For most of Sunday’s AFC title game, the Kansas City Chiefs had the Baltimore Ravens’ offense locked up. But at the start of the fourth quarter, Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers finally found room to make some plays.
After scoring the only points of the game for Baltimore early on, Flowers would burn Kansas City’s No. 1 corner, L’Jarius Sneed, for a key 50-yard bomb that should’ve set up the Ravens in the red zone. There was just one problem.
Flowers hit the taunting trifecta of standing over Sneed, pushing him, and throwing the ball at him. He would be deservedly fined 15 yards for the sequence:
Agree with the taunting call? pic.twitter.com/StcuPKSoEe
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 28, 2024
Fortunately for Flowers, he’d almost make up for it by catching a short screen, then taking a crossing route into the end zone … except the latter didn’t actually happen.
When Flowers started reaching the ball across the goal line, Sneed punched it out at the perfect time for a Kansas City fumble recovery. Instead of a Ravens touchdown or even a field goal, Baltimore came up empty while trying to rally. Talk about getting timely revenge in a clutch moment:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, L'JARIUS SNEED!!! pic.twitter.com/rHw8hcuUgG
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 28, 2024
After this brutal mistake, there was still plenty of time left on the clock, but it sure felt like the beginning of the end for Baltimore. And it’s all thanks to Sneed for maintaining his composure after Flowers tried to rub salt in the wound about a deep completion.
NFL fans were in awe of Sneed's timely fumble punch on Flowers
Play of the year by L'Jarius Sneed.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) January 28, 2024
What an insane play by L’Jarius Sneedpic.twitter.com/9thQSH9Vpt
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) January 28, 2024
Guess you shouldn't taunt L'Jarius Sneed.
— Jesse Newell (@jessenewell) January 28, 2024
The second L’Jarius Sneed hits free agency pic.twitter.com/jGaTRxERZr
— Adam Best (@Arrowhead_Adam) January 28, 2024
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is called “karma.” Well done, L’Jarius Sneed.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) January 28, 2024
L’Jarius Sneed with the unbelievable play to knock that ball out! Wow!
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) January 28, 2024
L’Jarius Sneed is the BEST corner in football.
— Joel Moran (@joelvmoran) January 28, 2024
L'Jarius Sneed gets the last laugh. What a punchout at the goal line against Zay Flowers.
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) January 28, 2024
That is a helllll of a play from L'Jarius Sneed
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) January 28, 2024
