Fans Were Impressed by John Harbaugh's Gutsy Call That Led to Ravens TD Before Halftime

A risky call from Ravens coach John Harbaugh paid off in the first half against the Chargers.
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh with brother and Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh.
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh with brother and Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Monday Night Football featured a battle between brothers Jim and John Harbaugh, the head coaches of the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens, respectively.

Prior to halftime, the Ravens were trying to keep their drive alive and move down the field to get some points on the board. In order to do so, Harbaugh had to make an incredibly gutsy decision. On fourth-and-1 on their own 16-yard line, Baltimore's coach bravely opted to keep his offense on the field and go for it.

Obviously, a failure to pick up the first down would be catastrophic, setting his brother Jim's team up with outstanding field position and a chance to extend their lead.

Amplifying the situation even further was John's decision to run a direct snap to tight end Mark Andrews, rather than give the ball to one of his elite playmakers in Lamar Jackson or Derrick Henry.

Ultimately, Andrews was able to pick up the one yard by going over the top of the line, but it was certainly a high-risk call from John. The Ravens' offense made the gamble well worth their while, as they were able to score a few plays later after a tremendous throw and catch between Jackson and Rashod Bateman.

Fans on social media had plenty of praise for John after the bold decision to keep his offense on the field from deep in his own territory.

Thanks to the call from John, his Ravens headed to halftime with a 14–13 lead.


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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.