The Ravens are better than they were earlier in the season. They’re actually dramatically better defensively.
Still, they need to be even better overall. Their offensive line play remains shaky and their red-zone efficiency was disappointing in their Week 10 win against the Vikings. They need to be a more complete team if they’re going to compete to win a Super Bowl.
But it’s really nice to be able to consider that measurement without it feeling ridiculous. The Ravens are among the NFL’s Super Bowl contenders. They’re not as good as the Eagles. They’re probably a step behind a few others. But they’re a contender. They have a chance if they continue to improve as they have.
Their 27-19 Week 10 win against the Vikings was remarkably unremarkable. It was gutty and workmanlike. It was far from overwhelming. It was effective, although it did get a little more interesting than necessary at the end.
After the Ravens had been up by two touchdowns with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, we all had the same sinking feeling when the Vikings got the ball back with the better part of two minutes remaining and trailing by just one score. There was that sinking “we’ve been here before” feeling that crept back in for many of us.
It reminded you of Week 1, didn’t it? That feeling you had when the Ravens had a two-touchdown lead against the Bills with five minutes left and squandered it? It sure as hell reminded me of Week 1. But that feeling — that “is this going to happen AGAIN?” feeling. That felt oh-so-similar.
Which is why I was more than a bit surprised by some of the internet’s reaction to the Ravens’ decision to throw the ball on third-and-4 from their own 35 with 2:00 remaining in the fourth quarter. I was surprised because I swore I remembered a certain decision from that Bills game that was pretty harshly criticized for being too conservative (and may or may not have been driven by a star quarterback’s health).
Do you remember that one? It was only nine weeks ago. Although I recognize that in “2025 Ravens time” it feels like a million years ago. Do you remember how you felt when you saw the Ravens lining up to punt on fourth-and-3 from their own 38 with 1:33 to play? Did you maybe utter something like “just go win the game” under your breath? Did you possibly say something along the lines of “you have Lamar Jackson, just get the first down and the game is over” in the aftermath of a crushing loss?
Does any of that ring a bell?
I’ve often said that whenever I finally decide to do away with “Glenn Clark Radio,” I’ll do a show that focuses entirely on the concept of “process vs. result.” I’m convinced that our reactions to these types of decisions are almost always driven by the result, ignoring the process and whether the decision may have actually been the right or wrong one.
I’m not sure I can definitively say the Ravens made the “right” decision to throw the football. But I sure can’t say it was the “wrong” one. The Ravens went from a 97.3 percent chance of winning (according to ESPN’s Win Probability) to a 96 percent chance after the play. But if they had converted, they would have been in victory formation. ESPN still only calls that a 99.9 percent chance (a snap can always be fumbled or something). But it’s a trade-off of losing 1.3 percentage points in favor of gaining 2.6. The reward is twice as great as the risk.
Look, it’s important to point out that J.J. McCarthy isn’t Josh Allen. This isn’t apples to apples. But the point remains. We should be inclined to want to see the Ravens dictate the terms themselves. I’d like for Jackson to recognize that Andrew Van Ginkel is directly in front of him with a chance to disrupt the play. If the call doesn’t give him a completely clean throwing lane, I’d like to see him slide down and keep the clock moving.
The greater risk argument is that the ball could have ricocheted off of Van Ginkel and ended up as an interception. Jackson deserves credit for jumping in the air to make sure the ball hit the ground and it didn’t turn into greater disaster.
Still, the decision itself isn’t the problem. If the idea is to let Lamar Jackson be the one to determine the outcome. That’s a decision I’ll stand by. It didn’t work out this time, although it ultimately did work out in the end because the Ravens won. The result was the issue, but the process wasn’t. The thought was correct.
Now throwing on third-and-17 from their own 7 with 5:46 remaining? That one I can’t really defend.
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