There were only 17 seconds left. Getting the ball into Webb's hands was probably as good a shot as anything. It certainly wasn't as stupid as the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

I don't blame Reed for the loss as much as I do the play calling down on the one yard line. I would have done 3 more quarterback sneaks if I had to after we put it inside the one. I know we would have stuck in a TD then. You have to take the good with the bad with Reed and his gambles. At least he was trying to make a play.

I saw nothing wrong with what Ed Reed tried to do. The other Raven players and coachs had not put the game away in 59 minutes. So what was they going to do in 17 seconds. Great try Ed. I wonder who got chippy with Ed. Name names Pete

I put this squarely on Harbaughs shoulders. Ladarius Webb has been performing very well on kick returns. There was no good reason for using Reed in that situation, particularly given Reed's precarious health situation. Also, since when has Reed not carried the ball like it was a loaf of bread, and attempted to lateral when in trouble on kick returns, on interceptions whatever. Ed Reed was being Ed Reed. Harbaugh should know his personnell better. If he wanted someone who was explosive, but safe, then he made the wrong call by putting Ed Reed in that situation. Simple as that!

I'm not one of those that thinks that Ed Reed walks on water, but come one. He was trying to make a play and he was at the 35-40 yard line and there was only 18 seconds left. Did anyone watch the game and see that our offense, play-calling just couldn't move the ball when we needed to. First and goal from the ONE and settle for a FG. Not saying that scoring a TD there would mean that we would have won, because you know that Peyton would have changed how he approached the drives that he had. This team looks more and more like the Billick teams, not saying that Harbaugh is like Billick. But this team makes numerous mistakes and lacks discipline that I thought Harbaugh was supposed to fix.

So, this is why we signed this new kicker, Cundiff. To drive this Billick-style-vanilla offense. It's Billy-Ball!

Ed Reed made a bone head play, so did Ngata. Our Kicke Was close to missing two of his made kicks and missed the most makeable. We didnt score a red zone TD which we used to at will.

Coach made two big mistakes. Jos Flacco mad an honest clear mistake wich happens to the best of the best.

Our Defense was stellar except Foxworth and Washington at times, they just look lost! So did Goodeson.

I am just perplexed at who we are, Penalties,Penalties, missed kicksPenalties. Oh my!

Reed should have run out of bounds.

BUT...

Flacco should have not thrown an interception with 2.5 minutes left.

Harbaugh should not have chewed up time outs mindlessly.

Wassisname shouldn't have missed a chip shot field goal from the 30 yard line.

Flacco should have run three sneaks. Criminy, he has the ball on the one foot line and can't get in it?

Plenty of blame to go aorund...

ALso, credit the defense. They manned up. I think they're beginnig to "get it."

Sorry. No excuses for Reed. Clock stops on change of possession. Get down and give Flacco 17 seconds to get 30 yards and give the kid another shot. A "play" wasn't needed there. Just a good return which he got. Also, no excuses for Flacco getting picked, no excuse for not getting in from the one yard line three times, no excuse for Ray Lewis missing the tackle on the TD, no excuse for another Ngata personal foul, no excuse for Harbaugh blowing timeouts at the end of the game. The game was there to be had but this team can't finish. Lousy personnel decisions by the front office and Harbaugh and lousy on-field decisions by Harbaugh and his coaches have led to this mess. Bisciotti needs to evaluate the entire football operation at the end of the season.

It is especially sad that Schmuck and others feel it necessary to deflect attention from Flaco by criticizing Reed.

The dumbest play of the game was Flacco throwing into a triple team when a field goal would have given his team the lead. The second dumbest play was Harbaugh wasting a timeout. Third was Ngata's penalty. You have to go well down the list before Reed's silliness should even be considered.

And at least Reed caught the punt instead of letting it roll to a stop on the carpet!

.............................................................................................
Pete's reply: If you listened to the postgame show, you heard me criticizing all of those plays. I just happened to do this item on Reed. Scroll down and you'll see I put up an item at the end of the game that said basically what you are saying.

A) Harbaugh has no one to blame for this loss but himself. Wanna know why Reed had to make a desperate play? Because there were only 17 seconds left after Harbaugh blew two timeouts on one play! Also, couldn't agree with Big Al more...the Ravens should have QB sneaked it four times if that's what it took. Terrible play calling, and even worse decision to not go for it on fourth. What did they think, that the Colts weren't going to score again for the rest of the game? Horrible, horrible coaching decisions by Harbaugh in this game.

