John Harbaugh makes gutsiest 4th-down decision of the season — and it pays off for Ravens vs. Chargers

Daniel Mader

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John Harbaugh makes gutsiest 4th-down decision of the season — and it pays off for Ravens vs. Chargers image

In order to gain an advantage against his brother's squad, John Harbaugh pulled off a gutsy play call on Monday night — and it paid off handsomely in a key AFC matchup.

With the Ravens taking on Jim Harbaugh's Chargers on "Monday Night Football," Baltimore, which eventually won the matchup 30-23, was facing a fourth down deep in its own territory while trailing 10-7. 

Instead of punting away on the possession, though, John Harbaugh sent his offense back onto the field with the first-half clock ticking down, which ultimately led to a game-changing touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to Rashod Bateman. It's a play that wound up swinging the game's momentum, as Baltimore cruised to its eighth win of the season from there.

Here's a look at the play that kept the Ravens' second-quarter drive alive against the Chargers in the Week 12 matchup.

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John Harbaugh 4th-down decision vs. Chargers

After the Chargers scored on their opening drive, Jim Harbaugh had the advantage over his brother for most of the first half.

The Ravens came storming back in the second quarter, though. Baltimore first made it just a 10-7 deficit thanks to a rushing touchdown from Lamar Jackson, but it then had an opportunity to take the lead after getting the ball back with under four minutes remaining in the half.

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Faced with a 4th-and-1 at their own 16-yard line, the Ravens came out of the two-minute warning lined up to go for it. After a direct snap to tight end Mark Andrews, they barely snuck the ball to the 18-yard line, keeping the drive alive.

Just a few plays later, Jackson worked his magic, connecting with Bateman for a 40-yard touchdown that gave Baltimore the lead.

John Harbaugh's huge decision to go for it on fourth down paid off for the Ravens, allowing his team to eventually take a 14-13 lead into the break. After the game, Harbaugh was asked about how difficult the fourth-down call was to make.

"The downside is, you give them the ball at the 16-yard line ... but the upside is, and the thought, is that I really thought we'd get it. I thought Mark (Andrews) could get it with the quarterback sneak," Harbaugh said. "That was a big turning point in the game."

After facing a 10-0 deficit early in the second quarter, the Ravens went on a 30-13 run through the rest of the game. The sneak with Andrews on fourth down was a momentum-shifter as Baltimore improved its record to 8-4.

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader Photo

Daniel Mader joined Sporting News as an editorial intern in 2024 following his graduation from Penn State University. Previously, he covered Penn State, high school and local sports beats for NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. He grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.