the call, there were just some baffling choices on the play. Derrick Henry was not on the field at all when his physicality could've been incredibly valuable, while Nelson Agholor and Isaiah Likely had an apparent communication issue before the snap.

Even with all that, the execution still left a lot to be desired. The offensive line was out of sorts, allowing multiple defenders to get to Jackson before he could even pass the line of scrimmage. At that point, the play was over.

"Me and Pat [Mekari] were supposed to get around, [and we] just got caught up," center Tyler Linderbaum said. "Stuff happens. Just play the game just how the D-end is playing, and it's a tough block for the receiver there."

As easy as it is to say the Ravens lost the game on this play, that's actually not the case. They shot themselves in the foot over and over again on offense and special teams, and the fact that they even had a chance to tie late is a miracle.

The play was a failure, but the situation the Ravens put themselves in is the bigger problem.

"We went down and scored and didn't turn out with that two-point [conversion], but we still had a chance no matter what," tight end Mark Andrews said. "It really boils down to all four quarters [and] all of the plays leading up to that. I think that we point ourselves in good positions. We were able to move the ball, put the ball on the field where it needs to be, and we didn't score enough points, and that's [on] everybody."

Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Home/News