B) I think it's worth pointing out that, you know, Reed didn't fumble. FWIW. But more importantly, the refs really blew this call because even if he wasn't down it was FORWARD pass. The lateral went forward, then hit the ground. That's a dead ball. Now it's a penalty and sets the Ravens back, but it's still their ball. Blown call on two fronts. Whether he was down is questionable; that the ball went forward was not.

C) As a few people have mentioned, Reed lateraling the ball to Webb had as good a chance of getting the Ravens in field goal position as Flacco, who had completed one downfield pass all game, throwing down the field for a long gain to a receiver who could get out of bounds.

I generally like Harbaugh, but for him to question a team leader like Reed is a shameless scapegoating. This was the worst coached game of his tenure as a head coach. It is completely inexcusable to ever blow two timeouts on one challenge...and on top of that, there was nothing to challenge! The spot was dead on. While we're at it, whose decision was it to not bring Stover back? Oh, right...time to own up to your mistakes John.

I'm going along with the majority opinion here Pete. Reed's play may not have been the smartest move, but the blame for this disaster goes far deeper.
As Cowheard pointed out in his piece; if you can't get a TD with 1st and goal at the 1, then you're not a playoff team, period.
The game was there for the taking, but as with Minn. or N.E. the Ravens failed to take it.
Lousy clock management, stupid drive extending penalties, an anemic offense, it was like having Brian Billick back as a guest coach.

Don't fault Ed Reed--No No..Fault Harbaugh.

Why?

We lost the game at the one yard line, period. Indy is clearly more conditioned and willful than us. They stopped us on the road.

Ed Reed is the best selfish player on a selfish guided team.

harbaugh was suppose to change this and we guess he did last year-but what about this year? The most penalties?

John Harbaugh, you get an F for this. And hopefully Ozzie will keep the pen and wallet in the safe until you prove yourself. We don't need another Friedgen, long term compensation for short term results.

Where was Ed on the TD pass on the Kolts 1st drive? He was in no mans land. Payton just played him like he was a rookie. Before the final punt I said Reed would carelessly latural the ball and fumble it away. I am no soothsayer, he's just predictably careless.

Why isn't Ray Rice in the backfield on three attempts from the one yard line. Many questionable coaching decisions yesterday. Another shoulda, coulda, woulda day

I am sick of Ed Reed trying to lateral the ball whenever he is running with it. In most cases, it doesn’t result in many additional yards but instead risks turning the ball over, like he did again yesterday. Billick couldn’t make him stop and neither can Harbaugh. I’m sick of Reed thinking he is the second coming of Deion Sanders. For someone who is supposed to be a lock for the Hall of Fame, it’s just playground stuff.
When are we going to acknowledge that Mark Clayton is a bust? He can’t get open and is absolutely no threat to the opposing team.
Ray Rice and Derrick Mason are our only weapons? How sad that this is all the “genius’ Cam Cameron can come up with.
I thought Ray Lewis really looked old and slow yesterday. Opposing players don’t fear him anymore.

why did fabian washington give colt recievers a 8-10 yd custion on every pass play. he mite as well go back and sit in the front row end zone seats and wait untill the reciever gets there?

This loss is like so many of the previous losses this year. We just don't know how to manage the clock in the last two to three minutes of the game. I think part of the problem is that we are transitioning from a gritty running team to a high powered passing team and doing a pretty poor job ot it. Cam Cameron do you hear me?

Essentially the coaching is poor. John Harbaugh who I like by the way must be a better and stronger leader. He needs to hold his coordinators' feet to the fire and he should have long ago warned Ed Reed about those stupid ill advised laterals that rarely result in anything positive and have so much potential to destroy your game.

John Harbaugh fix this!

Anybody who thinks that Flacco is going to go 30+ yards with 17 seconds against arguably the best bend-but-don't-break, Cover-2 defense in the NFL is drunk off the Purple kool-aid. I mean really, we had 0 time-outs and had to get to at least the 35 yard-line for a 55 yard field goal attempt. Reed kept us in the game by being Ed Reed. Consider the Ravens without Ed Reed before you decide to crucify him. Schmuck, once again, hits the nail on the head. (Sorry, its Mr. Schmuck)

Dan is 100% incorrect. The Reed fumble, whether a forward or a backward lateral, is still a fumble. You can't have a "forward pass" on a punt return, numbskull. It's also far from a dead ball. Whether forward or backward, the other team recovered, so it's irrelevant. If a QB throws an interception and it is determined that he was past the line of scrimmage when he threw it, does he get the play back? No. It's still a turnover. If it's incomplete and his team retains possession, then the penalty is enforced.

