John Harbaugh costs Ravens key timeout with illegal challenge
Dec 8, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh jogs on the field prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
John Harbaugh made a mistake late in the Baltimore Ravens’ game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday that cost his team a timeout.
Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson caught a go-ahead touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford with with 4:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. All scoring plays are automatically reviewed, and the touchdown was quickly confirmed. Harbaugh thought it should not have been and believed Robinson stepped out of bounds before catching the pass.
Just before the Rams snapped the ball for a 2-point conversion attempt, Harbaugh launched his challenge flag onto the field from about 30 yards away.
John Harbaugh absolutely launched his challenge flag pic.twitter.com/BoqW1z9UWu
— Barstool Gambling (@stoolgambling) December 10, 2023
One official initially stopped the play and said the Ravens had challenged the ruling on the field of a touchdown. The problem is teams cannot challenge scoring plays, which are automatically reviewed. The officials got together and realized that Harbaugh had just illegally challenged a play, so the Ravens were charged a timeout.
Harbaugh should have known that he could not challenge in that situation. To make matters worse, Robinson was nowhere close to stepping out of bounds before catching the touchdown.
John Harbaugh chucked a challenge flag after the Demarcus Robinson touchdown.
Harbaugh thought he stepped out of bounds.
You can’t challenge after a TD, so the Ravens were charged with a timeout with 4:41 left.
And he wasn’t even close to being out of bounds. pic.twitter.com/w5MqOEBfnw
— Kyle (@ImKyleMangum) December 10, 2023
That was not Harbaugh’s finest moment. The Ravens had just gone down 5 points with less than 5 minutes remaining, so the timeout Harbaugh cost his team could have been very valuable.