It’s only been a few weeks since Tyler Loop walked off the Acrisure Stadium turf with his head down, the sound of 65,000 Steelers fans roaring in his ears. The rookie kicker had just pushed a 44-yard field goal attempt wide right—a kick he’d made hundreds of times, a kick Next Gen Stats said he had a 79 percent chance of converting. Instead, the ball sailed into the Pittsburgh night, taking Baltimore’s playoff hopes with it.
Fourteen seconds earlier, Isaiah Likely had made a spectacular 26-yard catch that should’ve set up the game-winning kick and clinched the AFC North crown.