Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Michael Pierce intercepted the first pass of his career in the team’s dominant victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.
Pierce’s interception of Bailey Zappe ended the game for good. Pierce caught the pass and looked like he had a gap as he tried to return it for a touchdown. But after running twenty feet, the 355-pound player gave himself up with a slide and celebrated.
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Michael Pierce of the Ravens celebrates with Brent Urban after a sack against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on December 21, 2024 in Baltimore. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Pierce was asked why he didn’t give the ball back.
“There’s a long history of turning interceptions and big-boy fumbles and all that stuff into memes,” he said. via NFL.com. “At the risk of ruining such a career game for myself, it’s time to go home. So the bus was out of gas. We’re good.”
Pierce joined the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He became a starter in 2017 and played one season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 before returning to the Ravens. Saturday’s match was the 99th of his career.
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“I’m glad I caught it, more importantly,” he added. “I’ll be honest – I don’t want to swear a lot on TV – but oh god, you know what I mean? Oh my god, he really threw this football.
“I have pretty good hands. I’m glad I noticed it, and like I said, the coach preaches smart football, and like I said, I don’t want to end up on a meme on Instagram, my wife and everyone out there om laughs So we did the right thing and kept it moving.”
Ravens running back Derrick Henry is congratulated by Lamar Jackson after scoring against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, January 4, 2025 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
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Baltimore won the game 35-10.
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