AP Photo/Nick Wass
Lamar Jackson left little room for doubt regarding what the Baltimore Ravens should do on a pivotal fourth down in Sunday’s 36-35 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The NBC cameras caught head coach John Harbaugh asking Jackson whether he wanted to go for it on a 4th-and-1 on Baltimore’s 43-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
The 2019 NFL MVP told Michele Tafoya after the game he responded, “Hell yeah.”
Harbaugh subsequently told reporters he had effectively made up his mind, but Jackson’s response provided some reassurance.
If the Ravens had failed to get a first down, they would’ve given the Chiefs the ball inside the 50 with enough time for Kansas City to at least get in position for a game-winning field goal. Instead, Jackson got two yards to move the chains.
It’s only Week 2, so a lot can still happen. But if the Ravens go on to achieve something special in 2021, the exchange between Harbaugh and Jackson is likely to take on added symbolism.
In November 2019, ESPN’s Ian O’Connor wrote how the two were uniquely suited to fit with each other. Harbaugh was often stuck in the shadow of his younger brother, Jim, while Jackson wasn’t a prized recruit coming out of high school.
Upon joining forces, Harbaugh knew exactly how to cater to Jackson’s strengths and build the offense around the mobile quarterback. Jackson’s success, in turn, quickly altered the direction of Harbaugh’s tenure in Baltimore.
“The greatest thing I’ve seen from Coach Harbaugh is he’s bought into who Lamar is,” Joshua Harris, Jackson’s personal coach, told O’Connor. “Any time I talk to Lamar about him, he talks about him in an endearing way. He’s Harbs. He’s a person Lamar feels has his back.”
The mutual trust was on display Sunday night.
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