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Essentials Inside The Story

  • A missed kick ended Baltimore's season, but what happened early in the game led to frustration from Lamar Jackson
  • Does this loss signal something deeper unraveling inside the Ravens’ locker room?
  • Uncertainty is hovering over John Harbaugh and the future of his era in Baltimore

The Baltimore Ravens’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers ended their season, and it was defined by rookie Tyler Loop’s missed 44-yard last-second field goal. However, quarterback Lamar Jackson isn’t happy with the refs for not pointing out something important during that play.

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Former Super Bowl winner Jason McCourty believes that there should’ve been a penalty on the Steelers for leveraging on that FG. And Jackson seemed to agree with him.

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“smfh” (shaking my f—ing head), the quarterback wrote.

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On the field goal attempt, Steelers wide receiver Ben Skowronek launched himself over left guard Emery Jones, hoping to get a hand on the ball. That part is routine. What drew attention was what happened next. As Skowronek went up, his right hand came down on the back of Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward. That’s not allowed.

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It didn’t stop there. As Skowronek was coming back to the ground, his hand also made contact with the back of Ravens long snapper Nick Moore.

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Leverage is classified as a 15-yard personal foul. Given that the ball was spotted at the 36-yard line, a flag would have changed the situation entirely. Baltimore would have been awarded an untimed down and a second field goal attempt, this time from the 21-yard line. So Lamar Jackson’s frustration is pretty much justified.

But they still should’ve found a way. Lamar Jackson played well enough to win. He threw three touchdowns and one interception, including two fourth-quarter strikes of 50 and 64 yards to Zay Flowers as he tried to drag the Ravens across the finish line. It wasn’t enough again.

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This was a game with everything at stake. John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin both entered Week 18 knowing it was winner-take-all. Pittsburgh survived and moved on. Baltimore didn’t.

Now the Ravens head into the offseason with another painful ending to unpack, and with Harbaugh’s future feeling more uncertain than it’s been in years.

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What does the future look like for John Harbaugh?

Since taking over in Baltimore back in 2008, John Harbaugh has built one of the most stable runs any NFL coach can point to. His teams have gone 180–112. He delivered a Super Bowl title after the 2012 season. A pretty decent resume in most franchises. But there’s a lot more that comes into play in Baltimore.

Because while Harbaugh has had sustained success, the hardware hasn’t followed, not lately. Even with Lamar Jackson and rosters that have looked good enough to win it all, the Ravens haven’t closed the deal. It’s been more than a decade since that Lombardi Trophy, and that’s what hangs over everything now.

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Speaking Sunday morning while discussing Mike Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh, ESPN insider Adam Schefter widened the lens.

“The coach that people really should be focusing in on in that division is the Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh,” calling the coach’s future “up in the air,” he said.

Schefter stopped short of saying Harbaugh is on his way out. In fact, he suggested the coach still leans closer to “safe” than “gone.” But it was also far from an endorsement that Baltimore is simply going to run it back in 2026 without serious thought.

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This past season marked only Harbaugh’s second losing year in the last decade. He hasn’t won fewer than eight games since 2015. Since his arrival, the Ravens have averaged exactly 10 wins per season. But that’s not what fans are grading anymore. They’re looking at the Super Bowls.

Moving on from Harbaugh would be seismic. It would mark the end of an era that’s defined modern Ravens football. But still, it might be something that the Ravens need to do.

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Written by

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Aryan Mamtani

1,067 Articles

Aryan Mamtani is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports with a strong analytical background and a deep passion for football. A former player and lifelong sports fan, Aryan brings a mix of football knowledge and emotional insight to his coverage. He specializes in breaking down complex plays, team strategies, and league dynamics in ways that resonate with both die-hard fans and casual readers. His work includes detailed analysis of games such as Sunday Night Football and storytelling that highlights the personal journeys behind the players. Aryan has experience in research and data analysis, which he skillfully incorporates into his writing. This approach allows him to deliver insightful, data-driven sports content that connects with diverse audiences through clear and engaging storytelling.

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Bhwya Sriya

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