Judgements IV

 By Clark Judge 

The Baltimore Ravens have a problem, and they know it.  It’s called defense, and it once was the backbone of the franchise.

Not anymore.

At least not through the first four games this season, and nowhere was that more apparent than Sunday’s 23-20 loss to Buffalo. It marked the second time in three games the Ravens blew a lead of 17 points or more, and it caused coach John Harbaugh to make a controversial … and fatal … decision late in the fourth quarter.

You know the scenario. Tie game. Four minutes left. Ravens sitting fourth and goal at the Buffalo 2. Harbaugh can kick the go-ahead field goal or go for the touchdown. He went for the TD, and he failed.

Worse, the ball was intercepted in the end zone.

“I felt like it gave us the best chance to win the game,” he said later.

The decision provoked a cascade of criticism, but it’s not hard to follow Harbaugh’s logic. It comes down to this: He didn’t trust his defense vs. Josh Allen, and can you blame him? Two weeks earlier it failed to protect a 21-point fourth-quarter lead vs. Miami and surrendered four TDs in 12 minutes. After falling behind early, Buffalo strung together 17 consecutive points, and there was no reason to think the run would stop there.

So Harbaugh gambled and lost. Now you know why.

“That shows me that coach Harbaugh has no confidence in his defense,” said Hall-of-Fame coach and NBC analyst Tony Dungy.

And why should he? In two home games, Baltimore has given up 65 points – or an average of 32 per.

“This is one of the worst defenses I’ve seen with the Baltimore Ravens,” said NBC analyst and former safety Rodney Harrison. “Missed tackles. Penalties. Lack of discipline. Not keeping the edge. Time and time again. Just disappointing.”

And historic. The loss makes the Ravens the second team in NFL history to suffer losses after leading by 17 or more in their first four games (the 2011 Minnesota Vikings are the other). It should also compel Harbaugh to take another “long, hard look” at what’s going on with his team.

And what’s not.

SUNDAY SCHOOL: FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED

1.       The Bills scored two heavyweight victories. Most people know that they conquered the Ravens and Lamar Jackson after falling behind 20-3. In Baltimore, no less. But they also beat the odds. They had been 0-7 in their last one-score games since Week 9 of 2020. Not anymore.

2.       Maybe we overrated Tampa Bay. The Bucs were supposed to be one of the teams to beat in the NFC because they have Tom Brady, they play in the NFC South and because they have what Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes said was the best defense in the league. Then Mahomes and the Chiefs came to town, and the Bucs dropped their second straight at home. But that’s being kind. They got torched, 41-31, in a game where the Chiefs didn’t punt until the last minute, converted 12 of 17 third downs and produced more points than in any game where Todd Bowles was a defensive coordinator or head coach. Where the Bucs allowed just 27 points the first three games, they were ripped for 28 in the first half alone. In short, they looked … well, like a vulnerable team that makes a raft of mistakes on both sides of the ball. I know, it’s early, but beware. The signs are disturbing for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

3.       Kenny Pickett’s time is now. Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin says he’s non-committal about his starting quarterback, but I don’t buy it. You don’t roll a rookie out there for a half, have him score your only two TDs, then send him to the bench again. Granted, Pickett also threw three second-half interceptions, but there was an energy to the offense with him that was missing with Mitch Trubisky. With Pickett, the Steelers have a lot of upside. A future. With Trubisky, they don’t. Now that Pickett has been unleashed, I can’t see the Steelers sitting him for anything but an injury. It’s called on-the-job learning, and it worked for a rookie first-round pick in 2004.

4.       Charles III isn’t the only king of England. He’s been joined by the Minnesota Vikings, now 3-0 in London and one of only four unbeaten teams (minimum two games) in Britannia. That’s the good news. The bad: No NFL London game featured two teams that each advanced.

5.       The NFC East is top heavy with winners. No, that’s not a misprint. The Eagles are 4-0, the Cowboys 3-1 and the Giants 3-1. That’s a combined record of 10-2. No other division is that strong at the top, and this from a division two years ago that was so weak that nobody finished with a winning record.

THIRD AND 15

1.       In the wake of the Tua Tagovailoa fiasco, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-New Jersey) asked “how seriously the NFL is taking its commitment to player safety.” It’s a good question for a league that schedules Thursday games, 17-game seasons and just put a young quarterback at risk.

