With 0:23 left in regulation the Ravens faced a second and goal from the 2-yard line. As you can see above the Chicago Bears opted to defend the run loading 8 men in the box.
As the play clock ticked down, Joe Flacco barked signals and used hand gestures suggesting that there could be some change to the play – perhaps a change in direction for the planned run.
Changing the play was a good idea but if there was in fact a change made at the line of scrimmage, simply changing the direction and the corresponding blocking assignments, wasn’t enough, proven by the results of the play.
What Flacco should have done was to check to a pass play. Notice how the Ravens have 3 WR’s split out, all with man coverage. Play action would have sucked in the run defenders and opened the end zone with passing lanes. Notice how the safety has already sold out to the run.
An incompletion there would have stopped the clock and then with a timeout to burn the Ravens could have run or thrown from the 2.
What the Ravens opted to do with that second down run into a wall of defenders added up to bad clock management, bad play calling and bad quarterbacking. And come to think of it, bad execution…check out AQ Shipley’s hold that he got away with…
