On Now
Coming Up
  • Wed., May. 10, 2017 8:00 PM EDT Metallica with Avenged Sevenfold & Volbeat

    ON SALE: Presale for CITI® Card Members Starts Tuesday, February 14 at 11:00 AM; Tickets go on sale to general public Friday, February 17 at 10:00 AM at LiveNation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, the box office, or charge by phone (800) 745-3000.

  • Thu., Jun. 01, 2017 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM EDT Beach Bash This summer will mark the 5th annual Ravens Ocean City Beach Bash, presented by Miller Lite, June 1-3 in Ocean City, Md. Join Ravens Players, Cheerleaders, Playmakers, Band, Mascots and talent from 98Rock and Miller Lite as they turn Ocean City into Ravenstown for the weekend.
  • Fri., Jun. 02, 2017 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM EDT Beach Bash This summer will mark the 5th annual Ravens Ocean City Beach Bash, presented by Miller Lite, June 1-3 in Ocean City, Md. Join Ravens Players, Cheerleaders, Playmakers, Band, Mascots and talent from 98Rock and Miller Lite as they turn Ocean City into Ravenstown for the weekend.
  • Sat., Jun. 03, 2017 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM EDT Beach Bash This summer will mark the 5th annual Ravens Ocean City Beach Bash, presented by Miller Lite, June 1-3 in Ocean City, Md. Join Ravens Players, Cheerleaders, Playmakers, Band, Mascots and talent from 98Rock and Miller Lite as they turn Ocean City into Ravenstown for the weekend.
  • Sat., Jun. 03, 2017 10:00 AM EDT 7-On-7 Tournament Prepare for the fall football season at the Ravens 7-on-7 Football Tournament presented by Under Armour!
  • Sun., Jun. 04, 2017 10:00 AM EDT 7-On-7 Tournament Prepare for the fall football season at the Ravens 7-on-7 Football Tournament presented by Under Armour!
  • Sun., Jun. 11, 2017 10:00 AM EDT 7-On-7 Tournament Prepare for the fall football season at the Ravens 7-on-7 Football Tournament presented by Under Armour!
  • Mon., Jun. 12, 2017 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM EDT Play Like A Raven Football Clinic The Ravens players use the offseason to prepare for next season…and you can too. Get ready for the upcoming football season this summer at a Play Like A Raven Football Clinic, presented by Under Armour!
  • Tue., Jun. 13, 2017 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM EDT Play Like A Raven Football Clinic The Ravens players use the offseason to prepare for next season…and you can too. Get ready for the upcoming football season this summer at a Play Like A Raven Football Clinic, presented by Under Armour!
  • Wed., Jun. 14, 2017 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM EDT Play Like A Raven Football Clinic The Ravens players use the offseason to prepare for next season…and you can too. Get ready for the upcoming football season this summer at a Play Like A Raven Football Clinic, presented by Under Armour!

News

Print
RSS

John Harbaugh Warns Players About 'Stupid' Penalties

Posted Aug 23, 2016

The Ravens head coach said players who commit senseless penalties won’t be kept on the team. The Ravens gave the Colts seven first downs on penalties and could have lost the game because of one at the end.


Head Coach John Harbaugh was asked Monday for what he learned after watching film of Saturday’s second preseason game.

Of the “150 things” he remembered, Harbaugh gave kudos to playmakers such as linebacker Anthony Levine Sr. and wide receivers Jeremy Butler and Chris Moore. As far as negatives, he quickly touched on problems with blitz packages, trouble containing quarterback scrambles and a turnover.

Then he turned to penalties. For 14 sentences and just shy of a full minute, Harbaugh spoke about his displeasure about the Ravens’ yellow flags.

Last year, the Ravens ranked sixth in the NFL in penalties called against them (145) and tied for sixth in penalties accepted (122). Baltimore gave up the third-most penalty yards (1,153) in the league.

Thus, Harbaugh has sent a clear, early statement that stupid penalties will not be tolerated this year.

“Some of the penalties you can live with. I tell the guys, ‘There are going to be some penalties that you’re not going to agree with. There are going to be calls that are going to be judgment calls,’” Harbaugh said, naming pass interference and holding calls as examples.

“You don’t compound that by stupid penalties that are of your own creation, because that’s when you have 11 penalties. That’s when you have seven first downs for an offense created on penalties. That’s a great learning experience for us. That’s unheard of. I’ve never heard of that.”

An encroachment penalty by defensive tackle Kapron Lewis-Moore gave the Colts a free first down on their second offensive drive. Linebacker Za’Darius Smith committed a neutral zone infraction on the Colts’ third drive that also moved the chains. Cornerback Maurice Canady had an encroachment penalty on Indianapolis’ next drive in a third-and-3 situation.

The worst penalty was committed by rookie fourth-round defensive tackle Willie Henry on the next-to-last play of the game. Henry jumped early into the neutral zone with five seconds remaining. Instead of attempting a Hail Mary, the Colts trotted out Pat McAfee for a 62-yard field-goal attempt. It fell short, but it could have flipped a 19-18 win into a loss.

“Being in the neutral zone the last play of the game is unfathomable,” Harbaugh said. “But those are young guys mostly creating those penalties. That’s what we go to work on in meetings tonight and try to play winning football every week.”

On Saturday night, Harbaugh was asked whether it’s a case of young players being too anxious.

“Overanxious would be a psychological question,” Harbaugh said. “So it’s either you do it or you don’t do it. That’s all we have to look at. You look at the ball. You understand snap counts. You don’t jump on a hard count.”

Penalties could also factor into the Ravens’ final 53-man roster. That’s how serious Harbaugh is taking them this preseason, as he made clear Saturday night.

“Just way too many penalties,” he said. “We need to clean those things up, and guys who do those things just aren’t going to be here.”

Please Note

The opinions, analysis and/or speculation expressed on BaltimoreRavens.com represent those of individual authors, and unless quoted or clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of the Baltimore Ravens' organization, front office staff, coaches and executives. Authors' views are formulated independently from any inside knowledge and/or conversations with Ravens officials, including the coaches and scouts, unless otherwise noted.

Related News

Recent Videos

Recent Photos