When you say “fourth-and-26" to an Eagles fan, you’ll hear a rare mention of Freddie Mitchell that doesn’t use him as a punchline.
Mention “fourth-and-29" to Chargers coach Norv Turner and you might not get such a happy memory. That’s what the Ravens faced on the first play after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter and Turner likely thought he’d get a win when Joe Flacco checked down to running back Ray Rice. Rice wound up figuring out a way to get the ball past the marker after a long run, however, and the Ravens had life.
Or so they thought. The play went up to the booth for a review and replays showed that the initial spot was quite generous. Referee Gene Steratore decided the ball needed to be spotted again, but this spot also brought them a first down. It also seemed a bit generous, but Rice’s effort stood and Justin Tucker hit a field goal as time expired to send the game to overtime.
Per the Red Zone channel, that’s the longest fourth down conversion in the NFL in 11 years and it is one that keeps the Ravens’ hopes of extending their AFC North lead to three games. The Chargers might not like the spot, but they had other chances to stop the Ravens on the final drive and couldn’t get it done.