MIKE BURKE
Allegany Communications Sports
It was as poor of a regular-season loss as we’ve seen in the John Harbaugh era, the Baltimore Ravens’ 26-23 loss to the visiting Las Vegas Raiders, beginning with the poor play of the offensive line, the defense’s inability to prevent wide receiver Davante Adams from single-handedly beating them (the Raiders rushed for 27 yards) and last, but not least, the ongoing poor decisions coming from the Ravens sideline.
Losing in Kansas City in the opener is one thing. Losing at home to the Raiders and blowing yet another 10-point fourth-quarter lead is another. Bad offense, bad defense, bad special teams, bad play-calling, bad challenges – this is one every man wearing purple on Sunday deserves to wear beginning with head coach John Harbaugh.
It marks just the fifth time in the Ravens’ 29-year existence that they’ve started a season 0-2, and in the previous four, they did not make the playoffs.
The Ravens outgained the Chiefs in the opener, 452-353, then outgained the Raiders, 383-260, and have forced as many turnovers as they’ve given up. Yet they sit at 0-2.
With a straight face, Harbaugh said, “Giving up a fourth-quarter lead is never acceptable.”
I don’t know. It seems as though it’s not only acceptable in Baltimore, but rather expected, as the Ravens have squandered more double-digit fourth-quarter leads than any team in football, having blown 11 of them in the last three years.
Prior to the arrival of Lamar Jackson, the Harbaugh Ravens, according to Pro Football Reference, blew 14 10-point fourth-quarter leads, two in the playoffs. So what is the common denominator here, and why should anyone believe it when the common denominator himself says it is not acceptable?
For beginners, the offensive play calling remains a problem, particularly given the Ravens’ signing of Derrick Henry. When Henry is the lone back in the formation and Jackson is under center, Henry is getting the ball. When Jackson is not under center, he’s likely to pass it.
Against the Raiders, the Ravens used play action on just 12% of drop backs. Particularly with Jackson and Henry in the backfield, that’s not who they are, it’s not how to protect an inexperienced offensive line and it’s not how to work a clock with a 10-point fourth quarter lead.
Conversely, the New Orleans Saints are running play action over 50% of the time. Ask the Dallas Cowboys, the Ravens’ next opponent, how that’s working out.
We, of course, have had this conversation many times before, just as we’ve had the conversation about Harbaugh’s idiotic challenges and how they continue to hurt his team.
On Sunday, Harbaugh challenged two plays – one in the first half, one in the second – he had no business challenging. But seemingly at the egging of the crowd, his Robert Conrad Little Man ego got the best of him and the team and out came the red challenge flag.
The results? Both failed challenges and a lost timeout the Ravens could have used at the end of the first half as well as a lost timeout the Ravens could have used at the end of the game.
Since 2019, Harbaugh is 8 for 30 (.267) on challenges. Conversely, the win rate of Andy Reid is .654, .476 for Sean McVay, .400 for Mike McCarthy, and .391 for both Mike Tomlin and Sean McDermott.
“If you want to have a winning percentage in challenges, you just don’t challenge stuff,” Harbaugh said. “If you have one that you should have challenged that you don’t challenge, it doesn’t get counted against your record. But I don’t think that way.”
That’s true, you don’t. I mean, who cares about that 0-2 record?
“I’m not worried about the record that someone might be printing about what your challenge record is,” he added. “I’m trying to think about the opportunity in the game to see if we can have a chance to use the challenge to our advantage to try to win the game.”
Well, it’s not working. Maybe he should think about something else.
Mike Burke writes about sports and other stuff for Allegany Communications. He began covering sports for the Prince George’s Sentinel in 1981 and joined the Cumberland Times-News sports staff in 1984, serving as sports editor for over 30 years. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @MikeBurkeMDT