“I don’t think in that situation he need to play hero ball” Shannon Sharpe on Tua

“Everybody knows you’re going to go to Drake London. You need to look off and then come back,” Shannon Sharpe said.

Speaking on Nightcap’s October 11 program after Baltimore’s 30–23 overtime win in Atlanta, Sharpe questioned Tua Tagovailoa’s decision on the interception that ended the game. Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson considered how quickly a quarterback entering off the bench had to find his confidence, while Joe Johnson asked what Tagovailoa had seen before releasing the ball.

Tagovailoa replaced Michael Penix Jr. after Penix left late in the fourth quarter. Baltimore opened overtime with a 14-play, 68-yard touchdown drive, capped by Tyler Huntley’s quarterback sneak. Kyle Hamilton then intercepted Tagovailoa on Atlanta’s possession to secure the victory.

Sharpe argued that Baltimore’s long possession increased the pressure on Atlanta’s offense.

“Not only did they go down the field, they took a lot of time off the clock in doing so. It forced the Falcons to use their timeouts,” he said.

He wanted Tagovailoa to move the defender with his eyes before returning to London, rather than watching the receiver’s route develop from the snap.

“We’re talking about a guy that started multiple years in this league. He’s got to be able to do that,” Sharpe said.

Ochocinco considered the difficulty of immediately making that read after coming into the game. He described the confidence needed to hold a defender in place while preparing to throw elsewhere.

“You know how comfortable you got to be to be able to look down the barrel,” Ochocinco said.

Hamilton’s positioning

Joe Johnson’s question started the discussion of the final throw.

“What was Tua looking at when he threw that damn pick?” he asked.

Ochocinco described Hamilton watching the quarterback’s eyes. Sharpe emphasized the safety’s position near the linebackers in Baltimore’s nickel defense.

“He’s looking at Drake London waiting on Drake to come out of that break on that deep curl,” Ochocinco said.

The Andrews disagreement

The panel also debated Mark Andrews after his fumble was returned for Atlanta’s opening touchdown. Andrews finished with four catches for 28 yards. Sharpe compared him with former Ravens teammate Isaiah Likely, who caught 11 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants’ 27–27 tie with Washington that day.

“You’re talking about a guy that’s more athletic, that’s going to be able to play longer,” Sharpe said of Likely.

“Mark Andrews was a, was a very good tight end at one point in time. That’s not what he is now. He’s just not,” Sharpe said.

Ochocinco questioned whether Andrews should be judged through that night’s mistakes and an earlier playoff drop. He pointed out that Andrews had also made catches during the game.

“But do you think he’s a bad tight end?” Ochocinco asked.

Sharpe referred to the injury Andrews had suffered several years earlier and the challenge of recovering previous form with age. Andrews underwent ankle surgery in November 2023.

Huntley and the defense

Sharpe asked what stood out about Baltimore winning on the road without Lamar Jackson. Huntley completed 24 of 32 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns, added the overtime rushing score and led the late touchdown drive that tied the game. Derrick Henry rushed for 102 yards, caught a touchdown pass and converted the tying two-point attempt.

Ochocinco credited the defense for limiting Atlanta’s offensive touchdowns, while acknowledging London’s performance. Atlanta scored once through its offense and once on Jessie Bates III’s fumble return. The remaining points came from field goals.

“The defense did a very, very good job,” Ochocinco said.

He also pointed to Huntley leading the offense on important drives after Baltimore’s first-half mistakes.

“I didn’t think, honestly, I didn’t think they would win the game after that first half and the mistakes that they had because it’s hard to overcome those mistakes,” Ochocinco said.