Flags still an issue
Two weekends ago, the Ravens committed seven first half penalties but then weren't flagged once in the second half.
When asked what he said or did at halftime to spark the turnaround, head coach John Harbaugh kept the mood light.
"It was magic," Harbaugh joked. "We spinkled magic dust on them, magic penalty dust."
Last weekend against the Giants, Harbaugh's team committed nine first half penalties but only one in the final 30 minutes. Ok, maybe he brought out the magic penalty dust at halftime again. But John, how about sprinkling that dust on your guys before opening kick?
10 penalties is simply too many. Of the 10, six were pre-snap infractions (four offsides flags on the defense and two false starts on the offense). One of the offsides penalties negated an interception that would have given the Ravens the ball back and flipped momentum. Two others came on back-to-back plays, and turned a third-and-seven for the Giants into a first down.
Harbaugh continues to praise his guys for limiting the "foolish" penalties (personal fouls for taunting, excessive celebration, etc), and he's right to do so. The Ravens have shot themselves in the foot many times in the past with sily mistakes that draw 15-yard penalties, and they've now gone four weeks without committing a personal foul.
But that simply isn't enough. For this team to make the next step from being an average team to a good team, they have to make some changes.
Cutting down on penalties should be towards the top of the list.
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