INGLEWOOD, California — The bewildered expression on Jim Harbaugh’s face told the story of Monday night’s Harbowl.
Even he didn’t seem to have anticipated the bold fourth-down decision that swung the Harbaugh brothers’ latest showdown in favor of their older brother.
It was bold enough for John Harbaugh to leave Baltimore’s offense on the field with two minutes left in the first half and the Ravens facing 4th-and-1 from their own 16-yard line. No NFL team had ever tried to do it on fourth down. from inside their own 20-yard line in the first half in more than four years.
It was even riskier that John decided not to give the ball to either of his feared short-yardage playmakers, agile quarterback Lamar Jackson or running back Derrick Henry. John instead called a push-push style play with tight end Mark Andrews taking a direct snap while Henry and fullback Patrick Ricard pushed him from behind.
the high risk fourth-and-1 conversion by Andrews sparked an eight-play, 93-yard drive that culminated with Baltimore scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 40-yard pass from Lamar Jackson to Rashod Bateman. The Ravens never relinquished the lead in the second half, opening a two-touchdown cushion midway through the fourth quarter and holding on for an impressive 30-23 road victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
When asked why he took the risk of going for it on fourth down from inside his own 20-yard line, John said he had a feeling “I really thought we could get it.” The older Harbaugh brother knew the handicap was giving the Chargers a gift-wrapped opportunity to take a two-point lead before halftime, but he felt his team needed to maintain possession in that position by losing three points against a caliber opponent. playoffs on the way.
“I’m not saying we try all the time in those situations,” John explained, “but the main thing was who we were playing against. The idea was that you had to try to keep your possessions as long as possible because they were very good.”
John’s aggressiveness was the story of the first meeting between the Harbaugh brothers since the Ravens defeated Jim’s San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. The Ravens also went for it on 4th-and-1 twice during their first touchdown drive of the second half, Henry converting both to set up a 6-yard reception by Andrews in the back of the end zone.
Analytical models say John increased Baltimore’s winning percentage by more than 2% when he attempted 4th-and-1 from his own 16-yard line. Still, he certainly left himself open to criticism by being so aggressive early in the game and trusting him his tight end with the task of getting the necessary yards on a quarterback sneak.
“It means the world to us that Coach Harbaugh has that kind of confidence in us,” Ravens running back Justice Hill said. “We know as an offense that we can get a yard at any given time. When we find ourselves in those situations, we want him to match them, so we have to execute them. Tonight I think we went 3 for 3. I think that should give him confidence to call up more of them in the future.”
Andrews’ push was a play that Hill said the Ravens have “been practicing for a while.” They stuck with it until exactly the right moment, losing three, along the way, in a surprisingly hostile environment at SoFi Stadium.
“Everyone has their different versions,” Andrews said. “We’ve been practicing it and it turned out great in a great moment.
Hill added with a laugh, “I’m glad it worked out as well as we practiced it.”
The Chargers were still within one score early in the fourth quarter when second-year receiver Quentin Johnston broke free on a crossing route but dropped a perfect third-down pass from quarterback Justin Herbert. Instead of the Chargers securing a new set of chances near midfield, they had to punt and give the Ravens a chance to open up a two-score lead.
That came back against the Chargers three minutes later, when Hill delivered the finishing blow in the form of a 51-yard touchdown run. Safety Alohi Gilman crashed too hard around the edge, leaving no defender in position to even lay a hand on Hill as he broke his run outside the left tackle.
For the Chargers, the loss was a disappointment but not a disaster. They’ve only beaten one team with a winning record so far this season, but Jim Harbaugh’s rebuild is still ahead of schedule with his 7-4 team in good position to earn a wild-card berth in the AL playoffs. AFC.
For the Ravens (8-4), the victory was an ideal rebound after last week’s costly loss to rival Pittsburgh. They are now just a half-game out of first place in the AFC North and are still firmly among the top contenders for Kansas City’s AFC throne.
The Harbaughs’ third meeting as NFL head coaches was once again sentimental for two men who are more twins than brothers. The two mirror each other in every way, from their khaki pants to their coaching staff to their football philosophies.
When ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge asked Jim Harbaugh before Monday’s game what it meant to coach against his brother again, he said: “I love my brother. I would give my life for my brother. But I wouldn’t let him win a football game. And he wouldn’t want it like that.”
After John improved to 3-0 against his younger brother, the two Harbaughs briefly shook hands and exchanged kind words. John later called Jim the “best coach in the National Football League” and admitted that the day had been tough on his parents, who watched the game from Florida while celebrating their wedding anniversary.
John summed up the night for his parents, saying, “I know you’re 100% happy and 100% disappointed at the same time.”