Unwritten football rules the Baltimore Ravens, rest of NFL face

Never take points off the board

This is probably the next most-popular cliche and unwritten rule in football, and the Ravens certainly aren’t immune to it.

You know the scenario: Perhaps it’s a low-scoring game, and your team is up by three points in the second half. It’s 4th-and-1 at the 2-yard line. Fans are clamoring for the aggressive punch, the chance to at least convert a first-down attempt or potentially push it in for a touchdown.

Then out comes the field-goal unit. Boos ensue.

That’s the equivalent of making sure those points get up on the board unless the kicker is awful. And if the head coach trusts his defense, it’s all the wiser a move.

But this old unofficial rule doesn’t necessarily apply to Baltimore. Sure, there’s no reason to question a still-elite Ravens defense’s ability to make a stand the following drive. Yet when one factors in Baltimore’s 64.7 red-zone touchdown efficiency last year — fourth best in the league — perhaps being more aggressive in 4th-and-goal situations should be the norm instead of field-goal tries.