Twice in three weeks now, John Harbaugh has put his team in an unnecessary do or die spot. They have died both times. In that span, they went from top seed in the AFC, to out of the top seven after tonights 31-30 loss to the Packers.

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1. Hats off to the players, and only the players in this one.

Not many people were giving the Ravens a chance. Vegas wasn’t either as the Ravens were two score underdogs at home. Lamar Jackson, though questionable, was presumed out all week, and that proved to be true. The hits kept coming throughout the week with COVID rearing its ugly head, seeing many players, from all teams, sidelined.

Tyler Huntley got his second career start. He may still have limitations as a young quarterback. I mentioned last week that he gives you a chance and that’s all you can ask for from your backup. He did more than just give them a chance to beat the 10-3 Packers who stood, and remain, atop the NFC. Huntley accounted for all four of the Ravens TDs. Two through the air, and the crucial two on the ground to setup a possible tie game in the fourth quarter. He also completed 70% of his passes, and the big test, did not turn the ball over at all.

He was more than good enough to win. Give him a head coach with a brain, and a defense not depleted to the bone, he might have

I think this Ravens defense, allowing 31 points to the Packers, must be on the low end of what was expected. At least for me. I was expecting the Ravens to need to score 40 to win. The secondary consisted of guys coming off the practice squad, coming off special teams, and asked to cover a talented bunch. Robert Jackson found himself opposite Davante Adams down near the goal line on the third defensive snap he played all season. It was a quick move, and easy pitch and catch score, but I mean, what can you do?

To say the least, the Ravens defense didn’t get embarrassed out there. Davante Adams was held to just 44 yards on six catches. Without Calais Campbell, the run defense still held a talented Packers backfield to under 100 yards and under 4.0 yards per carry.

The defense got some stops, three sacks of Aaron Rodgers, and did their job masterfully late in the game with a three and out to give the Ravens offense a chance.

Hats off to the players for giving us fans all they can. For having heart. For not making this look like a walkthrough when on paper, it could have been a very lopsided affair, and no one would have been surprised.

2. I can’t…with Harbaugh…he’s killing this team.

I’m at a loss for appropriate words. Three straight losses, you can pin at least two of them squarely on John Harbaugh’s head, have taken the Ravens from AFC North leaders to not in the playoffs if the season ended now.

I’m not going to go into a long diatribe about the decisions like last week. I’m just going to point out how contradictory the head coach appears now and that annoys me.

Said after the game he felt better about the Ravens chances on the two-point play than if they had gone to overtime. Said the same thing after the Steelers game, right?

Here is the problem. In the Steelers game, the Ravens defense got ran over in the fourth quarter for 17 points allowed. Lamar Jackson engineered a two-minute drill that resulted in a touchdown with 12 seconds to play. I hated the do or die decision to go for two. But if you want to say you didn’t like your chances in OT because the defense couldn’t cover a baby with a blanket, fine.

Tonight, after you turn it over on downs on your own 29, your defense keeps Green Bay out of the endzone on a five-play drive resulting in a field goal. After your first touchdown of the comeback, the Ravens defense then gets a three and out. You march right down the field on the Packers again and complete the comeback if you put Justin Tucker on the field.

Sorry. But you cannot use the same excuse, didn’t like your chances in overtime, in both these games because the way the teams were playing was vastly different. Both your offense and defense were in a groove. If you didn’t like your chances in this overtime, you never will like your chances in any overtime.

The only thing more contradictory from Harbaugh will be when he settles for overtime at some point. Part of me wants him to play the end game the way everyone else does. Part of me wants to see him continue to dig his own grave.

3. What’s it going to take?

Two weeks ago, Harbaugh risked the number one overall seed in the AFC by playing do or die. They died and fell to third in the conference. Despite last week’s loss, the Ravens still came into the game here leading the division. He decided to play do or die again (sort of, with 42 seconds left the Packers with a timeout still could engineer a field goal drive and tied or up one point lead had they converted the two wouldn’t have mattered) and died again. Goodbye division lead. Goodbye playoff spot.  

What must be on the line for Harbaugh to play the game a little more conservative? Not too conservative, just a little less aggressive? Not so do or die.

What’s it going to take to say, live to fight another drive and be okay with that?

What’s it going to take to be okay with putting a three spot up on the board before the opponent takes the field, rather than trying to force the issue and get seven, or based on Greg Roman’s goal line offense, a more likely zero?

What’s it going to take to install a different two-point play that gives you outs, and that they haven’t put on film at least four times now and doesn’t work?  

4. Rashod Bateman is an X. Treat him like one.

Two targets, one catch, five yards.

70% of the targets went to Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown with 13 and 14 respectively. Tied for third was Devin Duvernay and Latavius Murray with three apiece. I wonder why Brown can’t get any yards after catch, and why Andrews is blanketed with the game on the line? Perhaps defenses have a good idea where the ball is going?

Cannot stress it enough. Bateman is a real weapon on this team. Best hands on the team. A real difference maker. The way he was utilized last week in Cleveland, should be how he is used every game. Multiple routes. One-on-one. Throw it up and see if he can make a play on it. Physical enough to make plays after the catch.

Greg Roman is using Marquise Brown and Rashod Bateman the wrong way. The four-yard pass to the flat where Brown is stopped immediately should be a Bateman route. He can slip that initial tackle and gain more yards. Brown cannot. Brown is the guy you get defenses to ignore by hammering Bateman with targets, and then let Brown release deep.

Maybe Brown isn’t happy with his target share again and just not taking to twitter about it this season. But I’m not happy about Bateman’s target share. Everyone has a role. Brown’s role is deep threat. If that means five, six intermediates to deep targets a game, instead of 14 short ones a game, so be it. 10 catches for 43 yards tonight is not efficient. Roman gassed him that second to last drive. Brown was targeted and tackled on six passes in a row in an up tempo setting. By the end of it he could barely line up in time, and almost stood still for a whole play because he was dead tired.

5. It’s going to take 10 wins.

The Ravens now find themselves in the unfortunate situation of very likely needing to win two of their final three games to get into the playoffs. It won’t be easy as they go on the road to Cincinnati who embarrassed the Ravens earlier in the year. The Rams present another daunting test after that, and the season wraps up with the Steelers who would love nothing more than to play spoiler, never mind the fact that they are still very much in the playoff fight and a spot could be on the line.

I’ve played around on the playoff prediction machines where you put in who wins and it tells how they slot. The Ravens are out, and a win against the Rams isn’t enough alone to get back in if they lose to the Bengals. But it seems 10 wins, however they come is going to be necessary to make the field.

Mike Randall
Mike Randall

Ravens Analyst

Mike was born on the Eastern Shore, raised in Finksburg, and currently resides in Parkville. In 2009, Mike graduated from the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland. Mike became a Baltimore City Fire Fighter in late 2010. Mike has appeared as a guest on Q1370, and FOX45. Now a Sr. Ravens Analyst for BSL, he can be reached at [email protected].

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