The Ravens don’t finish enough in crucial situations.
Sometimes it’s finishing games, like Week 1 in Buffalo when they squandered a 16-point fourth-quarter lead. Sometimes it’s their defense not finishing a tackle or getting off the field on third down.
In this game, the Ravens didn’t finish a potential touchdown drive, despite having second-and-goal from the 1-yard line with the score tied, 3-3. That was the turning point. Without Jackson, the Ravens can’t afford to leave scoring opportunities on the table, or their offense won’t eat.
If the Ravens had taken a 10-3 halftime lead, who knows how this game would’ve played out?
We’ll never know. On first-and-goal from the 4, Derrick Henry gained three yards to put Baltimore on the doorstep of the end zone. Then the Rams slammed the door in Baltimore’s face. Mark Andrews was stopped for no gain on two consecutive “Tush Push” attempts. Then on fourth down, Derrick Henry was dropped for a two-yard loss.
The decision not to run Henry (24 carries, 122 yards) on either second or third down can be questioned. However, Harbaugh liked nothing about the sequence. He said the Ravens should’ve been good enough to gain one yard, regardless of what play was.
“Every single player and coach would agree that we should be pushing that in there,” Harbaugh said. “The fact that it didn’t go in, I think it’s easy to criticize it. I do the same myself. We didn’t get any push. We didn’t do it well. We’re a big physical offensive line, Mark’s a big physical guy. Give the Rams credit, but that’s on us.”
The Ravens are 1-5, and not just because of injuries. Too often, they don’t finish what they start, and that will have to change to turn around their season.
“Bad football will get you 1-5,” veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said.