BALTIMORE – The back right corner of the end zone is where the home team enters M&T Bank Stadium. As starters are announced, smoke pours out of the tunnel, and ravens' eyes light eerily red from atop the players' entrance.
It was in that same corner, a few hours later, where Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer made a play that would later send the Ravens back through their tunnel with a fifth consecutive home loss, a franchise record.
Poyer intercepted Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson twice in the Bills’ 23-20 victory at M&T Bank Stadium. Both picks came in the fourth quarter as the Bills completed a comeback from a 17-point deficit. It was the first multi-interception game for Poyer, a 10-year NFL veteran.
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“They were extremely big plays and really won us the game,” cornerback Taron Johnson said.
Poyer was questionable heading into the game with a foot injury that sidelined him last week against the Miami Dolphins. He was limited in practice all week.
“We missed him. He’s a game changer,” defensive end Greg Rousseau said. “He’s a first team All-Pro caliber player. Having him out there makes the biggest difference for us. I’m grateful that he’s back out there.”
It wasn’t just an emotional boost to have the captain back. Poyer’s performance dictated the outcome.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, defensive tackle Prince Emili, who was elevated from the practice squad Saturday, deflected Jackson’s throw. Poyer finished the job.
“All I see is the ball in the air, and then (Poyer’s) right there,” Johnson said. “Just a great awareness play by him.”
Poyer hauled in the batted ball and went to the ground.
“It seemed like it was in the air for 30 minutes,” Poyer said. “I was waiting for it to come down and was able to make a play for us, stop some momentum.”
But before that, Poyer called his shot, Rousseau recalled. It's not the first time Poyer's done so, having similarly predicted his own interception in Week 2 against Tennessee.
“The play before the first pick when Prince tipped it up, (Poyer) was like, ‘I’m going to make a play here, I’m going to make a play,’ " Rousseau said. “Then boom, he went and actually just makes the play. I was like, that was crazy because he said he was going to do it, and he does it.”
The Bills' offense, however, was unable to score off the turnover. Buffalo went three-and-out. But soon, Poyer would come up huge again.
On fourth-and-2, with 4:15 left in a tie game, the Ravens opted not to kick a field goal. They had started the drive on their own 5-yard line, but had moved 93 yards in 13 plays. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said the decision to go for the touchdown was to give his team the best chance to win.
Jackson extended the play, scrambling around with Rousseau and Shaq Lawson closing in on him. He was looking for wide receiver Devin Duvernay, but for a few seconds, all he found was a Bills teammate.
“Tall defensive lineman with his hands up,” Jackson said of the play. “I was trying to see around him to see where my guys were, but I saw Duvernay late. If I would have seen him right off the bat, that would have been a touchdown. The lineman had his hands up and was bull-rushing a little bit and got in my peripheral. So, I couldn’t really see what was going on and the play was breaking down. I tried to get back some more, but it was too late.”
Duvernay, meanwhile, had been open in the back corner long enough to wave to Jackson. Poyer cut across more than 15 yards to make it in front of the Ravens receiver in time to meet Jackson’s throw.
“He was in the corner of the end zone and Lamar didn't see him at first,” Poyer said. “I peeked back at Lamar, and he was scrambling. And as soon as I peeked at him, he was kind of raising his hands up like he wanted the ball. So I just took off. And Lamar saw him open and he kind of floated in the air, and I just went to go make play on it.”
“He made a mistake to throw it over there,” Johnson said.
The end-zone interception gave the Bills the ball with 4:09 left, and the Bills would methodically march downfield while killing the clock for the eventual walk-off victory. However, Poyer was shaken up after the second interception, first being tended to by athletic trainers on the sideline. He went into the X-ray room shortly after the game ended.
“I’m fine. I’ll be alright,” Poyer said. “I just got the wind knocked out of me.”
“That’s why we love him,” quarterback Josh Allen said. “He’s going to put his body on the line, and that interception was huge. It gave us better field position instead of being backed up. Just the way he plays, the intensity and the love he plays with and for those guys on the field and on the sideline, you can’t replicate it.”
The Bills have won 10 of the last 12 games in which Poyer has an interception. They are 14-7 in games in which he records a pick. Poyer also had six tackles and three passes defensed.
“He’s our leader, and he definitely led the way tonight,” safety Damar Hamlin said. “Just being a ball player – I can’t even describe it. Just making plays.”
The praise rolled in from all over. Fellow safety Micah Hyde, out for the season with a neck injury, texted Poyer something that Poyer clearly enjoyed but wouldn't reveal.
“I can't share it. I can't. I would love to share it,” Poyer said, laughing. “(He was) very happy, very happy."
As Poyer was inactive against Miami, he now has at least one interception in every game he’s played this season. He has more interceptions (four) than catches allowed (three), according to Pro Football Focus.
“Four in three games, that speaks for itself,” Rousseau said. “He’s a special player.”
