John Harbaugh is facing the heat - and he knows it.
In the aftermath of the Ravens’ gut-wrenching loss to the New England Patriots, the spotlight has landed squarely on Harbaugh’s late-game decision-making. Specifically, the decision not to lean on star running back Derrick Henry in the closing moments of a game that was very much within reach.
Looking back, Harbaugh didn’t shy away from the criticism. In fact, he owned it.
“Looking back at it right now, I would have grabbed it, and I would have said, ‘No, put Derrick in the game,’” Harbaugh said Monday, reflecting on the crucial fourth-quarter stretch where Henry was largely absent while Keaton Mitchell took the bulk of the snaps.
Now, hindsight is always 20/20 - especially in the NFL, where split-second decisions can swing an entire season. Harbaugh acknowledged as much, saying, “That’s not really the way it works in real time.”
Still, it’s hard to ignore the numbers. Henry was having one of his best games in a Ravens uniform: 18 carries, 128 yards, two touchdowns. He was running with purpose, punishing defenders, and had already found the end zone in the fourth quarter to give Baltimore a 24-13 lead.
That should’ve been the dagger. Instead, it was the turning point.
The Patriots mounted a furious comeback, scoring two unanswered touchdowns to snatch the win and push the Ravens to 7-8 - a record that now has them on the outside of the playoff picture with just two games to go.
Harbaugh explained that the running back rotation at that point in the game had Mitchell slotted in, and that the decision wasn’t as simple as it may have looked to fans watching from the couch. “It’s not just as simple as, ‘Oh, Derrick Henry didn’t play the whole fourth quarter,’” he said.
But when your power back is rolling, and the game is hanging in the balance, it’s fair to question why the ball wasn’t in Henry’s hands when it mattered most.
The loss was costly in more ways than one. Not only did it knock Baltimore below .500 for the first time since 2015, but it also marked the sixth time since 2019 that the Ravens have blown a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter - a troubling trend for a team that prides itself on physicality and closing games.
Criticism came swiftly. Some analysts, including Chris Broussard, even called for Harbaugh’s job after the collapse. But the longtime Ravens head coach isn’t letting the noise rattle him.
“We don't have control over that, except for the job we do today,” Harbaugh said when asked about his job security.
It’s a fair response from a coach who’s been at the helm for 18 seasons, has a Super Bowl ring, and has built a reputation as one of the league’s most respected leaders. But respect only goes so far when expectations are sky-high - and this season, they were.
Baltimore entered the year as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Now, they’re clinging to postseason hope by a thread.
The math is simple: a loss to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, or a Pittsburgh Steelers win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and the Ravens are officially eliminated.
For a team that started the season 1-5 and has been clawing its way back ever since, it’s a brutal spot to be in. And while Harbaugh’s résumé still speaks volumes, the questions about his in-game decisions - especially with a back like Derrick Henry on the roster - aren’t going away any time soon.
Baltimore’s margin for error is gone. They’ll need to be perfect from here on out - and hope for help - if they want to keep their season alive.