'That's the one that's really churning me up': Harbaugh laments fateful illegal formation call against Giants
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens are left wondering Monday how they coughed up yet another lead in a game they likely should have won.
Critics could point to any number of penalties, turnovers, mental lapses or play calls from Sunday's 24-20 loss to the New York Giants.
On Monday, head coach John Harbaugh said one penalty in particular still has him "reeling."
Late in the 4th quarter, up 20-17, the Ravens were moving down the field and chewing up clock, reaching their only 44-yard line with under four minutes left.
On 3rd and 1, Jackson surged forward on a quarterback sneak to pick up a 1st down with 3:05 left on the clock. But the play was negated by a five-yard illegal formation penalty called on left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
Stanley said after the game he was not covered up on the line of scrimmage.
On the next play, a bad snap sent quarterback Lamar Jackson scrambling back behind his own 20. He made a risky throw on the run that the Giants intercepted and returned 27 yards, setting up for the go-ahead score.
"That's the one that's really churning me up, you know?" Harbaugh said of the illegal formation penalty during his Monday press conference. "We get that done, there's a high chance we go win that football game."
Harbaugh said the chain of events prior to the snap leading up to the penalty is "explainable," but he called it "a terrible error" that didn't get fixed.
Prior to the snap, Jackson motioned wide receiver Tylan Wallace to the other side of the formation, leaving only fullback Patrick Ricard in a three-point stance next to Stanley. But Ricard was not on the line of scrimmage, and the Ravens only had six of the required seven players lined up correctly.
"There's no way that should happen," he said. "That's one that I'm, probably, not going to get over. But ultimately, it's my responsibility. I mean, I'm the head coach, I'm responsible for all that stuff."
The Ravens were penalized 10 times for 74 yards, compared with three for 25 yards for the Giants.
Once New York took a four-point lead, Baltimore's ensuing possession was cut short when outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux strip-sacked Jackson and the Giants recovered the ball deep in Ravens territory.
The loss leaves the Ravens at 3-3, when arguably they should be 5-1.
Harbaugh said he knows the team is more talented and capable than its record shows.
"Almost all of the circumstances are self-inflicted," he said. "These are all things that are very, very correctable."