Sorta hard to criticize the refs for getting a call wrong when you have no clue about the rule yourself. Your ignorance makes you look bad and delusional.

This was definitely one game that the refs could not be held to blame. They officiated a solid game and I felt like the Ravens got a totally fair shake from them for a change.

I think it is fair to say that John Harbaugh and his staff are getting out coached in close games. Yesterday was a prime example of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The Ravens had so many opportunities to win the game it was ridiculous.
Good coaches and good teams take advantage of opportunities. At the present time the Ravens appear to be neither.

The Ravens have some good players but it is my opinion that the coaches are choking, led by John Harbaugh. I said before the game that this game and the Pittsburgh game would in a large part define Harbaugh's career and tenure in Baltimore and he needed to step it up a notch and show that he is an elite coach.

As I said on another thread, the play calling was so predictable it reminded me of Bert Jones and "Hi diddle diddle, Mitchell up the middle"

I believe that John Harbaugh and his coaches failed miserably yesterday. The Colts secondary was crippled. Not to score a touchdown against the Colts yesterday was incredible, and the Ravens had be absolutely inept not to stagger in to at least one. The Colt's coaches figured it out and basically let the Ravens beat themselves.

Give the Colts some credit. When your opponent is bent on self destruction, don't intervene.

John Harbaugh and his coaches must win a close game against a good team. If the Ravens lose to Pittsburgh Sunday, I would not be at all surprised if Steve Biscotti begins to have second thoughts about Harbaugh and his leadership.

Last year things fell into place for John Harbaugh. This year we are finding out what kind of a coach he is. From the Stover decsion to yesterday's time out debacle, I am beginning to think that he may be in over his head.

There is till time for John Harbaugh and the Ravens to change the paradigm of the 2009 season. But time is running out with each close loss.

I agree with Gil about Harbaugh. So far this year this team is not well coached. Way to may bonehead plays that reflect a lack of discipline. Way to many stupid, as in really stupid penalties in crucial times. Way to many listless performances, as the team has come out unprepared. This is ALL on the coach of the team. I wonder if Biscotti is starting to doubt Harbs, I know I am and question his validity as a legit NFL head coach.

What ever happened to the Sugg's package? What about using a 240 lb McClain for the TD instead of Rice? How about Flacco trying to force plays... Basically when you look at it, Indy made us very one-dimensional. Our run wasn't doing anything. The passing game was nothing but check downs. There are only some many check-downs you can do, before the opposing defense keys in.

Mental mistakes we made by all of our key guys at the worst possible times. It has been the same story all season, another frustrating loss dictated by a few mistakes. Flacco and Harbaugh look to be hitting the sophomore wall. I hate to say this, but I'm already starting to look toward next season. I know we have 6 games left, but the Ravens are so painful to watch right now.

I agree with Gil as well. I think Harbaugh is in way over his head. His time management skills are appalling and it appears he doesn't really have any control over things. The difference between last year and this year is that Rex Ryan as "co-head coach" helped mask a lot of Harbaugh's blunders.

When Peyton Manning gives you 2 presents in the form of INTs, you have to get into the endzone. Field goals only win games if they are at the end of regulation. You can't blame Ed Reed for loosing the game when the Offense stunk it up for the whole game.

Harbaugh's ill advised time outs blew any chance of a comeback.

Luke,

I don't really see why you need to resort to name-calling in the comments section of a blog. More importantly though, you shouldn't do it when you're wrong.

You can't have a forward pass on a punt return? Really? So it is impossible to throw the ball forward on a punt return? Obviously, it is in fact possible and covered by the rules. If the ball is lateraled forward by a player, it is a dead ball the moment it hits the ground. The result is a 10-yard penalty on the team guilty of the lateral. On Reed's punt return, he clearly lateraled (as opposed to fumbled) the ball, and it landed a solid yard in front of him. The second the ball hits the ground, the the play should have been dead. A 10-yard penalty should have been assessed, and it should be Ravens ball.

Now of course, none of this is to excuse the play or the Ravens or insinuate that the Ravens had any kind of realistic chance of winning. I just don't appreciate being called names by someone, especially when that person is completely ignorant of the subject on which they're commenting.

Oh, and while we're on the topic of your ill-informed argument and misunderstanding of the rules...

