Blame for Ravens' constant late-game collapses doesn't fall on Lamar Jackson

The Baltimore Ravens fell short to the Buffalo Bills 41-40 on a Sunday night stage. It seemed unfathomable for the Ravens to lose as they were up 40-25 with four minutes to go, giving them a win probability of 99.1 percent.

Yes, the Bills deserve a lot of credit. However, these losses have been commonplace in recent years for the Ravens; late-game execution has been this team's fatal flaw for years. According to Benjamin Solak, the Ravens have now lost eight games since the 2021 season in which they, at one point, had a win probability of at least 90%. That's three more than the next closest team.

A common thread between these losses has been John Harbaugh and poor play-calling. It's also worth noting that Harbaugh has blown 17 double-digit, second-half leads, which is the most by any coach since 1991. When this trend continues for so long, especially with how talented this Ravens roster is, it's hard to blame anyone but Harbaugh.

Poor coaching from John Harbaugh continuously hurts the Ravens

In a game where the Ravens' offense looked unstoppable for three and a half quarters, it seemed simply impossible that they would lose. They put up 40 points, Derrick Henry rushed for 169 yards (two touchdowns), and Zay Flowers had a career high 143 receiving yards. Moreover, Lamar Jackson had a stellar game, going 14-19 for 209 yards in the air and 70 yards on the ground, recording three total touchdowns. By all accounts, the Ravens were well-positioned to win.

Notably, teams with 40+ points and 235+ rushing yards in a game were 277-0, including playoffs; they are now 277-1. Yes, you could point to Henry's late-game fumble as a turning point or Tyler Loop's missed extra point. Regardless, Henry was great throughout the game, and Loop is a rookie; the biggest issue was coaching.

Undoubtedly, poor play-calling has been a key issue for the Ravens during these late-game collapses, and that was on full display on Sunday night. Throughout the game, the Ravens' pass rush was subpar, giving Josh Allen plenty of time. This allowed Allen to rack up 394 yards and especially helped the Bills mount a comeback. While this is partly on defensive coordinator Zach Orr, it also reflects a poor game plan from Harbaugh. You simply don't make life that easy for the reigning MVP.

When the Ravens were up 40-38 under two minutes to go, they, of course, had a three-and-out, setting up the Bills to get a game-winning field goal on the following drive. Harbaugh was criticized for not going on it on 4th and 3. Going for it probably would have been the right call, but that also could have set the Bills up in field goal position immediately.

Regardless, the playing calling and time management were also key issues. The jet sweep on 2nd and long was especially odd. In general, the Ravens abandoned the game plan and aggressive style of play that worked for most of the game, which is something that seems to happen in every Ravens' late-game breakdowns.

One crucial mistake that hasn't been discussed enough was Jaire Alexander picking up Keon Coleman on the last drive. Alexander hadn't played for much of the game, but he ended up giving up two massive plays to Keon Coleman, allowing the Bills to run out the clock and get a chip shot. On the second play, Alexander could have let Coleman score, giving the Ravens' offense a chance to score. Alexander was out there to give the Ravens an extra DB as the Bills drove down the field. But having him defend the Bills' best receiver was illogical and costly.

Harbaugh isn't going anywhere, even if these problems continue

Harbaugh is the league's second-longest tenured coach, but it's clear that his poor late-game coaching has hurt the team. The Ravens have Super Bowl aspirations, so they would never fire him mid-season. After the Ravens fell short in the postseason again last season, they extended Harbaugh. Given this, it's not likely that they would fire even if they disappoint in the playoffs this year.

The Ravens have been one of the league's best teams over the past several years. However, they haven't been able to get over the hump, and coaching has been central to that issue. Unfortunately, that doesn't look like something that will change any time soon.