John Harbaugh Criticized After Ravens Blow Lead Against Bills

But Bills Coach Sean McDermott did not repeat Harbaugh’s gamble. Allen knelt a couple of times, letting the clock run down to its final second, and the Bills kicked a field goal as time expired to win, 23-20.

Harbaugh cited field position as one key factor in his decision to go for the touchdown. Even if the Ravens did not get in the end zone, he said, the Bills would have had to start at their 2. He was confident his defense could bail him out and get the game to overtime, or give the offense one final chance.

“We’re very confident in our defense’s ability to stop them down there with the ball at the 2-yard line, so we got them backed up if we don’t get it,” Harbaugh said after the game. “Didn’t turn out that way unfortunately, and we lost the game.”

The interception, of course, meant the Bills got to start at their 20, negating that hypothetical advantage.

“In hindsight, you could take the points,” Harbaugh admitted. “But if you look at it analytically, you understand why we did it.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/sports/football/john-harbaugh-ravens-bills.html