Billy Cundiff knew something was wrong when he booted his last-minute, 32-yard field-goal attempt in Sunday's AFC Championship Game. The Baltimore Ravens kicker rushed his routine, and his kick sailed wide left.
But on Monday, Cundiff learned of a possible contributing factor to his frenzied approach. The Gillette Stadium scoreboard incorrectly listed the preceding second and third downs of Baltimore's final drive as first and second down, Ravens public-relations director Kevin Byrne told Deadspin.com.
Harrison: What's next for Baltimore?
The Ravens had a top-tier defense and prolific tailback, but they still couldn't reach Super Bowl XLVI. Now the questions begin, says
Elliot Harrison. **More ...**
Byrne confirmed the downs were incorrectly displayed after he watched video of the game.
The Patriots didn't immediately respond to NFL.com and NFL Network's request for comment.
Earlier Monday, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs told ESPN that many players noticed the discrepency on the final series and were confused by it. They believed Anquan Boldin's fumble out of bounds after a first-down reception had given Baltimore another first down at the New England Patriots' 10-yard line. But the ball was brought back to the 14 -- spot of the fumble -- and the Ravens faced second-and-1. The scoreboard, however, listed the subsequent play as first down.
The Ravens ran two more plays, both passes toward the end zone, before calling on Cundiff, who missed his fourth-down kick, giving the Patriots a 23-20 victory and a berth in Super Bowl XLVI.
"There was just a lot of confusion on that last play," Suggs said Monday on ESPN, according to The Baltimore Sun. "Those last two plays, it happened so fast."
On NFL Network
"NFL Replay" will re-air the Patriots' 23-20 win over the Ravens in the
AFC Championship Game on Tuesday, Jan. 24
at 8 p.m. ET.
Cundiff told Deadspin.com earlier Monday that his sideline practice routine, which changes by down, was off, and he went onto the field later than usual as a result. He then sped up his pre-kick routine instead of calling the Ravens' final timeout.
"Instead of taking a deep breath and collecting myself, everything just kept speeding up, speeding up," Cundiff said. "The mechanics of the operation were just off a little bit."
After an outpouring of support from teammates and fellow kickers, Cundiff said he was fine and took responsibility for the play, which ended Baltimore's season.
"You face the music. You understand what goes on with the game and the position I play," Cundiff said, according to The Associated Press. "Everyone's going to be there to pat you on the back when you make the kick. A lot of times, I try to deflect the attention because it is a team win. And when things don't go the way you want them to, you've got to take a lot of the blame."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.