New England Patriots - NESN.com
The entire AFC East nearly started the season 0-1 before the Buffalo Bills completed an improbable comeback over the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore led by 15 late in the fourth quarter, but two three-and-outs and a Derrick Henry fumble allowed Buffalo to score 16 straight points in three possessions. Matt Prater, signed earlier in the week, kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired to secure a 41-40 victory at Highmark Stadium.
Rodney Harrison took Baltimore’s coaching staff to task following the “Sunday Night Football” contest’s stunning finish. The former New England Patriots safety criticized John Harbaugh for Baltimore’s fourth-quarter complacency on NBC’s post-game show, via Ravens Vault’s Bobby Trosset.
“I’m looking at Coach Harbaugh, and he has to continue to emphasize finishing,” Harrison said. “And that’s something that comes from the head coach. This just cannot — they’re too talented of a team. This is their Super Bowl window. They have an opportunity to do some special things.
“When I see them falling short like this, it’s just an undisciplined team. They get comfortable. They just need that head coach to continue to put that pressure on them and say, ‘Guys, you can never get comfortable.'”
The two-time Super Bowl champion questioned the Ravens’ mindset when Jac Collinsworth mentioned the perennial contender’s past playoff disappointments.
“Whether you’re up 15 points or not, you can never relax,” Harrison said. “You can never say, ‘OK coach, we’re good.'”
Harrison also held the players accountable, particularly Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, before panning defensive coordinator Zach Orr for playing too conservatively down the stretch.
“I think he’s grown as a defensive coordinator, but he has to get better,” Harrison said of Orr. “He has to understand his personnel better, and he has to understand the opposing team’s personnel better.”
Instead of leaving Week 1 looking like the team to beat in the AFC, the Ravens once again must prove they can rise to big moments. They’ll host the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 before closing September with marquee matchups against the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs.