Your example of the interception is not a legitimate one because the two situations are not parallel. BUT, since you brought it up...the answer to your question is yes, an interception can be overturned if the quarterback was past the line of scrimmage. That exact situation occurred in a Giants game last year. Eli threw an interception, but Coughlin challenged it, saying he was in front of the line of scrimmage when the ball was thrown. The referees reviewed the play and overturned the pick.

Again, take some time to actually understand the subject on which you're commenting before trying to disparage others.

The coaching during the the series from the one lost this game. The last possible thing you should ever do is run a slow developing play up the middle, giving all the linemen time to collide and roadblock the end zone.

The disappearance of the creativity and lack of predictability from last year's offense is the reason this team is 5-5.

We're not a smashmouth run team. Stop giving games away trying to prove that we are.

There were no throws into the end zone despite deep penetration all day. There was one deep pass - which worked by the way - so of course we didn't try to expand on the vertical game. I don't understand why the coaching staff isn't playing with more desperation. I've felt a sense of urgency from the moment we fell to 3-3.

Turning point of the game? 4 and goal at the 1, and they kick a field goal. This same team last year would have gone heavy and CONFIDENT of getting the score regardless of their opponent by putting Ngata in there at the lead blocker and Mclain as the tailback.

You play to WIN the game. If the Ravens failed, they've got the Indy franchise pinned DEEEEP in their own territory with plenty of time to spare (not to mention 2 Ravens time outs).

Instead, we have a QB sneak and two Willis runs for nuthin. Where's the brash and [gutsy] play calling of last year? Why the lack of confidence in your game? Now I know why Preston is painting himself a Debbie Downer again, and so soon into Harb's tenure.

Ed Reed didn't lose this game, Billy Cundiff didn't lose this game. Coaching lost this game. It was great that Flacco was even in position to have thrown that late-game INT, but that drive should have been about putting the game away, not taking the lead and hoping for the win.

Hey Matt, you want painful, watch the new Browns.

I agree with most of the comments on this blog but you can't put this all on one, two, three players/play calling. This was a collective effort. And I agree with a previous post, WHERE THE HECK IS MCLAIN!!!
Harbs is coaching like a Rookie this year. In addition to not correcting the dicipline issues, his clock managment is terrible! But hey guys, I will take Harbs over BB any day. He will get this right. The Ravens only have two teams ahead of them in the wildcard race. Lets not talk about next year until next year. I, for one, believes that we will make the playoffs.

rogerdodger--Right you are.

If Coach Harbaugh didn't want Ed Reed to "take chances", he shouldn't have put him on the field for the return.

Granted, (forward) lateraling when there is no teammate close enough to grab it is foolish, but no more foolish than burning two TO's on a spot that was not questionable. Given how stupidly the entire team was behaving in those last few self-destructive minutes, it's unlikely the Ravens would have been able to get into position for Billy Cundiff to make a FG with only 17 seconds remaining and ZERO TIME-OUTS.

By the way, while I'm happy that Billy Cundiff was able to get 5 of 6 FG's in one game all the while being with the team for less than a week, I was a little concerned by how close some of those FG's were to being misses. I'm guessing that he's an upgrade on Hauschka, but not an upgrade on Stover.

If Coach Harbaugh didn't want Ed Reed to "take chances", he shouldn't have put him on the field for the return.

Granted, (forward) lateraling when there is no teammate close enough to grab it is foolish, but no more foolish than burning two TO's on a spot that was not questionable. Given how stupidly the entire team was behaving in those last few self-destructive minutes, it's unlikely the Ravens would have been able to get into position for Billy Cundiff to make a FG with only 17 seconds remaining and ZERO TIME-OUTS.

By the way, while I'm happy that Billy Cundiff was able to get 5 of 6 FG's in one game all the while being with the team for less than a week, I was a little concerned by how close some of those FG's were to being misses. I'm guessing that he's an upgrade on Hauschka, but not an upgrade on Stover.

This is a team with an identity crisis, and that's on Harbaugh, the head coach.

He better get this thing figured out and fast, because faith in him is slipping hard.

2 offensive touchdowns in the last 4-5 games causes the focus to be on the last minute of the game where we fall short.

Cam and Mighty Mouse need to coach better during the entire game. Too many mistakes to mention.

Good coaching would have won 2-3 more games this year.

