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Baltimore Ravens miss postseason after embarrassing loss

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 31: Head Coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens walks off the field after the Cincinnati Bengals 31-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 31: Head Coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens walks off the field after the Cincinnati Bengals 31-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens on New Year’s Eve. In the most painful way possible, the purple and black were eliminated from the postseason:

The Baltimore Ravens came out of the gates sputtering. If it was not for the late first half heroics of Chris Moore Baltimore would have gone into halftime with little hope at all. The Ravens took a lead in the final quarter only to see it vanish into the frigid air with 44 seconds to go. The Ravens made it interesting but they finished the game they way it began by not playing up to the moment.

The Ravens seemed lethargic in this game. It seemed like they thought the game was going to be a cakewalk. Their mind was on a battle with the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. They took the Bengals for granted and a slow start hurt them in the loss. The Ravens now have nothing to do next week, but watch the playoffs at home.

The Ravens got things together but they didn’t finish. They gave the Bengals the ball back for a last minute drive. Finally, the Bengals burned the defense when it mattered most. There were a lot of things that contributed to this loss. The offense went away for huge chunks of the game. The defense got pushed around and let up the final score. At the end of the day it just wasn’t good enough.

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When the 2017 season started, the only acceptable outcome was making the postseason. The Ravens came short. John Harbaugh’s Ravens lost the same way they lost the last three battles with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They failed to seal the deal, and the defense gave up a big play at the end. When it comes to painful losses, the Baltimore Ravens have a type.

The Bottom Line:

This is the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Ravens have missed the postseason. When you read off John Harbaugh’s resume it may be impressive, but his last true accomplishment came in 2014. Owner, Steve Bisciotti, is in a difficult situation. He can either fire the most successful coach the team has ever known, or he can keep Harbaugh on for another year. No matter what Bisciotti decides, it isn’t an easy decision to reach.

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The Ravens were hoping to lock up a playoff spot tonight. Instead they locked up the 16th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Ravens picked 16th last year. What this basically means, is that the needle didn’t move at all for this team.

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