Ravens’ Tyler Loop explains what went wrong on missed field goal in loss to Steelers
from Zac Wassink, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop had a chance to send his team to the playoffs as champions of the AFC North when he attempted a 44-yard field goal in the closing seconds of Sunday night’s game at the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, the Ravens’ season came to an end after Loop’s kick went wide right and ensured that the Steelers would hold on for a 26-24 win. Following the defeat, Loop was asked what went wrong in that moment.
Tyler Loop “mishit the ball” at wrong time for Ravens
“It was a great situation, exactly what we wanted, and unfortunately, I just mishit the ball,” Loop explained, per Ryan Mink of the Ravens’ website. “We call it hitting it thin. It spins fast and goes off to the right. The second it made contact with my foot, I felt it lower. We talk about hitting on the fourth lace of the shoe. It felt a little lower down the foot and hit it thin.”
Just two plays earlier, quarterback Lamar Jackson temporarily saved Baltimore’s season when he connected with tight end Isaiah Likely for a massive fourth-down conversion that put the visitors in range for what could have been a walk-off field goal. Instead, that moment turned into a nightmare for the rookie kicker.
“We talk about having a one-minute rule,” Loop added during his postgame comments. “Obviously, this one will be a little bit longer than a minute, because it is the last play of the season. It’s going to be one of those things that next time I get back out on the field to kick a ball, it’s time to move on.”
Teammates defend Tyler Loop after brutal miss
Loop’s teammates had his back while speaking with media members after Sunday’s loss.
“I feel for Tyler,” Baltimore running back Derrick Henry said, per the Ravens’ website. “I talked to him. I just told him just to keep his spirits up, deal with it tonight, and then tomorrow, the sun rises again. I just told him that the story after this is going to be great for him, because God put him in this position to use him as an example to something that is adversity, and then I can’t wait to see him overcoming on the other side. I just told him to trust God’s plan. He wouldn’t put you in a position if he wasn’t strong enough to handle it. It’s tough right now, but I think when it’s all said and done, he will look back on it and appreciate the moment.”
Ravens punter Jordan Stout also believes that missing the biggest kick, to date, of his young career could ultimately prove to be a positive for Loop.
“They’re going to make a movie about [Loop] one day,” Stout confidently said. “No one should have to start out their rookie year like this, especially at the end of the year. He doesn’t get another chance to show people what he’s capable of, but yes, 10 years down the line, when he’s the best in the league, I think he’ll look back on it as the moment that made him.”