ExtremeRavens Posted September 24 Posted September 24 With nine minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Ravens clinging to a 16-point lead, the Cowboys opted for an onside kick and John Harbaugh sighed a breath resembling relief. The Ravens coach figured his team would take possession, chew some clock and score some insurance points. “The game was over,” Harbaugh said. “I was happy.” Then Zay Flowers muffed the return and Dallas recovered. Seven plays later, the Cowboys scored and cut the deficit to 10 – a resuscitation for a team that had trailed 28-6 before the Ravens squeaked out a 28-25 win on Sunday. “We cracked the door open,” Harbaugh said. “We opened the door a little bit there, and that’s where you have to learn, as a team. And our guys know that.” Harbaugh spent time Monday afternoon talking about the details of that onside kick — Dallas’ turf versus Baltimore’s grass, the stylistic spin from off the tee — as part of a larger theme. His Ravens have lost 10 games after leading by seven or more points in the fourth quarter since 2021, most in the NFL. In back-breaking fashion, Baltimore did eventually close out its first win. The Ravens avoided a disastrous 0-3 start thanks to a clutch third-down conversion catch from Flowers and Lamar Jackson’s deception in the final two minutes. “Once you start doing that, you start closing the door on people, you start choking the life out of the game a little bit,” Harbaugh said, “that’s when you become a really good closing football team. We’re gonna get there.” Sunday was Baltimore’s second fourth-quarter meltdown in as many weeks. Last week, it was a 10-point lead until cornerback Brandon Stephens was flagged for pass interference in the end zone and the door flung back open. This week, the onside kick turned the knob. Harbaugh chalked both blown leads to two intertwining defensive issues. “Pass rush and pass coverage tie together,” Harbaugh said. “We’re rushing the passer well but we could be a little more consistent in terms of our rush lanes. … Then coverage is just getting a little loose in the fourth quarter for whatever reason.” Dallas’ touchdown drive after recovering the onside kick consisted of four complete passes on six straight attempts starting from favorable field position. Quarterback Dak Prescott wasn’t rushed to release the ball over that stretch. And Baltimore’s secondary couldn’t get a hand in front of those passes. It ended with a wide-open slant route to Jalen Tolbert in the end zone. The third-year receiver snuck behind linebacker Roquan Smith while safety Eddie Jackson flared the opposite direction to double-team the contrasting post route. Harbaugh urged his defense to not play like they’re avoiding giving up the big play. To not take their foot off the pedal after such a strong defensive start. One that was highlighted by a Nate Wiggins forced fumble inside the red zone and broadly complemented by Baltimore suffocating Prescott, who was fighting to fit passes into tight windows when he was even able to get the ball out. Then, on three consecutive fourth-quarter drives, the Cowboys marched 64 yards in 1:48, 56 yards in 1:46 and 91 yards in 2:33. Harbaugh admitted after the win that their offense might have gotten too conservative. On Monday, he effused concern about the defense letting up. “Play the same way in the third quarter, and then play even more that way in the fourth quarter and make them earn it,” Harbaugh said. “I do think sometimes — maybe it’s weighing on their brains a little bit about not letting that happen, and then it happens. We’re capable of it, we just have to get it done.” View the full article Quote
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