Will Hill returned a last-gasp blocked field goal attempt for a touchdown as the Baltimore Ravens scored a dramatic 33-27 win over the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday.
The Ravens had looked set to suffer an agonizing late defeat as Cleveland kicker Travis Coons stepped up for what would have been a game-winning 51-yard field goal with the last play of regulation.
However, Baltimore defensive end Brent Urban blocked the kick and safety Hill scooped up the loose ball to gallop down the sideline to snatch a sensational win for the Ravens.
Photo: AFP
“It was almost a game of redemption,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “Will Hill didn’t do a very good job in coverage. He got fooled a little bit and gave up a touchdown pass. He comes back, picks it up and runs it in. All the guys on the field-goal-block team set the wall down the sideline. It was a thing of beauty.”
The victory saw the Ravens, playing without injured quarterback Joe Flacco, improve to 4-7, although they remain in third in the AFC North standings behind division leaders the Cincinnati Bengals (9-2) and Pittsburgh (6-5).
The Browns are last in the division at 2-9 and have now lost 14 of their past 16 games, stretching back to last season.
“It’s a tough one to wrap your brain around,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said. “It’s frustrating. The guys battled back from some deficits. We didn’t finish it.”
Baltimore had looked to have done enough for victory when kicker Justin Tucker converted a 35-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to give the Ravens a 27-20 lead.
However, Cleveland quarterback Austin Davis — pressed into action after Josh McCown left the field with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter — connected with wide receiver Travis Benjamin on a 42-yard touchdown pass with 1 minute, 47 seconds left to tie the game at 27-27.
The momentum appeared to be with Cleveland on the final drive as Coons stepped up for his shot at glory.
The final twist came, though, when Urban somehow managed to get a hand to the attempt and Hill grabbed the ball to run for the score.
Browns kicked Coons was baffled at the missed field goal.
“It felt really good coming off my foot,” Coons said. “I was really surprised. I don’t know if it was me. As soon as it comes off your foot and you hear another thud, that’s not a good thing.”
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