No one gave the Baltimore Ravens much of a chance against the Cincinnati Bengals when star quarterback Lamar Jackson was ruled out with an injury for the Super Wild Card weekend game in the 2023 NFL playoffs. Yet early in the fourth quarter, the Ravens and Bengals were tied and Baltimore was driving behind the inspired play of backup QB Tyler Huntley.
Just when it seemed like Huntley was playing the game of his life in the biggest game of his career, he made a costly mistake that turned into a massive 14-point swing.
On third-and-goal, the Ravens called a QB sneak. Huntley attempted to reach over the pile to cross the goal line with the football, but the Bengals defense swatted it away. Cincinnati linemen Sam Hubbard caught the ball and rumbled 98 yards for a touchdown.
The Bengals won the game, 24-17, with this play as the game-deciding touchdown. Watch video of the play here:
This is so heartbreaking for Baltimore. They were on the doorstep of scoring a touchdown and taking the lead in playoff game no one gave them a chance to win. Instead, it turned into a backbreaking turnover and the longest fumble return in the history of the NFL playoffs.
Huntley was basically a half-yard away from scoring.
How close was Tyler Huntley to crossing the plane with the football?
According to the chip in the football, the closest the ball got to the end zone was 0.6 yards from the goal line.#BALvsCIN | #RavensFlock | #RuleTheJungle
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 16, 2023
This is truly an incredible play by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson to force the fumble just before Huntley could cross the plane for a touchdown. Hubbard deserves so much credit too for his quick hands corralling the ball and his hustle to take it into the end zone.
Hubbard needed oxygen right away after sprinting nearly 100 yards to score:
The Bengals’ win probability sky rocketed after the play:
You may not see a bigger game-changing play the rest of the NFL playoffs.
