Redemption, thy name is Wallace.
Tylan Wallace became the Baltimore Ravens' latest hero in a season full of them on Sunday, as his 76-yard punt return touchdown gave the Ravens a 37-31 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams in walk-off fashion. The sensational six-pointer allowed Baltimore (10-3) to retain the top seed on the AFC playoff bracket and the bye that comes with for at least 24 more hours.
Like many fans of both Baltimore and Los Angeles, Wallace, a third-year fourth-round pick, was left speechless after his unexpected heroics.
"Moments like this don't … You could say it's a once-in-a-lifetime moment to be able to sit down and soak that all in while catching my breath at the same time," Wallace said, per the Ravens' official site. "I was about to go down, [but I thought] I can't go down right here. I made it this far. I'm like, 'I have to keep going. I have to stay up."
Wallace's highlight is the first overtime punt return for a touchdown in Ravens history.
As a receiver buried on a packed Baltimore Ravens receiving depth chart, anything Wallace does on the game field will speak volumes. Every week is more or less an audition to dress on game day, especially considering that, barring injury, names like Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham Jr., and Zay Flowers have strangleholds on the top spots.
That means anything Wallace does ... for better and worse ... will be noticed. For the longest time, it appeared that Wallace was destined to go down as the goat of Sunday's game against the Rams: as Baltimore nursed a 14-10 lead, Wallace inadvertently kept a SoCal drive alive in an ill-fated attempt to rush a punt. The five-yard penalty not only yielded a fresh set of downs but eventually a Rams touchdown that put them ahead.
This yellow sign, however, was anything but a signal to slow down.
"They were telling me, 'You know, it happens. Penalties happen,'" Wallace recalled in the aftermath. "Obviously, you don't want it to happen too often, but just wipe that away. … I appreciate them for believing in me to be back there to make plays for the team."
Further fulfilling the blockbuster tropes that seemed to follow Wallace on Sunday, he was never contracted to return punts on Sunday afternoon, only forced to fill the role when Devin Duvernay was forced to leave with a back injury.
Head coach John Harbaugh had no issues with handing over the return responsibilities to Wallace, who caught four punts during his collegiate time in Stillwater.
"Here's a veteran player, fourth-year guy who's been through it ... It wasn't a conscious thing, we just felt like he deserved it," Harbaugh said. "He was ready for that moment. Now, did (we) think he was going to take it back to the house? No, but I thought he'd catch it (and) maybe make a guy miss."
Harbaugh was mostly wrong: Wallace made several defenders miss, avoiding the grasps of six fallen Los Angeles defenders en route to the end zone. With the help of vital blocks from teammates like Jayln Armour-Davis, Charlie Kolar, and Justice Hill, Wallace made it to paydirt despite a stumble near midfield.
Only his teammates could make his knees hit the ground, and, by then, it didn't matter. Wallace was immediately swarmed by fellow Ravens in the back of the end zone, their calls of congratulations drowned by a raucous crowd gathered at M&T Bank Stadium.
"That was a game," Wallace reportedly told his teammates in the joyous locker room. "All the ups and downs, we kept fighting, we kept going. Y'all helped me, man. Next man up. I'm just happy I can make a difference for this team. I appreciate you all."
Baltimore will face another division leader next Sunday night, as they head south to joust with the Jacksonville Jaguars (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).
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