The Ravens were heading into the biggest game of the season, if they lost, their season would come to an end. With the game on the line, the kicker, Tyler Loop, missed the game winning field goal. Final score: 26-24 Steelers won. Many people are quick to blame the kicker, since it is clear that he does carry some of the blame, considering if he made that they would have won and advanced. But does the blame really only lie on him? It could definitely be argued that the real reason was the coaching, which the Ravens most definitely acknowledged. The head coach, John Harbaugh was actually fired right after that game and for good reason.
According to ESPN, Derrick Henry ran for 116 yards in the first half with an overwhelmingly positive yards per carry. But guess how much he ran for in the second half? Only 10 yards. The playcalling included almost no run plays, even though that’s the main reason they were in such a good position in the first half.
Furthermore, the Ravens kicker was under insane amounts of pressure, as was the Steelers kicker. The whole reason the Ravens had the opportunity to take the game back was because the Steelers kicker missed an extra point, who is labeled one of the best in the league.
Overall, the game coming down to a kick could’ve been easily avoided with superior playcalling, so the blame lies mainly with the coach.
