Walk-off sequence: seven seconds, one play, one kick
The Baltimore Ravens escaped Maracanã Stadium in Brazil with a 34-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys after Tyler Loop drilled a 56-yard field goal as time expired. Loop's kick came on the ensuing snap after the Ravens used their final timeout with one second remaining on the clock.
The sequence began after Brandon Aubrey’s 23-yard field goal tied the game with seven seconds to play. Because the kickoff resulted in a touchback, no time ran off the clock and the Ravens took over at their own 35-yard line with seven seconds remaining — a drive start that, by ESPN's game-drive database, is the latest a game-winning drive has ever begun since at least 1978.
With the clock barely moving, a pass to Zay Flowers moved Baltimore into Tyler Loop’s range and the Ravens burned their final timeout to stop the clock at one second. Loop’s 56-yarder on the very next snap sealed the win.
Coaching fallout and injury concerns
The Cowboys’ late-game decision-making drew sharp criticism after the game. Commentators singled out head coach Brian Schottenheimer for telling kicker Brandon Aubrey to kick the kickoff through the end zone for a touchback after the game-tying field goal — a call that left seven seconds on the clock and gave the Ravens the ball at their own 35, leaving time for a single play. Yardbarker called the choice "It is, quite simply, a staggering mistake by Schottenheimer and a truly horrific job of game management."
The loss magnifies questions about Dallas’ clock and special-teams decisions in the game’s final minute; the team’s mistakes in the closing sequence played a decisive role in the outcome.
Baltimore also left Brazil with pressing injury concerns along its offensive line. Starting center Jovaughn Gwyn was carted to the locker room in the second half after sustaining an apparent lower-body injury. With Danny Pinter already sidelined, the Ravens turned to J.C. Tretter/Pocic to fill the void — Pocic (listed in team notes as managing a knee issue) stepped into the center role but then left the field in the fourth quarter as well.
The Ravens now face an anxious wait for further medical evaluations; an extended absence for either Jovaughn Gwyn or Pocic would leave Baltimore needing to reshuffle its offensive line.
For now, the final seven seconds will define the headline: a record-setting, ultra-short drive capped by a clutch 56-yard field goal and a coaching decision that drew heavy criticism — all while Baltimore assesses the health of a frontline starter. Tyler Loop and the Ravens walked away with the win.
