Browns’ Jordan Elliott lifted on Justin Tucker’s blocked kick
CLEVELAND ― Nobody puts Jordan Elliott in a corner.
Although it wasn’t quite as dramatic as the iconic lift scene of “Dirty Dancing” fame, Browns defensive tackle Elliott pointed out he benefited from Baltimore Ravens guard Ben Powers giving him a boost on a crucial blocked field goal.
The play kept the Ravens from mounting a serious threat late in the Browns’ 13-3 victory on a cold, snowy Saturday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. And the win by the Browns (6-8) hurt the Ravens (9-5) in their race with the Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) for the AFC North title.
“I was able to get through between the snapper and the guard, and I just jumped,” Elliott told the Beacon Journal after the game. “The thing is, though, [Powers] was trying to flip me, so he kinda gave me some more elevation, and I was able to just get my hand up.”
Ravens five-time All-Pro Justin Tucker is widely considered the best kicker in NFL history. Not only did Elliott block Tucker’s 50-yard field goal with 14:02 left in the fourth quarter, but Elliott rose high enough for the ball to hit his right forearm instead of merely his fingertips or hand.
Elliott can thank Powers and perhaps long snapper Nick Moore for an assist. Lined up at right guard during the play, Powers hooked his left arm around Elliott’s left leg and stood up as the ball smacked the defender’s arm. Moore also appeared to contribute to hoisting Elliott.
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“At first, I thought [Elliott] had bunnies,” Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said. “I thought he jumped up and got it, and then I saw he got lifted up like he was a ballerina or something. He went up there and almost palmed it with that big old hand of his, and so that was a hell of a play.
“I really couldn’t see it [live]. I had to look at it from the replay. All I saw was the ball get smacked about 15, 20 yards. But, man, for him to make a play like that when it’s a Hall of Fame field-goal kicker on the other side, Justin Tucker, that’s just a confidence boost.”
Elliott didn’t really embrace the idea of the blocked kick carrying more weight because it came off Tucker’s foot.
“Bigger than that for me, it was a close game,” Elliott said. “Him making that field goal could have changed the course of the game. I feel like that was the biggest thing, just making sure that we kept it a 10-point lead.”
Tucker rarely misses, but he had a rough outing against the Browns. With time expired in the second quarter, his 48-yard field goal sailed wide left, and the Ravens trailed 6-3 at halftime.
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Browns cornerback Denzel Ward rushed off the defense’s left side and applied pressure as Tucker kicked. Elliott conceded he was stunned Tucker missed, though he thought Ward could have played a role.
“That definitely affects the kick whenever a kicker feels pressure,” Elliott said. “Somebody can mess up his cadence, mess up his focus, whatever. Any little thing that they’re not accustomed to or used to can definitely throw them off.”
The miss and the block came after Tucker made a 53-yard field goal with 5:31 left in the second quarter, accounting for Baltimore’s only points with backup Tyler Huntley quarterbacking the Ravens while starter Lamar Jackson recovers from an injured knee.
Elliott is in the midst of his first season as a full-time starter, and it has often been rough. He entered the weekend ranked 116th among the 126 qualifying D-tackles graded by ProFootballFocus.com in 2022.
The block, however, proved to be a bright spot. Elliott hadn’t blocked a field goal since 2019, when he was a redshirt junior at Missouri. The Browns drafted him in the third round (No. 88 overall) the next year.
“I always hope he that he has those big plays and does it ’cause I love the guy, not only as a player, but as a person,” Browns Pro Bowl right guard Wyatt Teller said. “So to see him have success and get that kick, that’s the best kicker ever, I believe. So to be able to do that, that’s big time.”
Put another way, a little lift from the Ravens helped Elliott have the time of his life.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at [email protected].
On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
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