Football, for better or worse, is a game of inches.
Watching J.K. Dobbins fight like this for a touchdown and then not giving him another touch inside the five-yard line is crazy pic.twitter.com/IM96zLay9N
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) January 16, 2023
Those inches can make the difference on plays like that JK Dobbins touchdown. Unfortunately, they can also mean the difference on plays like the back-breaking fumble that sealed the game for the Bengals. The all-too-familiar goal line turnover struck again, this time to the tune of a 14-point swing. Despite early misfires, the Ravens were the better team for three quarters of their game on Sunday, but that play would end up making the difference in the end.
Ravens with the edge in total yards (+119) and time of possession (+3 min) but have only 17 points and trail by seven with U4 remaining. pic.twitter.com/kI11QDqE2D
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) January 16, 2023
The worst part of this experience was not the loss. In fact, I think a lot of Ravens fans came into the game tempering expectations. The worst part was how excruciatingly close they were to a win, yet again. It’s been the story of the last two seasons: being so close, and yet so far away.
It all harkens back to two things that John Harbaugh has talked about in the wake of so many close losses: scheme and execution. If either scheme or execution is better on that goal-line play, we’re probably talking about a Ravens win. What if Roquan Smith gets home on a free run and sacks Joe Burrow instead of them converting on third down and driving the length of the field?
Just killer. Rather than sack Burrow in 3rd & inches in their territory, they march all the way across the field and into the end zone. Then, they get the 2pt conversion and take a 7-point lead. Devastating.
— Baltimore Beatdown (@BmoreBeatdown) January 16, 2023
What if Marcus Peters doesn’t give Cincy a free 15 yards for taunting? What if the Ravens hadn’t allowed crucial seconds to tick off the clock at the end of the game?
What if?
A better ball to Ricard and it's a TD. A better block and Gus is in for the TD. Instead, it's a 98-yard TD going the other way as it falls right into Sam Hubbard's arms. Devastating.
— Baltimore Beatdown (@BmoreBeatdown) January 16, 2023
Unfortunately, the only sure thing is what’s in the past. We can’t change it, as much as we might like to. The only thing that we can change is how we view the past, and what we do to learn from it. Earlier this year, I’d written a piece asking if the Ravens would use their early struggles as lessons, and if they would adapt or perish. Safe to say we have our answer now.
A late-game sequence that proved pivotal: Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins picked up a first down and was tackled with 1:08 left on the clock.
Rather than using 1 of its 2 remaining timeouts, Baltimore huddled and did not snap the ball until :33 remained.
Not nearly enough urgency.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 16, 2023
Holy clock management
— Ramey (@HoodieRamey) January 16, 2023
It’s ironic that Mike McDonald, the newest member of Baltimore’s coaching staff, was the one who performed the best this season, all things considered. Outside of his performance, coaching for this season has been an abject failure that’s cost the Ravens time after time, and in more ways than one.
My plea as a fan entering this offseason is that ownership and the front office learn their lesson, before it costs them even more.
In 20 years I haven't had a year where I'm checked out of Ravens football. Even the worst of the worse, I was all the way in.
If Greg Roman is retained as Offensive Coordinator, I'll be taking some space.
I can't do this again. #RavensFlock
— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) January 16, 2023
3 Responses
If only it were a Greg Roman problem that needs fixing! With the exception of Kubiak, who was hired without Harbaugh’s consent and answered to no one, ALL of the OCs ran Harbaugh’s system and answered to him! And, the only thing that would result in changing that dynamic is……a new HC!
The OC avg 28 ppg with Lamar and no WRs. Ill bet any money the next OC wont match that
so sick of hearing about roman….this is not a passing team(not a consistent passing team)…hasn`t been for 5 years….and won`t be going forward…..not because the weapons are horrible….but because we don`t have an effective,consistent thrower….i`m sorry if the media hates that…i understand that they are all closing ranks around lamar…but the actual facts are that he isn`t an effective”set play” thrower of the football….he`s not…he wasn`t in college…and he isn`t 5 years into his pro career….that`s why scouts were so skeptical and he almost went in the second round…
we can get away with a mostly one-dimensional offense in the regular season vs mediocre competition…our offense as it`s currently configured is still effective……but in the playoffs,it gets much harder vs tougher competition…..
look,we`ve had success with lamar…we usually get to the playoffs..we don`t win in the playoffs but we`re good enough to get there…when we drafted him 5 years ago we knew his limitations…but it`s been exciting…we`ve had success with our hybrid offense(designed specifically take advantage of lamar`s run first,pass off the broken play style of offense)…
that`s what we do…i don`t understand all the crying and blaming ..it`s not roman`s fault…we`ve had a multitude of off. coordinators over that last 10 years(5 or 6 i believe once gro is run out of town)…they are the designated scapegoats……this year is the same old same old….yet the fans and media don`t get the correlation….
it is what it is…5 years in and we are who we are…it`s been relatively successful…but the passing game with the throwers we have will never become consistently prolific..it just IS……..we`re heading into our 6th year with this offense…the die is cast….another receiver isn`t changing anything………
c`mon…we`re not talking about rookies here…we`re heading into year 6…another coordinator and another wr isn`t turning us into k.c….