Wide left

Wide left refers to the ending of the 2012 AFC Championship game played between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. The game culminated with Ravens place kicker Billy Cundiff missing a routine 32-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game that would have tied it and sent the game into overtime. The play was the final one of the game, save a quarterback kneel when the Patriots assumed possession following the miss. The result was the Patriots making off with a 23-20 win that sent them to Super Bowl XLVI.
The play
Leading up
In the final minutes of the game, the Ravens had possession of the ball, and managed to drive it into New England's red zone. Just two plays earlier, quarterback Joe Flacco threw a pass to wide receiver Lee Evans that he appeared to have caught for a touchdown. Had it been caught, the Ravens, following an extra point, would have gone ahead by 4 points, requiring the Patriots to score a touchdown of their own with just 30 seconds remaining to be able to win the game. But the ball was pushed out of Evans' hands by Patriots cornerback Sterling Moore before it could qualify as a catch, thereby making it an incomplete pass. Another incomplete pass followed, thereby bringing up 4th down and 1, and making the kicking of a field goal that would tie the game and likely send it into overtime the best choice.
The scoreboard, however, reflected that it was third down due to operator error. As a result, Cundiff was rushed on to the field and failed to complete his pre-kick warm-up.
Direction of the ball
The ball that was kicked went wide left of the goal posts, and was clearly no good to players, referees, and viewers.
The ball landed in the stands, about 9 rows back. It landed in the lap of fan Rob Bouchie, a former Boston University nose tackle. Bouchie was able to keep the ball, despite attempts by numerous other fans to strip it from him, and was pictured the following day in local papers together with his friend holding the souvenir.
Broadcast
Announcers during the CBS broadcast of the game as Cundiff approached stated that the field goal would likely send the game into overtime, and that Cundiff had been 16/16 in fourth quarter kicks during the past two years. As he made the kick, play-by-play man Jim Nantz proclaimed "LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT! IT'S NO GOOD! IT'S NO GOOD!"
Reactions
Players
Ravens
None of the Ravens players blamed the loss entirely on Cundiff.
Linebacker Terrell Suggs told ESPN that there was a miscommunication on the sideline prior to the missed field goal. He blamed it on the scoreboard, which he said in accurately stated there was a first down when there was not, and the Ravens were one yard shy of that.
Punter Sam Koch said the play felt rushed. Cundiff himself said he was late getting on the field. He said he hopes to make amends during the next season.
Fans
Ravens
Ravens fans reacted to the loss with shock and were described as 'heartbroken.'
Patriots
The memory of Myra Kraft inspired the Patriots and some fans credited her intervention for the miss. Robert Kraft said "We had an angel looking out for us."'
Other
University of Kansas basketball fans mocked Cundiff during a game that took place the following day. This included holding up white cardboard signs that spelled out C-U-N-D-I-F-F, and tilting them to the shooter's left, during the game whenever an opponent shot a free throw.
Author Stefan Fatsis, who had a brief stint with the Denver Broncos in their training camp, and has written a book titled A Few Seconds of Panic, talked with Cundiff, and has stated how he relates to him. He said that Cundiff has a routine, and he was thrown out of whack under the circumstances.
The missed kick - and the fact that the football's laces were not out, as customary during placekicks - drew comparisons to the fictional kicker Ray Finkle from the 1994 film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, who missed a similar short-range last-second kick in their version of Super Bowl XVII.
The Boston Globe reported that high pressure hits and misses can define a placekicker's career, as the points that are made or missed by a kicker hinge on the success of the kicker alone.

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