With the outcome of the game already decided, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh decided he had one more goal he needed to get accomplished this afternoon.
Leading the Broncos 23-7, Baltimore took over possession with three seconds left in the game. It seemed obvious that the Ravens would simply kneel to kill the remaining bit of clock.
Instead, Harbaugh called for Lamar Jackson to run the ball, which he did for a five-yard gain. As a result, the Ravens tied the 1974-77 Pittsburgh Steelers for the longest streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games a team with 43.
After the game, Harbaugh revealed he made the decision to have Jackson run, and he did so for the purpose of tying the record.
“One hundred percent my call. That’s one of those things that’s meaningful,” Harbaugh said, via Ryan Mink of Ravens.com. “As a head coach, you have to be mindful of your players and your coaches and what it means to them.”
John Harbaugh on running for the record instead of kneeling:
“100 percent my call. That’s one of those things that’s meaningful. As a head coach, you have to be mindful of your players and your coaches and what it means to them.”
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) October 3, 2021
The Ravens have made running the ball part of their identity now for several seasons. It is understandable that Harbaugh would try to keep that 100-yard streak going.
There might be some people who think he shouldn’t have done that from a sportsmanship perspective, but we don’t see a major issue with it.
The post John Harbaugh Explains His Controversial Final Play Call appeared first on The Spun.
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