Tyler Loop's long field goal on the final play was a moment of double catharsis.
Both the player and his team needed it in the worst way.
You could see it in how the Baltimore Ravens reacted, pouring onto the field and following Loop toward one of the corners, where he performed a Cristiano Ronaldo-style celebration in soccer-crazy Brazil. For much of the second half, this looked like another excruciating Baltimore collapse, but in those final few seconds
the Ravens ensured that Dallas would be the team flying home with plenty to regret.
“NFL football in general reflects life very eerily similar. Everything is cyclical,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “What goes around comes around.”
Loop's 56-yard kick gave the Ravens a 34-31 win over the Cowboys on Sunday. As a rookie last season, he had one of the more significant misses in recent NFL history, pushing a 44-yard attempt to the right on the last play of the regular season. That kick would have won Baltimore the division, but instead the Ravens were left out of the playoffs.
Loop's hold on the job looked tenuous after a shaky preseason this year, and Baltimore even brought in kicker Jake Moody for its practice squad. But Loop had a solid opener and Moody was dismissed.
Now Loop has come through in a spot where the Ravens needed a lift.
“We have talked a lot this season about being the best when your best is needed. There has been a lot of adversity,” Loop said. “Been a lot of stuff that has happened between the end of last season and now. It has been a pleasure to have teammates like these guys and the rest of the locker room stand behind me and support me.”
The Ravens (2-1) were coming off a home loss to New Orleans in Week 2 in which they were dominated in the fourth quarter. That brought back memories of all the leads they let slip away toward the end of coach John Harbaugh's tenure. After going up 24-13 against Dallas, Baltimore quickly allowed two touchdowns, but Lamar Jackson put the Ravens back ahead with a TD pass of his own.
With the score 31-28, the Cowboys had first-and-goal from the 2, but Baltimore managed to hold them to a field goal with 7 seconds left. That was enough time for Jackson to throw a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers and set up Loop's big chance.
The connection between Jackson and Flowers has been dynamic so far this season. Flowers returned from a hamstring injury and caught five passes for 84 yards against Dallas, and he added a 20-yard run. Flowers has produced five plays of at least 20 yards in six quarters of action.
Baltimore's offensive line might need more help than the team currently has in house. Center Danny Pinter was injured before the season began, and the Ravens have now lost Jovaughn Gwyn (ankle) and Ethan Pocic (knee) at that position; coach Jesse Minter said Monday those could be long-term injuries. Rookie guard Vega Ioane might have to be the solution at center for a little while.
“He'll prepare to potentially play that position,” Minter said. “We'll figure out the best five guys to put out there for this particular week, as we may add a piece or two obviously.”
The Ravens were also without tackle Ronnie Stanley (toe). Although the O-line woes didn't cripple the offense, Baltimore did not have enough strength up front to convert short-yardage running plays with any regularity, even with Derrick Henry in the backfield.
The special teams shined Sunday. In addition to Loop's game-winning kick, the Ravens also got a blocked field goal from Keondre Jackson.
Even with Trey Hendrickson added to the pass rush in the offseason — and Nnamdi Madubuike finally back from a neck injury — the Ravens couldn't slow down Dallas defensively late in the game. The Cowboys had touchdown drives of 67 and 96 yards after falling behind by 11. Baltimore did force a key three-and-out after that, but then Dallas drove 60 yards for the tying field goal.
Minter came to Baltimore with a defensive background. He has a lot to fix on that side of the ball.
Although the injuries to Pocic and Gwyn were more serious, TE Mark Andrews (hand) and Hamilton (evaluated for a concussion) were able to return to the game.
The Ravens are 7-1 against the Cowboys, the best record by any franchise against them.
Baltimore returns home this weekend to face Henry's old team, the winless Tennessee Titans.
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