Buffalo Bills fans may be known for their eccentric antics, but instead of jumping on tables this week, they banded together to support an opposing player after he was subjected to a wave of online hate.
In Sunday’s crucial playoff game between the Bills and the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews fumbled then dropped a two-point conversion that would have tied the game in the fourth quarter. In the end, the Bills won 27-25 and will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday for the AFC Championship Game.
Andrews appeared to be heartbroken after the loss and video showed Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson consoling him after the game.
“We’re a team,” Jackson said. “It’s all of us, man, it’s not just you.”
Jackson and head coach John Harbaugh defended the tight end in interviews after the loss. Jackson reminded reporters that he was responsible for two turnovers in the first half and added that Andrews had “fought all season.”
Harbaugh described Andrews as a tough, high-character person who he was confident would handle the exam well. The coach added that he was proud of Andrews the same way he was of all the players.
“There is no one who has more heart, who cares more and who fights more than Mark,” Harbaugh said. “We wouldn’t be here without Mark Andrews.”
But Ravens fans expressed their anger anyway, flooding Andrews’ Instagram account with resentful comments. His last post was for National Diabetes Awareness Month in November, where Andrews discussed the continuous glucose monitoring system he uses to treat his type 1 diabetes.
People called for his contract to be canceled in the comments section, with some calling it a “disappointment” and others implying they would physically attack Andrews if they saw him. There were also supportive fans in the comments, encouraging Andrews to keep his head up.