Was Reed instructed on what to do on the punt? Get good field position? Hit a home run? If you put Reed out there you are literally putting the game in his hands. You have to live with the results, if you put him out there.
The inability of the O line to move 6 inches at the goal line was the difference in the game. Also, at some point the coaching staff has to know that FGs won't cut it against the Colts and TDs are needed. On one or two occassions they should have forgone the 3 and go for it on 4th down to get a 6 or sustain a drive. I also like the officiating team. They let the guys play ball. Its amazing how one officiating team can differ from another and make such a difference in a game.

While I agree that Luke probably shouldn't have taken the 'low road' and gone to name calling, he did have one absolutely 100% correct point: this is one game that the Ravens cannot try and pin on the officials at all. I've seen the Ravens get a raw deal, but they got something of a velvet glove yesterday. Overturning a call on the field takes incontravertible proof, and a couple of times, Baltimore just got the benefit of the doubt. Not complaining about that, seriously, but it kind of says, like Gil said, the Ravens (and the Ravens alone) snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory.

Oh, and I had the question "once Huaschka is gone, who is the new Ravens scapegoat?" Well, I see it's harbaugh. NO OFFENSE to all y'all who have been calling him out for weeks, but the number of people that now blame him (especially considering a real 'share the blame' mistake of a game), had multiplied a thousand fold on the blogs...

The lateral wasn't Reed's worse gaff. Tony Dungy showed how Reed ignored his sman who scored a touchdown to jump in front of the receiver beside him in hopes of getting an interception. He guessed wrong and his man, Clark scored.

Pete i know we never see eye and eye on anything so i will try once again to state something i said all off season. The ravens made some horrible off season personnal decesions that are having a direct negative affect on this team .Number one everybody wants to know why we can't score in the red zone anymore. Well i will give you 2 legitimate reasons why. Number one they chose not to resign jason brown who was a promising young center who anchored that line and got great push up the middle something that matt birk can no longer do. number 2 why on earth wouldn't you resign lorezo neal who only made 850,000 last year and would have resigned back here in a heart beat. He opened up huge holes for all the backs last year and was a proven warrior. I know there is only so much money to go around but where they made a mistake was bringing back ray lewis who for the first time yesterday looked like the old slow man that he is after playing at the highest level for 14 years in the NFL. Pete i know there were some very good rumors in the off season that rex ryan was actually making major decisions for this football team last year. After watching coach harbaugh look over matched on many occasions this year i certainly can start to believe what they said. He is way over his head and has been outcoached on many occasions.And finally joe flacco has taken a few steps back wards this year and right now is doing some things that indicate he is fundementally unsound.People better start seeing what is going on with this franchise because many decisons being made are not what we have been accustomed to in the past..

Word on the street is that Ed put himself in to return that kick and Harbaugh didn't know he was in there. if that is the case, he is dead wrong. Don't agree with a lot of the B.S. mistakes that Harbaugh makes, but Reed inserting himself into that role without being told to do so by the coaching staff is undermining the head coache's authority. If he did it, he should be fined at the very least.

I noticed how the big "brave" Ray Lewis and Ed Reed avoided the media and quietly sneaked out so they wouldn't have to explain another loss. Shame on both of them. Ray the cry baby loves to toot his own horn and point fingers and promote his self but when they lose and he can't blame the officiating, he runs and hides. You're a COWARD Ray Lewis. Be a MAN for once in your life. Derrick Mason, a CLASS ACT, is always around, come win or loss, but Ray the cry baby? Noooooo, he has to run and hide. The media should just ignore this clown all the time. The team will be a much better team when he retires, because you know he won't give up running the team while he's still "playing"

It is a good ting that "THE SCHMUCK" does not have ANY TALENT. He might be held accountable for being clueless and have less than 3 grey cells (brain matter)!

I see where Blancione is at his best,again,when things start sailing south(see Terp blogs).I have'nt read too much positive from this person for about a year,now.Let's buy this guy a round at ESPN and see what he's really like,Pete.

Blancione.
your boy Ryan not exactly tearing it up now that he calls ALL the shots

Read about Ed Reed, gamblin' man... http://bit.ly/uIT0i

I can understand everyones frustration however John Harbaugh is not as much to blame as everyone seems to think. John is NOT calling plays... you should be looking at Cam Cameron and Greg Mattison. Our defense doesnt look like themselves and are playing too conservative. How often during Rex Ryan or Marvin Lewis tenures did you see our defense lined up with no movement, only bringing 3 rushers?? We dont intimidate anyone anymore... there is no confusion. Regardless of Ed Reed made a mistake or Cundiff missing his FG, the blame still lies on the play callers. I support Harbaugh but not his decision on coorinators.