Baltimore Ravens’ Head Coach John Harbaugh was put on blast following Sunday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. Many of his decisions were put into question, most notably his usage of players in late-game situations.
What upset most people regarding Baltimore’s 15-point collapse was Harbaugh’s call to punt on 4th and 3 with less than two minutes to go. Quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry were unstoppable on the ground all night, and the passing game was finding success, too.
On the defensive end, the unit could not stop a nosebleed in the fourth quarter. Josh Allen was picking them apart drive after drive. Giving the Bills the ball back had the makings of an ensuing touchdown drive, and that was just one decision that caused NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter to go off on Harbaugh’s coaching.
“Harbaugh has been absent on the sideline for the last four or five years. You can’t have that number of blown leads and be that good of a coach, and punt and be happy with punting to the defense. This is not Ed Reed, this is not my boy Ray [Lewis],” Carter said. “They don't have an identity as a defense, and when you don't have an identity, that's going to dictate going for it more on fourth down even if your quarterback is compromised.”
Cris Carter blasts John Harbaugh for inexcusable late-game coaching mistakes
Carter made some good points, specifically surrounding the defensive struggles. When Baltimore punted that ball back to Buffalo, everyone knew Buffalo was more than likely going to win the game. The defense was letting up chunk play after chunk play, and the pass rush was horrendous, letting Allen escape the pocket on every drop back.
However, when your leader on offense tells you that he is cramping and is not feeling right ahead of potentially the biggest play of the game, it is fair to opt to punt in that situation. Harbaugh said he thought about going for it, but once he learned Jackson was less than 100 percent, he made the move to try and pin the Bills deep. The defense failed to hold up their end of the bargain, but it was better than possibly giving them the ball on the wrong side of the 50-yard line to start a game-winning drive.
Still, that does not excuse some of Harbaugh’s other questionable decisions. It seemed like the Ravens' offense was handcuffed in the late stages of the fourth quarter. They ran conservative plays on three straight drives; two of which resulted in punts and another in a fumble. If Jackson were given the chance to make a play more than a handful of times, Baltimore surely would have sealed the win.
Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken and Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr deserve just as much blame. Both went stagnant with their playcalling, becoming super predictable down the stretch. However, with his long history of blowing games, Harbaugh should take the brunt of the blame.