Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace loves wearing purple, and he loves big plays up the left sideline.
Last season, Wallace called game with a punt return touchdown in overtime against the Los Angeles Rams in a Week 14 walk-off win. With the Ravens once again in their all-purples on Thursday night, Wallace authored another explosive play. Early in the fourth quarter, he took a Lamar Jackson toss and sprinted 84 yards down that same left sideline for a touchdown.
Justin Tucker missed the point after try, but the play pulled Baltimore within one point after they’d trailed by 14 in the third quarter.
Wallace’s touchdown singled the final period would be a wild back-and-forth tussle, which the Ravens would win 35-34.
“I gave him one of the game balls,” coach John Harbaugh said of Wallace via the team’s official transcript. “I put my arm around him and said, ‘Was that Deja vu all over again, that same sideline for a touchdown with that Tylan Wallace stride up the sideline?’ That was beautiful. It was awesome. He’s something else. He’s quite a player. I’d say he’s a little underrated. What do you think?”
Ravens teammates sure think Wallace is a weapon.
“He can do it all,” Jackson said of the wideout. “Just last year, he did a walk-off punt return for us, and it was on the same sideline, and it was in purple. So, I believe it’s just his little magic uniform. He comes through when the lights are on [in] primetime. Shoutout to Tylan because that was wonderful. [That’s his] first 100-yard game. It’s great; he deserves it.”
Wallace led the Bengals with 115 yards on three catches. It wasn’t just his first 100-yard game. It more than doubled his previous career output. He entered the night with nine catches for 98 yards with no touchdowns.
The 25-year-old loves playing the Bengals. Entering Thursday, five of his nine career catches came against Cincy for 69 yards. Now, 184 of his career 213 yards over four seasons have come versus the Bengals.
“He’s a dawg, and he makes big-time plays,” tight end Mark Andrews said. “Tylan doesn’t get a lot of love, but he should. He makes big-time plays, and he comes in clutch. That was just an amazing play; that’s all there is to it.”
The play underscores the Ravens’ ability to coax production out of every man on the roster. On a day in which Zay Flowers (4 catches, 34 yards) was slowed and the rushing attack didn’t generate 100 yards, Wallace came up with a massive play that helped turn the tide.
