Harbaugh denies that Yanda spat on Burfict
Coach defends Jackson’s throwing ability; Stanley played through ankle sprain
Ravens coach John Harbaugh on Monday vehemently denied that right guard Marshal Yanda spat on Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict during Sunday’s game, though he acknowledged that he hadn’t seen footage of the incident.
Video from CBS’ broadcast of the Ravens win shows Yanda standing over Burfict after a minor scuffle among several players early in the fourth quarter. A wad of spit appears to fall from Yanda’s mouth, after which he immediately raises his left hand near his helmet.
“Are you really, seriously asking that question?” Harbaugh said. “I mean, here’s my point on that. It’s like, this guy’s been playing for how many years? Eleven years. … Have you ever, from whoever wrote the article that makes the insinuation [that Yanda spat at Burfict], have you ever heard Marshal Yanda’s character being attacked or him doing something along those lines ever in his whole career? But now, all of a sudden, we’re going to say, ‘Oh, I know Marshal Yanda spit at somebody, at a person?’ Really? Come on. No way. There’s no way.”
Harbaugh, who said he hadn’t seen video of Yanda’s alleged spitting, asserted that earlier in the scrum of players, Yanda had his arm “stomped on” by Burfict, one of the NFL’s most controversial players.
“I’m not going to stand up here and say 55 [Burfict] did it on purpose, because I’m not going to point the bony finger of blame and I don’t know what somebody’s intentions are,” Harbaugh said. “So for all those quote-unquote journalists out there that think that they somehow inherited the position to judge another man’s character when they don’t know his intention, we don’t give that any consideration whatsoever. None. It’s not worth it. Kind of an indication of where our society is going right now.” Harbaugh defends Jackson’s passing: Harbaugh emphatically defended quarterback Lamar Jackson’s throwing ability, saying he had no use for questions about the rookie’s passing acumen.
Jackson rushed for 117 yards in his first career start Sunday, almost twice as many as any previous Ravens quarterback had managed in a game. But he still left skeptics wondering whether he can mix in enough throws to keep NFL defenses honest. Harbaugh was having none of that. “How many plays did the kid make? Running around, throwing the ball? In the pocket, throwing the ball?” Harbaugh said. “All this veiled stuff, is he really a thrower? I’ve got news for you — he’s a thrower. The kid can throw. He’s a quarterback!”
Jackson carried the ball 27 times and threw just 19 passes in Sunday’s victory, and Harbaugh acknowledged that that ratio is unsustainable.
“I think it’s obvious,” he said. “You don’t want your quarterback getting hit that much. It’s not going to last that way. I think that’s pretty self-evident.”
Jackson seems likely to start again Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, another game the Ravens must win to keep pace in the AFC wild-card race. Though Harbaugh said Joe Flacco “has a chance” to Ravens guard Marshal Yanda, left, was accused of spitting on Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict after a minor scuffle among several players early in the fourth quarter Sunday. play this week, he said Sunday that the veteran’s right hip injury would make that difficult.
“It’s not a surgical thing,” he said. “It’s a calming-down type of a thing with the hip.”
When asked whether Jackson would be the starter going forward, Harbaugh said, “I’m not getting into any of that.” Stanley played through sprain: Left tackle Ronnie Stanley played all but nine snaps in the Ravens’ win Sunday, but it was unclear before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals whether he’d play even one.
When the Ravens lined up for pregame 11-on-11 drills, Jermaine Eluemunor, not Stanley, was not among the starters. Stanley missed the Ravens’ Week 9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and was questionable for Sunday’s must-win home game.
But despite what Harbaugh described as a “pretty good” high-ankle sprain, the Ravens coach said he was never worried about Stanley’s availability.
“I thought he played well,” he said. “When you watch the game, Ronnie was really good. I mean, he played a very good game, very physical. Finished blocks really as well as he’s done — better than some of the [previous] games. So, yeah, I was very impressed with Ronnie’s game.” Extra points: Harbaugh extended his prayers to former Ravens and current Tennessee defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who was taken to the hospital early in the Titans’ game Sunday in Indianapolis because of a “medical issue.” Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that Pees was expected to return home from Indianapolis that day. … Harbaugh said undrafted rookie running back Gus Edwards had earned more playing time with his 17-carry, 115-yard performance against Cincinnati. With Kenneth Dixon‘ s return to practice last week, Harbaugh was asked about the often-injured running back’s fit in the offense. “I don’t know. We’ll see. He’s got to practice more than one time.” Alex Collins (seven carries, 18 yards) could just as easily be that guy next weekend. The Ravens’ interior defensive linemen have excelled, quietly, all season.
With A.J. Green inactive because of a toe injury, the Ravens had to worry about two main offensive threats for Cincinnati — Boyd and running back Joe Mixon.
They played well against the former and completely shut down the latter, holding Mixon to 14 yards on 12 carries — easily his worst performance of the season.
Much of the credit goes to a group we often take for granted — the interior defensive line of Michael Pierce, Brandon Williams, Brent Urban and Chris Wormley.
None of them did a lot to mark the stat sheet. But look at the scouting grades from Pro Football Focus every week, and all four of them rate as solid (Wormley) to outstanding (Pierce) run defenders.
They left little room for Mixon to maneuver and put their stamp on another game, whether anyone noticed or not. The Ravens saved their season and also set up a potentially agonizing decision at quarterback.
Harbaugh indicated after the game that Flacco likely won’t recover from his hip injury in time to play against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
But an ESPNreport Sunday morning said Flacco probably will be ready in a few weeks. If the Ravens continue to win with Jackson (they’re favored against the 2-8 Raiders), would they automatically hand the ball back to their veteran? Would they push Jackson back to the complementary (though likely expanded) role we saw over the first nine games?
These are genuinely difficult questions on several levels.
Jackson led the Ravens to a victory that pulled them back from the abyss and into a five-way tie for the final AFC wild-card spot. He threw a jolt into the offense and the home crowd. He’s the future, one way or another, and there’s a lot to be said for testing what he can do in a playoff race.
On the other hand, Flacco commands respect from his coaches and teammates for his toughness and for the victories he’s engineered in December and January. His arm might give the Ravens their best chance to win against more capable defenses.
The guess here is that Flacco will start another game for the Ravens this year. But it should not be an automatic decision. If he’s hurting and Jackson has the offense rolling, the Ravens must be flexible enough to go with what’s working.