It happened in a New York minute.
With 58 seconds left in the third quarter Saturday night, the Ravens were 9 yards away from the score. When the time expired, the bills had no chance of losing.
Taron Johnson steps ahead of Lamar Jackson’s third pass in the final zone and gives his interception 101 yards back for the Bills’ biggest game of 17-3 victory over the Ravens in an AFC series to the playoffs in front of 6,700 rough fans . . Johnson surpassed the fast Jackson along the sideline and through alternating winds of 16 km / h.
“The emotions are still flying,” right-wing Dion Dawkins said shortly before midnight. ‘It’s a party here. Guys are excited. It will take about half an hour when guys get in their car that we are [one] game away from the big show. ”
Johnson, a Weber State third-year player with two interceptions in his first 41 career games, obscured his place in the bottom zone and read Jackson’s eyes as he stared at Andrews.
“They always tell us to look at the quarterback’s vision, especially when we’re in the zone,” Johnson said. “It will take you where you want to be.”
The devastating turn of events only later multiplied two plays. The Ravens had trouble hitting the entire game and a flying ball over Jackson’s head in the shotgun caused him to scramble to his own end zone.
Jackson scooped the ball out and threw it over the bounds when he was dragged, with a deliberate ground penalty on the 2-yard line to avoid a touchdown or safety.
The bigger problem? The 2019 NFL MVP suffered a concussion at the crazy final game of the quarter and did not return after the game.
“Every time he goes down,” Andrews said, “you know he feels something.”
Unmanned rookie full-back Tyler Huntley had two chances to make things interesting. At fourth-and-9 with 6:39 left, he overturned a Marquise Brown streak over what would be a sure 71-yard attack.
“It was a heckuva throw,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “I think the wind pushed it a little bit from behind.”
Four minutes later, Huntley made an imperfection when a jumping Mark Andrews could not secure a high pass on the fourth-and-goal.
Despite the composition of only 220 meters total attack and 16 first downturns, the bills are for the first time since January 1994 at the AFC Championship, the last of their four consecutive appearances, due to a surprisingly dominant defensive display (four pockets) against a Ravens offense that averaged 34.6 points per game over his previous six. Buffalo will host the Browns or visit the Chiefs next weekend.
It was the fourth playoff game since 2000 without the first half. The kickers combined to score 2-out-6 field goals.
The Ravens’ Justin Tucker – the most accurate kicker in NFL history – missed two field goals in a game for the first time since 2018. But both of these efforts were of more than 50 meters. Never in a nine-year career has he missed twice from within 50.
“We could not complete the rides as we should,” Harbaugh said.
Each team received only one full possession in the third quarter.
The Bills took the kick-off and drove 66 yards on 11 plays for the equalizing power play on a ride that featured more hurried plays (four) than the entire first half (three). With a better playing balance, Allen throws a wide receiver for Stefon Diggs, who gets little and navigates traffic for a 3-yard touchdown.
The Ravens respond with an eight-minute drive to the Bills’ 9-yard line. Under pressure, Jackson skipped a pass to a wide open Brown when the possible bite became an unfinished turn. The interception comes on the next play – the 15th of possession.
“Taron Johnson will be remembered for a long time to come here in Buffalo,” said Josh Allen. “One of the plays that might change the franchise.”