Sam Hubbard was the central figure of the single-most impactful play of the super wild-card weekend, with his 98-fumble return for a touchdown proving the ultimate difference in a 24-17 victory over the Ravens.
It's rare to see defensive players — particularly linemen — make such a direct impact on the game, let alone the scoreboard. But the fifth-year defensive end was in the right spot at the right time, and huffed and puffed and rumbled and tumbled all the way for the game-changing score.
Immediately following the play, Hubbard justifiably showed out for his teammates and cameras, telling both, "You can't catch me!" After receiving some oxygen after the play, he had a more measured, honest response:
"I was so scared of getting caught."
"I was so terrified of getting caught," Hubbard added. "I was like, 'He's on my a—!'"
The immediate jump cut from Hubbard yelling, "You can't catch me!" to "I was so scared of getting caught" was an inspired comedic choice by the NFL. Either way, both statements can be true: No one on the Ravens ended up catching him — only came dangerously close.
That player would be tight end Mark Andrews, who appeared he would track Hubbard down from behind. A timely block by linebacker Markus Bailey — which officials declined to rule a block in the back — helped secure the touchdown. That was the final score of what ended up being a 24-17 victory for hometown Cincinnati.
MORE: How Ravens' Mark Andrews came oh-so-close to stopping Sam Hubbard's game-winning touchdown
The defense stood up in a major way on Sunday, limiting the Ravens — quarterbacked by backup Tyler Huntley — to 364 yards and just two touchdowns, plus a field goal. The defensive performance came at a great time, as the normally explosive Bengals offense was held to 260 yards and two touchdowns.
With that, the 3-seed Bengals will travel to take on the 2-seed Bills in the divisional round. Considering that quarterback Josh Allen committed three turnovers in a narrow 34-31 victory over the Dolphins, it stands to reason Hubbard — scared or not — may be called to show up big again.