It’s a situation you NEVER want to deal with: Handing the ball back to Patrick Mahomes in your own territory after a botched 4th down play late in a one-point game.
But that’s exactly what John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens faced on Sunday night. After Lamar Jackson’s flip into the end zone and a Clyde Edwards-Helaire fumble gave the Ravens the ball back with 1:20 to go, Baltimore eventually got to 4th-and-1 from their own 43.
If they got stopped, Mahomes got the ball back with plenty of time to get within field goal range. If they punted, Mahomes would get the ball, presumably pretty far away … but still.
So as NBC cameras caught, Harbaugh asked Jackson if he wanted to go for it. And here’s what went down:
Good morning.
Go for it.pic.twitter.com/DPwpUgK0lq
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 20, 2021
That’s your game-clincher right there. And what Jackson said, from his perspective:
"I said 'hell yeah', like Seattle two years ago." pic.twitter.com/JCsYYPDPc4
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 20, 2021
The reference to Seattle was what happened in 2019 when Harbaugh also asked Jackson what he wanted to do on a 4th-and-2 near the goal line:
Lamar Jackson takes it himself on 4th and 2!@Ravens take the lead in Seattle. #BALvsSEA @lj_era8
📺: FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/wAXJCleXiU pic.twitter.com/VWrCYdQiO3— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2019
And Lamar Jackson on going for 4th & 2 in Seattle https://t.co/ozxUwbk8WJ pic.twitter.com/kM4jz5kg0V
— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) November 18, 2019
Love it!
