What’s the point of taking a late field goal to avoid a shutout in a blowout loss? For the Cincinnati Bengals, perhaps it’s to get under the skin of the defensive coordinator of the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens.
Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor’s choice to kick with 32 seconds left in what ended up as a 27-3 loss didn’t sit well with Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, who shouted his displeasure across the field after Randy Bullock’s 38-yard attempt went through the uprights.
“He knew what it was because it was awful quiet when I yelled it across the field,” Martindale said Thursday. “There are some people that take that as a victory. We’ll see. We’ll have plenty to talk about the next time we play them.”
It will be awhile before the 4-1 Ravens and 1-3-1 Bengals see each other again, with their second scheduled meeting of the season coming in Week 17.
It was the fifth time in the past 50 years a team opted for a field goal in the final minute to avoid a shutout and only the third when down by 20 or more, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The Ravens’ defense has been a bend-but-not-break unit so far this season, allowing 335 yards a game (sixth best in the league) while being the top scoring defense at 15.2 points a game.
Baltimore had two chances to stop Cincinnati on fourth-and-1 on the final drive to earn its first shutout in two seasons but didn’t. Ravens coach John Harbaugh wryly gave that as his response to the situation.
“I guess you have to look at it that way,” he said. “I’ll just leave it at that.”
