With nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Ravens holding a tight 16-point lead, the Cowboys opted for an onside kick. This move wasn’t entirely unexpected, but for Ravens coach John Harbaugh, the sense of relief came swiftly. His thought process was simple: regain possession, burn the clock, and maybe put up a few extra points to seal the deal.
“The game was over,” Harbaugh said with confidence. “I was happy.” And who could blame him? At that point, it looked like the Ravens had it in the bag.
But then, things took a sharp turn. Zay Flowers, who had been having a decent game, fumbled the return. The Cowboys pounced on the opportunity like a lion on wounded prey. In a span of just seven plays, Dallas found the end zone, and suddenly the Ravens’ 16-point cushion was reduced to just 10. For a team that had dominated for most of the game, the sudden shift in momentum was almost a shock to the system.
“We cracked the door open,” Harbaugh admitted in the post-game press conference. “We opened the door a little bit there, and that’s where you have to learn, as a team. Our guys know that.”
This game wasn’t just a typical regular-season matchup; it was a test of the Ravens’ mettle, a test they’d failed several times since 2021. Harbaugh took a step back on Monday to reflect on the details of that onside kick — the difference between Dallas' turf and Baltimore's grass, the unique spin that the Cowboys managed to generate off the tee — and pointed to the broader issue at hand. The Ravens have lost ten games in which they led by seven or more points in the fourth quarter since 2021, the most in the NFL. Ouch.
Yet despite that worrisome trend, the Ravens managed to avoid a catastrophic 0-3 start to the season, thanks to some clutch playmaking from their stars. Zay Flowers, in a redemptive moment, made a crucial third-down catch, and Lamar Jackson worked his magic with deceptive footwork, eating up valuable time in the final two minutes.
“Once you start doing that, you start closing the door on people, you start choking the life out of the game a little bit,” Harbaugh explained with a hint of determination. “That’s when you become a really good closing football team. We’re gonna get there.”
For Baltimore, this marked their second fourth-quarter meltdown in as many weeks. The previous week, they let a 10-point lead slip through their fingers. A critical pass interference call against cornerback Brandon Stephens in the end zone flung the door wide open, allowing the opposition to creep back into the game. This week, it was the onside kick that turned the knob and threatened to let Dallas waltz right in.
Harbaugh didn’t shy away from the root causes of these blown leads. He pinpointed two key defensive areas that have been lacking in crunch time: pass rush and pass coverage.
“Pass rush and pass coverage tie together,” he said, breaking down the tactical side of things. “We’re rushing the passer well, but we could be a little more consistent in terms of our rush lanes. And coverage is just getting a little loose in the fourth quarter for whatever reason.”
Dallas' touchdown drive after recovering the onside kick was a perfect example of these defensive lapses. Prescott, the Cowboys’ quarterback, completed four passes on six consecutive attempts, thanks to the excellent field position provided by the recovery. During that stretch, he wasn't feeling much heat from Baltimore’s defensive front. The Ravens’ secondary, usually so reliable, was nowhere near Prescott’s receivers. Baltimore’s defense seemed to be unraveling before the fans' eyes.
The Cowboys' final scoring play was the nail in the coffin for the Ravens’ late-game nerves. A simple slant route to Jalen Tolbert found him wide open in the end zone, with third-year receiver slipping behind linebacker Roquan Smith. Meanwhile, safety Eddie Jackson drifted the other way, focusing on a contrasting post route that was already double-teamed. The Ravens had been outwitted, and the scoreboard reflected it.
What really stood out was Harbaugh’s candid critique of his defense. He emphasized the importance of not playing to avoid giving up the big play — a mentality that can lead to passive, reactionary defense. Instead, he urged his team to keep their aggressive edge, something that had worked for them earlier in the game. When a defense starts worrying too much about avoiding disaster, it often leads to the very mistakes they’re trying to prevent.
That said, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. The Ravens showed flashes of their potential, especially in the closing moments when they needed it most. This win, albeit closer than it should have been, allowed them to avoid a dangerous 0-3 start. It was a wake-up call, not just for the players, but for the entire Ravens organization.
The difference between a good football team and a great one is how they handle pressure situations, particularly in the fourth quarter. Harbaugh knows this, and he’s confident his team can get there. But the path won’t be easy. The Ravens need to tighten up their pass rush, ensure their secondary isn’t giving receivers too much room to operate, and, most importantly, learn how to shut the door when they have the lead.
“We’re gonna get there,” Harbaugh reiterated. There’s a belief within the organization that this team has the talent and leadership to fix these recurring issues. And if they do, Baltimore will become a force to be reckoned with.
In the grand scheme of things, this game will likely be remembered as a turning point for the Ravens — a moment where they learned what it takes to finish games strong. If they can take this lesson to heart, the close calls of the past two weeks could be a thing of the past. It’s all about learning to "choke the life out of the game" when the opportunity presents itself, and if Harbaugh’s words are any indication, this team is well on its way to mastering that skill.
For now, they’ll celebrate this hard-fought victory. But make no mistake: the Ravens are already looking ahead, eager to prove that they can close out games with the confidence and swagger of a true championship contender.
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