Have the mystery drones that appeared across the New Jersey sky reemerged along the Maryland coast?
NFL fans were left stunned on Saturday night as officials paused the Baltimore Ravens‘ playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third quarter for what was described as an administrative timeout.
When the game returned from break, Amazon sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung told the streaming audience that the stoppage was due to a drone spotted in the area.
‘Drones over the stadium,’ one fan remarked on X. ‘What is this madness?’
‘Those east coast drone aliens are at it again,’ another added. ‘They were just trying to learn what football is.’
The FAA creates temporary flight restrictions in the air space above NFL games, meaning planes can’t travel over the stadiums and drones aren’t permitted within three miles of any NFL stadium, according to the Associated Press.
The Baltimore Ravens huddle up as T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on /d4 during the AFC Wild Card Playoff at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday night
When a drone is spotted, the NFL guidelines require officials to stop the game until the situation resolves itself.
And this isn’t the first time a drone has appeared over a Ravens game. In fact, it’s actually the third time and it’s becoming such an issue that the FBI has asked fans to leave their personal remote aircrafts at home.
‘It’s against the law,’ Special Agent David Rodski told fans in a video posted on X by the FBI’s Baltimore office. ‘They’re dangerous, they fall from the sky, you can hurt, injure or kill someone.
‘In addition, they can be dangerous to those in the sky,’ he added.
The message was posted on X just a day before the Ravens’ Wild Card win over the Steelers.
Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdowns in a flawless first half, Derrick Henry scored twice while leading Baltimore’s devastating running game, and the Ravens beat the Steelers 28-14 on Saturday night to advance to the second round of the AFC playoffs.
The Ravens move on to face either Buffalo or Houston after jumping out to a 21-0 halftime lead and holding on against their AFC North rivals. Baltimore had a 19-2 advantage in first downs in the first half, when the Ravens produced touchdown drives of 95, 85 and 90 yards,
Henry ran for 186 yards, and Baltimore outrushed the Steelers 299-29. It was the most yards rushing allowed by Pittsburgh in a playoff game, breaking the mark of 232 set by the Oakland Raiders 51 years ago.
A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey
Jackson, the two-time MVP still seeking a postseason breakthrough, made it clear from the start he was going to make Pittsburgh (10-8) defend his arm and his legs. He kept the chains moving, and the Ravens (13-5) were happy to advance the ball methodically against a Steelers team that has relied heavily this season on forcing turnovers.
A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they came from and why.
In response, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas of New Jersey and 30 areas in New York, mostly in and around New York City and on Long Island, where critical infrastructure is located. FAA officials said federal security agencies requested the flight restrictions, which are effective through mid-January.
The FBI, the Homeland Security Department and state agencies have been investigating, but officials say there has been nothing so far to suggest any drones have posed a national security or public safety threat. Authorities say many of the drone sightings have actually been legal drones, manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars.