The Ravens Gambled And It Cost Them
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Down by one point against the Pittsburgh Steelers with 12 seconds left in Sunday's game, John Harbaugh went for two instead of kicking the extra point and going to overtime.
The play design was great because it left tight end Mark Andrews wide open, but Lamar Jackson couldn't deliver the throw on target.
The result? The Ravens (8-4) took a heartbreaking 20-19 loss, which dropped them to third place in the AFC, and kept their divisional rivals' playoff hopes alive.
The big question is why not take your chances overtime with a Steelers' team that's been struggling all year on offense?
After all, Jackson proved on the final drive that the offense could move the ball effectively on their defense.
Sure, analytics might say to be aggressive in that situation, but Justin Tucker is automatic from just about the midfield logo.
Not to mention Jackson's ability to extend plays. There were plenty of times where he looked like he might run out of bounds or throw the ball away, but instead, he always found a way to keep the offense on the field.
Pittsburgh's offense did just enough to move the ball Sunday, and if Harbaugh were a betting man, he had to have liked his odds in overtime.
Knowing Ben Roethlisberger's in the twilight of his career and Pittsburgh was playing conservative football, what's the harm in trusting your defense to get the stop?
Neither team played its best football, so why not roll the dice with another quarter of play?
