Older siblings everywhere could relate to John Harbaugh’s determination not to back down against his younger brother Jim.
Even when his Baltimore Ravens faced a fourth down at their 16-yard line in the second quarter, John wasn’t going to give up the ball easily.
The Ravens managed to convert that fourth down and two others on their way to a 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, giving John his third win in three matchups against his brother. It was the first time they had met since Baltimore defeated San Francisco, coached by Jim Harbaugh, in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2012 season.
“We grew up in the same room and have always lived our life side by side, but that’s not what the game is about,” said John Harbaugh. “The game really is about the players, and the players are always going to win the game or lose the game or whatever.”
On this night, the Ravens’ players were the ones who excelled. Derrick Henry rushed for 140 yards, Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes, and the defense held strong, allowing touchdowns only on the first and last drives of Los Angeles’ game, but not much in between.
“I’m proud of our guys,” said John Harbaugh. “I’m proud of the way they came out and responded after the first 10 points — we were down 10-0, and our guys stepped up.”
After converting a fourth-and-1 at their 16 late in the second quarter, the Ravens scored on a 40-yard pass from Jackson to Rashod Bateman, taking the lead at 14-10.
Baltimore’s other two fourth-and-1 conversions came on a 14-play touchdown drive that stretched from the end of the third quarter into the fourth.
“We’re just confident that we’ll end up converting on those fourth downs, and we did a great job blocking,” said Henry, who converted the last two fourth downs. “All we had to do was make a play, and we did.”
