Bills Fans Make Gesture to Ravens Mark Andrews After Playoff Drop

Getty

Mark Andrews received a surprising and remarkable show of support from Buffalo Bills fans after the Baltimore Ravens exited the playoffs.

He’ll struggle to get over dropping what should have been the game-tying two-point conversion, but Baltimore Ravens All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews can at least count on support from fans of the Buffalo Bills, the team that advanced to the AFC Championship thanks to his critical drop.

Letting the ball get away from him in the corner of the end zone at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, January 19 left Andrews subject to “negative attention online,” according to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.

She reported “Bills fans decided to show some support.” They did so by donating to a GoFundMe page set up by Bills fan Nicholas Howard and dedicated to supporting “Breakthrough T1D, a global Type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization that Andrews has been connected to in the past. Andrews was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child Type 1 diabetes.”

As Getzenberg noted, “More than $25,000 was raised from at least 1,000 donations as of Tuesday night, surpassing an original goal of at least $5,000.”

Donations continued apace into Wednesday, January 22, when Getzenberg’s colleague Adam Schefter revealed “Bills Mafia now has donated close to $60,000 – and counting – to the @BreakthroughT1D organization, which works towards curing and improving the lives of those dealing with Type 1 diabetes like Andrews.”

The GoFundMe page includes personal messages of support for Andrews, including, “Stay Strong Mark. BILLS Mafia supports you,” as well as “You are an amazing tight end, made so many stellar plays throughout the season and we wouldn’t be the team we are today without you. Feel the love and ignore the hate! #GoRavens.”

Such positive messages will be a boost to Andrews, who’s raised awareness for his condition with more than one public action on and off the field. Now the player begins the mental process of putting the most high-profile mistake of his career behind him.

Bills Share Mark Andrews’ Pain

The Bills and their fans know more than most about playoff pain. Those of a certain age remember the franchise losing four-straight Super Bowls to begin the 1990s.

That decade ended with a talented Bills team on the wrong of the ‘Music City Miracle‘ against the Tennessee Titans in a wild-card classic. More recently, Josh Allen and the Bills saw a three-point lead over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs evaporate in just 13 seconds during the 2021 AFC Divisional Playoffs.

Andrews knows the same pain after he uncharacteristically failed to reel in Lamar Jackson’s pass with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Ravens trailed 27-25, but offensive coordinator Todd Monken called the perfect play to get Andrews wide open, only for No. 89 to make his second costly mistake, after losing a fumble in the third period.

Fortunately for Andrews, Ravens players and coaches have rallied around, much like the Bills fans supporting his cause.

Ravens Show Unity After Latest Postseason Disappointment

Head coach John Harbaugh has continued to front up for Andrews in front of the media. Harbaugh spoke to reporters on Wednesday and admitted, “Mark is a huge part of our future and we’re there for him. If anybody can take a tough circumstances and handle it with class and grace and dignity and mental toughness, it’s definitely Mark Andrews,” per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

Harbaugh’s words echo the sentiments of Jackson, who quickly took the heat off one of his favorite targets. Jackson reminded Andrews “We’re a team, bro. It’s all of us. It ain’t just you,” in a display of “true leadership” applauded by ESPN.

Strong words were needed from the quarterback when some believe Jackson was at fault for the botched two-point attempt. His connection with Andrews had traditionally been automatic throughout their careers, but the efficiency deserted the Ravens in the worst moment.

The dreadful timing has left Jackson and Co. counting the cost of another playoff failure. It’s the fifth of Jackson’s career, but the Ravens aren’t going to blame any one person.

They’ll continue to support Andrews, even while watching the Bills compete for the conference title and a place in the Super Bowl.