During the AFC Championship game on Sunday, the NFL made an unusual decision to briefly pause the match after officials spotted a drone near M&T Bank Stadium. Referee Shawn Smith announced an administrative timeout with 6:01 remaining in the first quarter. CBS announcer Jim Nantz later revealed the reason for the stoppage, citing the presence of a drone in the area.
FAA rules dictate a temporary flight restriction over any NFL stadium during a game, prohibiting airplanes and drones from flying within three miles of the venue if it seats at least 30,000 fans. In compliance with these regulations, the NFL halts the game if a drone is detected, ensuring the safety and security of the event. This incident marked the second time in the year that a game in Baltimore had to be temporarily stopped due to a drone. In Week 11, the Ravens’ Thursday night game against the Bengals experienced a brief interruption for the same reason. During that previous incident, authorities successfully located the drone operator, who was instructed to land the drone. The NFL hopes to avoid a repeat of such situations, especially during the critical AFC Championship game.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh, commenting on the earlier drone incident in November, expressed his surprise, stating, “We saw them up there — drones. That’s a first. I thought I’d seen it all with the Super Bowl, the lights going out at the Super Bowl. Now we got drones flying around.”
The interruption during the AFC Championship lasted only a few minutes, and the game proceeded smoothly afterward.
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