The stadium held its breath when the ball was snapped. Lamar Jackson kept Baltimore alive by finding Isaiah Likely on fourth-and-seven.
What followed was immediate and unavoidable. A 44-yard field goal now stood between the Baltimore Ravens and a stunning turnaround, a team that opened the season 1–5 suddenly one kick away from an AFC North title and a playoff berth.
Instead, the ball sailed wide right.
In an instant, the roar flipped to disbelief. The celebration belonged to Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Baltimore stood frozen in shock.
Tyler Loop didn’t run from it afterward. He owned it. “Operation was great,” the rookie kicker said. “It was a great situation, exactly what we wanted, and unfortunately, I just mishit the ball.” He explained the miss plainly, without excuse. “We call it hitting it thin. It spins fast and goes off to the right. And yeah, that was it.”
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Then came the honesty that defined the night. “For it to end like that sucks,” Loop said. “I want to do better.” He acknowledged the cruel reality of his position. “Nature of the job is, you have makes and those are awesome, and then unfortunately you have misses.”
Still, the disappointment never turned outward. “I love this team and I love these guys,” he said. “I wish it ended differently.” Even in the lowest moment, gratitude surfaced. “I’m just super blessed to be here, and it’s been one of the most amazing experiences being a kicker for the Ravens.”
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For the former Arizona Wildcats standout and sixth-round pick, the moment was unforgiving. One remarkable conversion gave hope. One missed kick took it away. And Loop stood at the center of it, owning the miss and carrying the weight, knowing that in this league the only response that matters now is what he does next.
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