In John Harbaugh’s long tenure as head coach, the Ravens have not been a team that typically gives up double-digit leads — especially in the fourth quarter.
But the Ravens have lost twice this year when holding a double-digit lead in the final period. And the team held a 20-3 advantage over Buffalo in the second quarter of Week Four before failing to score another point in the 23-20 loss.
Baltimore won its Week Five matchup over Cincinnati with a late field goal. But the team has had a lot of trouble finishing games so far in 2022. Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the Giants is the latest example, as the club was up 20-10 after tight end Mark Andrews caught a touchdown with just under 13 minutes left in the contest.
“We have to take responsibility for that, and we have to find a way to do it,” head coach John Harbaugh said postgame of finishing games in the fourth quarter. “It comes to coaches and players; we have to come up with calls, we have to coach our guys better in those situations, be in the right spot, play the right leverage, block the play the correct way, whatever it might be. Those are the things we have to do a better job of, and players have to take responsibility as well.
“It’s just us, as I told them, it’s us. It’s us together; all of us together. Six games into the season, we’re in good position big picture-wise. Let’s get to where we can be and where we need to be, where I think we all can see we should be. It’s our responsibility to do it though, and we have to go get the job done.”
Harbaugh is right that everything is still in front of the Ravens, as they’re currently tied with the Bengals atop the AFC North at 3-3. But the failure to execute in the fourth quarter is a troublesome trend that Baltimore has to correct to reach the postseason, let alone make a deep run.
