Kicker Justin Tucker’s 67-yard field goal it didn’t just end the Ravens’ hopes of an improbable rally Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It also ended one of the NFL’s most remarkable field goal streaks.
Before his last-second attempt missed the crossbar at TIAA Bank Field, Tucker had made 65 consecutive field goals in the fourth quarter and overtime, the longest such streak in NFL history. He was also 17-for-17 in the final minute of regulation entering Sunday, a stretch that included an NFL-record 66 yards as time expired in a comeback win last year over the Detroit Lions.
Tucker was the Ravens’ only reliable source of scoring through the first three quarters of Sunday’s 28-27 loss, connecting on field goals of 27, 29, 55 and 24 yards and outrunning kicker Stephen Gostkowski for most points scored in first 11. career years in NFL history (1,458).
After quarterback Trevor Lawrence led the Jaguars to a last-minute touchdown and 2-point conversion, the Ravens trailed 28-27 with just 14 seconds left. They reached Jacksonville’s 49-yard line with two seconds left. Instead of making quarterback Lamar Jackson throw a prayer, coach John Harbaugh called on the most accurate player in NFL history. “I think the hit has a better chance than a Hail Mary,” Harbaugh said afterward.
Tucker’s latest shot in history was accurate enough, straight as an arrow. But his long run didn’t generate enough power. Jaguars fans started cheering before the ball even hit the grass. Tucker said afterward that he was “struggling to get the ball going either way” from long range before the game.
“The fact that I had a chance and didn’t deliver, it’s heartbreaking for me right now, especially when it’s a shot that I know I have the ability to make,” he said. “[Long snapper] Nick [Moore] and [holder] Jordan [Stout] he did an excellent job throughout the day. They did a great job on that shot as well. It just wasn’t in the cards for us, and the only thing we can do is keep working, keep going and try to beat a good opponent in Denver when they come to visit us in Baltimore next week.”
Bittersweet return
Everything about Josh Oliver’s performance on Sunday was storybook – everything except the ending.
Oliver, a third-round pick of the Jaguars in 2019, posted team and career highs in receptions (four) and receiving yards (76) in his return to Jacksonville, including a 12-yard touchdown catch with a little past two. minutes left. But that was little consolation after another late collapse.
“Definitely tough,” Oliver said of losing to the Jaguars, who traded him to Baltimore in March 2021 for a conditional seventh-round pick, then I watched it unfold into one of the best tight ends in the NFL. “It’s a blessing to be back on the field. I have to thank God. Getting back here healthy is a huge thing for me, but it’s also hard. It’s a loss.”
Oliver, who battled injuries early in his career, now has single-season highs in receptions (11), receiving yards (130) and receiving touchdowns (two). But he could have had even more on Sunday. A touchdown pass bounced off his fingertips early in the third quarter, and the Ravens had to settle for a field goal in the red zone.
Later, on his catch-and-run score, Oliver could have stayed on the field in hopes of further drying the clock. But the first down was at the Jaguars’ 1, and Oliver indicated the Ravens’ priority then was to take over, not manage the clock.
“I think we thought, ‘Score first, pick up the cards.’ [will] fall where they do,’” he said.
Controversial call
Harbaugh said he had not received an explanation from officials as to why Jaguars wide receiver Marvin Jones’ last-minute touchdown catch was upheld after a review.
On the 10-yard hit over Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters, Jones fell just a foot and part of his shin inbounds. It was enough, though.
“I was pretty sure it wasn’t a catch, but I think whatever they called on the field, it was so close it was going to stick,” defensive lineman Calais Campbell said. “I guess they say one shin counts like two legs or whatever. You know, I thought this was definitely not a catch. [We’ve] I just have to show up and play football. Whatever they call it, you have to live with it. We cannot control the circumstances. Just keep playing football. Once they understand that, you have to find a way to stop and win the game.”
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