The Baltimore Ravens had the ball on their own 24-yard line, trailing the Arizona Cardinals by eight with 1:53 left in the game. As if the task ahead of him wasn't daunting enough, quarterback Joe Flacco was then handed another obstacle.
Ravens’ headsets malfunctioned before Joe Flacco’s game-sealing pick
Baltimore is the third team this season to have its headsets fail during a game.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
“We lost our phones,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said after the game, via the team’s official website. “[Offensive coordinator] Marc [Trestman] had to yell. We couldn’t get the personnel groups, so guys had to run the personnel group on and off. All of those kinds of things are really challenging.”
Despite the glitch, and having no timeouts, the Ravens still managed to drive the ball down to Arizona's 9-yard line before Flacco was picked off deep in the end zone by Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson on a pass intended for tight end Crockett Gillmore:
The interception sealed the 26-18 win for Arizona.
“It was hectic out there,” Flacco said of the final drive. “There was just too much communication going on for the amount of time we had left. Guys were confused and rightfully so. It’s loud out there and it was just a little bit too hectic.”
According to Harbaugh, the Ravens were having minor problems with their headsets throughout the entire game, but the issues got worse during the final drive.
"When your communication is through a walkie talkie and headset in your ear, and that goes out, and you can't hear, you have to deal the sign language that nobody is really up to speed on," said Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith, who was flagged for illegal motion late in that final drive. "Yeah, it was a little hectic because of the lack of technology. And so of course that's going to have some impact."
This marks the third time this season a team has gone on the record about its headsets malfunctioning. The Steelers' communication system broke down during the first quarter of their Week 1 loss the Patriots, and the Bills reportedly forgot to change the batteries in their headsets on Sunday against the Jaguars, forcing quarterback EJ Manuel to run to the sideline in order to communicate with his coaches. The Bills lost 34-31.
Monday's loss was the Ravens' third straight, dropping them to 1-6. They return home on Sunday to take on the 2-5 Chargers.
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