2.       Then there’s this: Tampa Bay’s Cameron Brate on Sunday night took a violent hit to his head, left the field, then returned … only to be ruled out at halftime with a concussion. What in the name of Roger Goodell is going on here? Someone? Anyone?

3.       A GM I trust measures quarterbacks by how they respond under duress in the last two minutes of games. Well, then, consider that a big step forward for the Jets’ Zach Wilson. He completed 10 of 12 fourth-quarter passes, including all five on the Jets’ game-winning drive.

4.       Welcome back Austin Ekeler. Until Sunday, the Chargers’ running back topped the Missing Persons list. Then he scored his first touchdown of the season. Correction: He scored his first three. He had 20 a year ago.

5.       Jerry Jones once said he’d welcome a quarterback controversy in Dallas. Sure. He won’t have one, of course, when Dak Prescott returns … but he could. The Cowboys are 3-0 A.D. (After Dak) this season with Cooper Rush and 4-0 with Rush in two seasons. So what? So Rush is the first Cowboys’ quarterback to win his first four career starts.

6.       To channel Aaron Rodgers … Relax, New England fans. Granted, it’s the second straight season where the Patriots started 1-3 (they had none 2002-20). But look what’s ahead: Detroit next week … Cleveland after that … then the Bears … the Jets … Colts … Jets again.  I think you get the idea. R-E-L-A-X.

7.       Now, let’s get something straight: The Pats go nowhere if they don’t clean up their mistakes. Their nine turnovers are the most through the first four games of any season since 1994.

8.       Somebody introduce Trevor Lawrence to glue, Velcro or Lester Hayes. Lawrence lost four fumbles, and look no farther for why Jacksonville couldn’t survive the Eagles. According to ESPN Stats and Info, it’s the first time this century where anyone in the NFL lost four fumbles in one game. An interception brought his turnover total to five that led to 23 Eagles’ points. Result: Ballgame.

9.       So the Raiders finally won with Josh McDaniels, now 2-10 in his last 12 games as a head coach. I would’ve rehired Rich Bisaccia. He deserved nothing less after what he did as the team’s interim coach last year.

10.   Can’t wait to hear what Washington offensive coordinator Scott Turner has to say to Terry McLaurin. It was last week that he assured the Commanders’ wide receiver that “he’s not being overlooked.” Then Sunday happened. McLaurin had two catches for 15 yards.

11.   Nobody scores more than Detroit (140 points), and it’s not close. So why are the Lions 1-3? Because nobody leaks more than Detroit. The Lions have surrendered 141 points.

12.   Another sign that it’s never been easier to play quarterback: Geno Smith’s 77.3 completion percentage is, according to ESPN Stats and Info, the highest figure of any quarterback through the first four games of a season (minimum 125 attempts). Geno. Smith.

13.   For those counting at home, that’s seven straight regular-season wins for Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts. He’s 11-2 in his last 13 starts.

14.   With Sunday’s win in Carolina, Arizona is 10-1 in its last 11 road games. Just sayin.’

15.   Through their first four games Russell Wilson and Geno Smith each are 2-2. Wilson has completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 980 yards, with four TDs, one interception. Geno Smith, meanwhile, completed 77.3 percent of his passes for 1,037 yards, with 6 TDs and 2 interceptions. Advantage: Geno.

SUNDAY’S GOLD JACKET STATS

When the Giants (3-1) and Packers (3-1) meet next week in London it will be the first time both teams in an NFL London game have winning records.

Mike Evans’ second-quarter TD catch was the first offensive touchdown for Tampa Bay in the first half this season.

Tampa Bay’s 3 yards rushing are the fewest by any Tom Brady quarterbacked team.

Home-field advantage is alive and well in Green Bay. That was the Packers’ 15^th straight regular-season win there, upping their record to 24-2 at Lambeau over their last 26 games.

According to CBS Sports, New England quarterback Bailey Zappe is the first player ever to make his NFL debut at Lambeau Field and throw a TD pass. Lambeau opened in 1957.

Tennessee won its last nine divisional road games, a franchise record and the second longest streak of its kind (13 by Kansas City).

SUNDAY’S GOLD JACKET QUOTES

“It’s frustrating losing to people that you know you’re better than, more talented than.” – Pittsburgh safety Minkah Fitzpatrick after the Steelers’ 24-20 loss to the Jets.

“In the end, Aaron Rodgers was just too good.” – New England coach Bill Belichick.

“I don’t think anybody can beat us right now.” – Philadelphia running back Miles Sanders.