The Bengals were inside the 5-yard line on the first possession of Thursday night’s game when Joe Burrow completed a short pass to Mike Gesicki, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh threw his challenge flag.
To most people watching the game, the question was obvious: Why did Harbaugh think he was going to win a challenge of a pass that looked complete, and why would he even bother to challenge a gain of only a couple yards?
Harbaugh lost the challenge and cost his team a timeout, but after the game he defended his decision, saying every yard matters when the offense is that close to the goal line, and that moving the Bengals back a couple yards would have forced them to pass, not run, on the next play.
“In the low red zone, the difference between defending the 2-yard line and the 4-yard line is massive,” Harbaugh said. “There’s a big difference between the 2 and the 4, and we’re trying to force a field goal there, so it felt like it was worth the cost if you win it. If you don’t win it, it becomes a loss. So I’m disappointed we didn’t win it, but I think the cost-benefit in that situation, defending the 4 is different because they’re not going to run it in there. They’ve got a run-pass option, you’ve got to play man, you’ve got to pack the box at the 2-yard line, you get picked and all those things, it’s a little bit tougher down there.”
It was a decision most viewers disagreed with, but Harbaugh clearly had a thought process behind it. The Bengals ultimately scored on the possession after a Ravens defensive penalty handed them an automatic first down, but Harbaugh isn’t second-guessing himself on that challenge.
