Look: John Harbaugh let Lamar Jackson make the call on crucial fourth down

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh put his trust in quarterback Lamar Jackson to make a critical call against the Kansas City Chiefs.

With a minute left in the game, the Baltimore Ravens found themselves up 36-35 over the Kansas City Chiefs while standing on their own 43-yard line and staring down a fourth-and-one decision. Getting a first down would secure a one-point win over Patrick Mahomes and the star-powered, AFC favorite, Kansas City Chiefs. Not getting a first down would mean putting the ball back into the hands of Mahomes for the final minute, who had already thrown for 343 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh took a surprising risk–he chose to put all his faith in Lamar Jackson and let his quarterback make the game-deciding call.

Harbaugh put the game on the line when he asked if Lamar Jackson wanted to go for it and give the Baltimore Ravens a chance win it all with one yard

“Let’s do it.”

With what appears to be the utmost confidence, Harbaugh not only let Jackson make the call, he also didn’t flinch at the bold choice. The coach and quarterback seemed to be on the same page, and there was no way Mahomes was getting to touch the ball before Jackson had another chance at it.

Thankfully it all worked out for the Ravens after Jackson sealed the game with a short rush for the first.

The head coach and quarterback relationship for the Ravens might leave a lot of the league’s quarterbacks feeling envious. Namely, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers who publicly spited his head coach for opting to kick a field goal on fourth down in last year’s NFC Championship game.

Maybe Harbaugh is setting a new standard for quarterback control. Or maybe his relationship with Jackson is unique. Either way, the Baltimore Ravens are 1-1 on the season and 1-0 against the Chiefs.