Seven seconds to crown one of the greatest international games in NFL history. If not the greatest international game in NFL history. Ricky Martin, baile funk, Lamar Jackson magic, Tyler Loop heroics, Dallas Cowboys disbelief and a last-gasp thriller staged within a cauldron of sporting iconicity.
The beach-collared beauty of Rio de Janeiro dazzled on its debut as an NFL host city, its famed magnetism as a hub for otherworldly fun and theatre translating to football as the Baltimore Ravens claimed a 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys at the Maracana Stadium. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player On a stage graced by Pele and Zico and Romario and Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, it was all too fitting that the very first regular-season game to be played at Rio's sporting home would be decided by a boot. The boot, in this instance, of Tyler Loop.
The Cowboys had just levelled the game at 31-31 on Brandon Aubrey's 23-yard field goal with seven seconds to play, overtime on the horizon as Brazil strapped in for an extended night. Lamar Jackson had other plans, connecting with Zay Flowers for 27 yards to set Baltimore up at the Cowboys 38 on the first play of the ensuing drive. Out came Loop, nine months on since he missed the 44-yard field goal that would have gifted the Pittsburgh Steelers the AFC North division title and accompanying playoff berth.
Rio redemption would prove sweet as the 25-year-old held his nerve to split the posts from 56 yards and spark a Ravens frenzy. Loop sprinted off in joyous celebration with a full-speed Jackson and his entire team in tow, spiralling his finger to request some space amid the madness before launching into an imitation of Cristiano Ronaldo's 'SIU', mirrored by the Maracana crowd. Unbridled carnage and the NFL's dream advert for international representation.
The build-up had been marred ever so slightly by question marks over the turf at the Maracana. By the end of Sunday night all had been forgotten as the Ravens showcased their dig deep credentials in the face of a rampant Cowboys offense. The fourth quarter had depicted the complete Super Bowl contender that Dallas might hope to become this season during a sequence that began with their widely-criticised run defense stuffing Derrick Henry on fourth-and-goal at the one-yard line.
Dak Prescott rewarded the turnover by igniting the following drive with a 49-yard strike to CeeDee Lamb, before KaVontae Turpin finished off the possession with a nine-yard touchdown run for a 28-24 lead with 9.42 to play. After the teams exchanged punts Jackson orchestrated an 11-play 64-yard march culminating in his two-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Hibner with 1.30 left, prompting a steely pursed-lip look of determination from Prescott, enough to suggest this wasn't over. But instead of six, the Cowboys settled for three on the next possession as four plays inside the Ravens 10-yard line camp up empty, bringing out Aubrey for the field goal most believed had teed up overtime.
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