The Baltimore Ravens traveled roughly 5,000 miles and spent about 10 hours in the air to play a football game in Brazil, the first NFL contest ever staged in Rio de Janeiro. In the end, their fate came down to seven wild and improbable seconds.
Read more Should the Commanders rush Jayden Daniels back? Not with Marcus Mariota thriving.
It was another Sunday of down-to-the-wire finishes across the league, but nothing quite matched the whiplash ending witnessed by thousands of fans at Maracanã Stadium. In seven frantic seconds, the Cowboys kicked a field goal to seemingly force overtime, and then, before any player could even catch his breath, the Ravens somehow answered with a game-winning kick of their own.
Here’s how it happened: After the Ravens made a goal-line stand, Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey booted a 23-yard field goal that tied the score at 31 with seven seconds remaining. Baltimore got the ball back, and quarterback Lamar Jackson immediately connected with receiver Zay Flowers for 27 yards. The Ravens called timeout with one second left, and Tyler Loop squeezed a 56-yard field goal inside the left upright for a 34-31 win.
According to ESPN Research, it was the latest a game-winning drive has started following a kickoff since its database began in 1978 and the quickest game-winning drive on record.
Read more In Iowa, Republicans feel the heat and try to motivate ‘frustrated’ base
Thirteen of the 14 games played Sunday were within one score in the fourth quarter, and 12 were decided by eight points or fewer. Six teams scored the winning points in the final three minutes.
Catch up quickly every weekday morning with a rundown of the 7 most important and interesting stories. Sign up for The 7 newsletter.
Read more Senate Republicans make a final legislative push ahead of the midterms
