Ravens kicker Tyler Loop became an international sensation on Sunday. Now, he has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after a clutch performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro.
After Lamar Jackson connected with Zay Flowers on a 27-yard gain that left one second on the clock in regulation, Loop drilled a game-winning 56-yard field goal to clinch a 34-31 win and celebrated with Christiano Ronaldo's "SIUUU."
It was a career-long kick for Loop and his first game winner. It was also the Ravens' first game-winning field goal in regulation since Justin Tucker made a 43-yarder at the buzzer against the Cincinnati Bengals in October 2022.
Loop is the first Raven to win AFC Special Teams Player of the Week since Tylan Wallace in 2023 after his game-winning punt return touchdown in Week 14. Loop is also the first Ravens kicker to win the award since Tucker did so after his game-winning 66-yard field goal in September 2021.
Following a rocky preseason in which Loop missed three field goals, Loop has started the regular season strong, making five of six field-goal attempts. His only miss, which came in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints, was blocked. He's also made all 11 of his extra-point attempts.
Despite missing a 44-yard field goal in Week 18 that would've won the AFC North last season, the Ravens remained confident in Loop, so much so that they didn't add another kicker onto the roster until after Baltimore's third preseason game.
But Loop continued kicking well in practice, and through Baltimore's first three regular-season games, the second-year kicker has looked steady. His walk-off winner in Rio put the memory of his miss in Pittsburgh much further in the rearview mirror.
"The amount of flak that [Tyler Loop] faced at the end of last year, [he] just put his head down, never complained, just worked his butt off this whole season," safety Kyle Hamilon said. "For that moment to happen like that, on this stage, is pretty cool. The celebration was dope, too.
"I am just super happy for him. [It's the] first of many."
