Skip to main content

Harbaugh: Ravens had headset troubles on final drive

It's another day and another complaint about headset issues.

As the Baltimore Ravens tried to furiously come back against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on Monday night, they had communication issues with the headsets on their final drive.

"Phones were going out," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after the contest. "Phones were going out, yeah. We lost the phones. There's always going to be some confusion, but the good thing was we got everything done fast. We didn't lose any time, I don't believe -- we'll go back and study -- but, according to the clock, we got things done pretty darn quick. But the phones were going out, so he couldn't hear. A lot of the phones were going out on that drive.

"So (OC) Marc (Trestman) had to yell, we couldn't get the personnel group, so guys had to run the personnel group on and off. All those kinds of things were really challenging to be honest with you.

"It was happening on and off throughout the game, but it got bad on the final drive."

The Ravens ended that drive with a Joe Flacco interception in the end zone to fall 26-18.

Headset malfunctions are nothing new, but have been a reoccurring complaint this season. Rex Ryan lamented the communication issues Sunday in London, which turned out to be battery problems. The Pittsburgh Steelers were famously perturbed after getting the Patriots' radio broadcast in their ears during the season opener.

It's unclear at the moment what issue in Arizona caused the trouble.

It's not the only problem the Ravens took issue with Monday night.

Harbaugh bemoaned Chris Johnson's big 62-yard run after it seemed clear the running back's progress was stopped, but no whistle was blown. The Ravens were also called for a penalty on a pass to an ineligible receiver who tried to declare as eligible, but somehow the sign wasn't picked up by the referee.

When asked to give his opinion on the men in stripes Monday night, Steve Smith didn't have a positive review.

"Two stars. Two stars. That's what I'm putting on my Yelp," he said.

When a team starts 1-6 there are many causes and figners to point. Outward projection of failure is usually the first stage in a losing season.