Ravens Break Norms for Overtime Victory Against Falcons
It’s always intriguing when a team decides to diverge from the traditional strategies of the NFL to find a new advantage. That was precisely what the Ravens did in overtime on Sunday night, taking away the Falcons’ chance to really compete and ultimately winning the game 30-23.
Kyle Hamilton won the coin toss for Baltimore and made the unconventional choice to receive the kickoff. Generally speaking, the norm since the introduction of two-possession overtime is to always kick first. The logic here is that putting pressure on the opposing offense can be beneficial, allowing your own team to gauge what they need to achieve to secure a win. If your offense goes first, there’s also the risk of having to punt, which could allow the opposition to clinch victory with a field goal. Moreover, it forces the offense to aim for a touchdown instead of settling for a field goal, adding another layer of stress.
However, Ravens head coach Jesse Minter opted for a markedly different strategy. He decided to take possession right away, effectively denying the Falcons a genuine opportunity to win.
Utilizing a substantial amount of Derrick Henry’s running and short passes from Tyler Huntley, the Ravens orchestrated a 14-play, 7:03-minute touchdown drive. This not only advanced the ball down the field for a score but also compelled the Falcons to use both of their timeouts, leaving less than three minutes on the clock.
During the drive, Henry carried the ball six times, with the longest pass completion being just 10 yards. The pace was so deliberate that by the time Baltimore faced a 2nd and goal, it felt as if the Falcons might need to allow them to score, just to regain possession of the ball.
The strategy behind carefully avoiding any big plays, even when opportunities were present, was quite intentional. The Ravens aimed to eat up the clock, which would in turn limit the Atlanta offense’s options, forcing them to turn to the passing game. This tactic effectively neutralized Bijan Robinson, Atlanta’s most reliable offensive weapon. Complicating matters, Michael Penix Jr. was nursing an injury due to a significant sack, meaning either he would play hurt or Tua Tagovailoa would have to step in to keep Atlanta competitive.
Ultimately, it fell to Tua, who made a risky throw on Atlanta’s second play of overtime, resulting in an interception by Hamilton, which sealed the victory for Baltimore.
This entire scenario was made possible because the Ravens had the audacity to challenge conventional wisdom about overtime and trust in their ability to grind out a win. It’ll be interesting to see if other teams review this matchup and consider adopting a similar approach.
