Before Sunday's thriller in Rio de Janeiro, Tyler Loop and the Ravens' other specialists discussed what their celebration should be on a game-winning kick.
Even though he was in his second NFL season, Loop hadn't gotten to celebrate a game-winner. As many people know, his lone opportunity for one sailed wide right.
In his first clutch situation since his miss in Pittsburgh that decided the division winner, Loop drilled an epic 56-yard game winner as time expired to beat the Dallas Cowboys, 34-31, in the first NFL game in Rio de Janeiro.
After he hit it, Loop sprinted to the opposite end zone with his teammates streaming behind him in delirious celebration. In true soccer style, Loop jumped up and hit Ronaldo's "Siuuu" celebration to their delight. Then, they lifted him up on their shoulders.
He got embraces from Head Coach Jesse Minter, Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, and a lot more. This was the moment Loop had long dreamed of.
"I think just how connected this team is, how much we love each other and how we have each other's backs — that came together in the locker room," Loop said.
Ravens leadership had Loop's back from the beginning, just days after Baltimore fell short of the playoffs when that kick went wide right. The Ravens kept believing more days like the "Trio in Rio," as CBS play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz called it, were ahead.
But there's no denying that Loop's miss in Pittsburgh hung over Baltimore all offseason, with everyone watching to see how he would respond. Loop kept working. He had a strong offseason in practice, giving coaches more belief that he would be OK.
But three misses in the preseason elicited the Ravens to add insurance – just in case. They also gave Loop a new perspective: just have fun.
"It's been a lot of reflection on my side from a spiritual standpoint," Loop said. "Football is a gift. It's meant to be enjoyed."
Loop responded with two field goals in the Ravens' season opener in Indianapolis. He had one blocked in the loss to the New Orleans Saints last week. In a shootout with the Cowboys, Minter didn't believe field goals were going to do enough.
Turns out, that's exactly what the Ravens needed when they took final possession with seven seconds left and the game tied. A 27-yard completion from Jackson to Flowers set up a last-second chance from deep.
The 56-yarder is the longest field goal Loop has hit in his young career, but Jackson knew he was going to make it.
"I was saying on the sideline, 'Your legacy starting now,' because I feel like he has been facing adversity," Jackson said. "I said, 'What a way to start your legacy in Brazil,' and he finished the rest. He did it. Shout out to special teams, shout out to Loop."
Every kicker needs that signature moment to get going. Justin Tucker had plenty of them during his rookie season en route to a Super Bowl victory. It didn't happen for Loop as a rookie, but teammates believe this will be his launch pad.
"The amount of flak that he faced at the end of last year and just put his head down, never complained, just worked his butt off this whole season. For that moment to happen like that on this stage, it's pretty cool," Hamilton said.
"The celebration was dope, too. The 'Siu' — the [Cristiano] Ronaldo celebration. I am just super happy for him. First of many."
