John Harbaugh explains how the clock was mismanaged in the final seconds of Ravens loss against Bengals
The Baltimore RavensAfter the season, it’s over a 24-17 wild-card loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Like the Miami Dolphins After a frustrating clock mismanagement, they concluded their season on Sunday.
In the final minutes of the game, the Ravens were forced to rush and try to overcome a seven point deficit. They allowed the clock to run out and ended the game with a timeout that they won’t be able to take to the next season.
Why didn’t Ravens declare a timeout
The Ravens faced first-and-10 and advanced to the Bengals 17-yard line with a completion Tyler Huntley To J.K. Dobbins. Officials ended the play with 1:09 remaining, after Bengals defenses held Dobbins just beyond the first down marker. The game clock continued running. The Ravens had two timeouts but chose not to use the second.
Ravens offense then huddled up and lined themselves up for a pass. After allowing 36 seconds to burn off, they finally snapped the ball. From there they ran four more plays, one of which drew an offense holding penalty. The fourth-and-20 Hail Mary of the Cincinnati 27 was not completed, and the game was called.
They did not leave the holster with both timeouts remaining. The clock was already stopped when they used the one-timeout to finish the play. However, that one timeout was not used and the Ravens wasted a good portion of the final minute.
Harbaugh’s explanation
Harbaugh gave reporters an explanation of his decision after the game. He stated that the Ravens wanted him to score, but that he didn’t have enough time for the Bengals. Harbaugh also blamed the holding penalty.
“We wanted to save the timeouts for the red zone,” Harbaugh said, per Touchdown Wire. “The thing that killed us was the holding penalty. It knocked us back. …
“We wanted the ball to go our way and score. We think we’re going to get in the red zone, we think it’s going to be a certain number of plays, and we’re going to work right down to the end of the game. Instead of scoring with 35 seconds remaining, give them the chance to kick a field goal at end.
This is a contingency that requires many things to go perfectly in a pressure-packed playoff scenario and a backup quarterback running it. You don’t have to call the remaining timeouts when you are under pressure.
The plan did not work out, which is no surprise. After the fourth down play, it’s difficult to determine if it had any impact on the game’s outcome. The Ravens could have managed the situation better, but it certainly added pressure. The offseason also includes the task of figuring out what happens with Lamar Jackson.