The Baltimore Ravens were once again in a position where they led going into the fourth quarter, but they lost the lead and ultimately the game. This time, it was from the hands of the Buffalo Bills, as they won 41-40. Over the past few years, the Ravens have blown big leads, and after this last game, head coach John Harbaugh had to answer to the criticism.
Harbaugh noted that the goal is to stay on the field so they don't blow those leads, but the opposite happened when they were up two points and it was 4th and 3. The Ravens also had all of their timeouts, but Harbaugh decided to punt the ball, which led the Bills to drive down the field and kick the game-winning field goal.
Harbaugh was asked if he thought about going for it on fourth down in that situation instead of punting the ball.
“I did think about going for it,” Harbaugh said. “If it’s fourth-and-3, if you don’t get it, they’re in field goal range. So, I think punting it is probably what most people would do there.”
When it comes to that kind of situation again, there's no telling what Harbaugh could decide to do, but he's going to do what he thinks is in the best interest of the team.
Ravens blow another big lead
With the loss to the Bills, Harbaugh has now blown eight games despite holding a double-digit lead in the final quarter, which is the most by any coach over the last 10 seasons, according to the Associated Press' Josh Dubow. The next head coach on that list is Kyle Shanahan.
Despite the blown lead, Harbaugh still seems optimistic about the team moving forward into the season.
“I’m disappointed, but we’ll be fine,” Harbaugh said via Baltimore Sun's Josh Tolentino.
The Ravens were clicking on offense all night, and it didn't look like they could be stopped at any moment. Lamar Jackson was using his arms and legs to make plays; the Bills didn't have an answer for anything he did. Derrick Henry continued to show that he's not slowing down anytime soon, and he finished with 169 yards and two touchdowns. It all fell apart when he fumbled late in the fourth quarter, and the Bills capitalized.
The Ravens find themselves in these situations at least once or twice every season, and if they can clean that up, there's no telling where they can end up.
