Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews helped spearhead Monday night's 19-point comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts, including two fourth-quarter touchdowns and both two-point conversions to force overtime.
The Ravens' 31-25 win, in which Andrews set a career-high with 147 receiving yards and two TDs, came with added motivation for the Pro Bowl tight end.
"My grandma passed this week and I wanted to play for her," Andrews said, via the team's official website. "I was sad I wasn't able to be there for her, but she means a lot to me. Growing up, she lived like a block away. I'd ride to her house, and all of our family is praying for her. I was glad I was able to play for her. She's the biggest Ravens fan ever. She looked up every article y'all have ever written. I know she's looking down on me watching, and I'm extremely blessed to have had her in my life."
Andrews' grandmother got to watch her grandson put on a show Monday night. The 6-foot-5 tight end caught 11 of 13 targets, gashing the Colts defense with ease. Any time Lamar Jackson needed a big play, Andrew came down with the pigskin.
Andrews and receiver Marquise Brown (125 yards, two TD catches) became unstoppable in the second half and overtime.
Monday night marked the first game in league history in which NFL teammates drafted out of the same college each had 100-plus receiving yards and 2-plus receiving TDs -- both played at Oklahoma (including one season together in 2017). It also was the first game in Ravens franchise history with multiple players with 100-plus receiving yards and two-plus receiving TDs, per NFL Research.
Jackson and the Ravens passing game has been shutting up critics with the help of Andrews and Brown. Both pass-catchers rank in the top 10 in the NFL in receiving yards through five games. Brown: 451 yards (8th), Andrews: 400 yards (T-10th). And the Ravens are the only team with multiple players with 400-plus receiving yards this season.
"I think we're growing, we're getting better, we're getting more mature," Andrews said. "All of those things that happen over the years. We have that connection. We've always had it, but when you have guys all around you that are making plays, it's hard to stop that."
Grandma would approve.
