Why Punting on Fourth-and-3 Against Bills Was the Right Decision

Head Coach John Harbaugh’s decision to punt on fourth-and-3 from the Ravens’ 38-yard line with 1:33 remaining and Baltimore clinging to a two-point lead against the Buffalo Bills Sunday night has been a hot topic with NFL pundits.

The majority believe the Ravens should’ve gone for it rather than giving the ball back to Josh Allen, who got the Bills in position for Matt Prater’s 32-yard field goal that gave the Bills a 41-40 win.

However, USA Today’s Jarrett Bell thinks Harbaugh made the right decision.

“If you don’t make it, and the field position being what it was. … I think the thing to remember is that you punt them way down the field, you flip that field, and I think your chances are better,” Bell said on “Glenn Clark Radio.” “Even though I think Lamar Jackson can get three yards leaning forward most of the time, it doesn’t happen all the time. It’s not a guarantee.”

To Bell’s point, the Bills began the drive at their own 20 with 1:26 left and no timeouts after Jordan Stout’s 42-yard punt. Had the Ravens gone for it on fourth down and not converted, the Bills were already in field-goal range.

Perhaps what isn’t getting enough attention regarding the decision is that Jackson headed to the sideline after the third-down play. Harbaugh said he could see “something wasn’t quite right” with Jackson, who said after the game that he was cramping.

“If I wasn’t [cramping], everybody in here knows I would’ve been trying to go for a fourth-and-3,” Jackson said.

“Good Morning Football’s” Kyle Brandt noted that Jackson took a huge hit from defensive tackle Ed Oliver after he released the ball on his third-down pass to DeAndre Hopkins.

“He’s got that little hitch,” Brandt said. “I think Harbaugh looked up at that and said, ‘Of course I want to go for it on fourth-and-3 with Lamar, and I’m going to roll him out and let him be Lamar.’ I don’t think Lamar was Lamar in that moment. I think it was just really bad timing.

“If you call his number on the next play, maybe he doesn’t have it, so [Harbaugh] goes with the old ‘I’ll trust my defense.’ They lose by one point, it was a bad gamble. But I also think it was some bad luck for Harbaugh when he looks up and sees [Jackson walking off the field] and says, ‘No, I’m going to punt it.'”