John Harbaugh made a ridiculously bold call in his Baltimore Ravens’ game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Monday night, and it paid off.
Harbaugh’s Ravens were trailing the Chargers 10-7 late in the second quarter and began a possession with the ball at their 7-yard line. They moved it 9 yards and were facing a 4th-and-1 at their 16. The Ravens lined up to go for it but seemed to be strategically trying to get the Chargers to commit a penalty, which didn’t happen.
The two-minute warning came around, and many expected the Ravens to punt the ball afterwards. Instead, the team actually went for it despite being at their 16. They converted and then scored a touchdown five plays later to take their first lead of the game.
Most coaches would have been too fearful to go for it on 4th-and-1 from their 16, recognizing that they would have put their opponent in easy territory for a touchdown if they got stopped. Rather than worry about that, Harbaugh decided going for it and converting would be what his team needed to win the game.
It’s not too often that a game seems to turn on one play, but that seemed to be the case with Harbaugh’s bold decision to go for it.
