With 42 seconds left in the Ravens-Packers game, Baltimore quarterback Tyler Huntley scored on an eight-yard touchdown run to give his team 30 points to Green Bay’s 31. It was an impressive comeback for a Ravens team that had been down 28-17 early in the fourth quarter.
All the Ravens had to do was to kick the extra point, hope Aaron Rodgers didn’t have a long drive ahead of him in regulation, and go to overtime. Instead, head coach John Harbaugh made the decision to try a two-point attempt, which sent the pro-analytics and the anti-analytics crowds into equivalent frenzies.
On the conversion attempt, Huntley rolled right and tried to hit tight end Mark Andrews in the end zone. The try failed, and the Packers escaped M&T Bank Stadium with a one-point win.
As you would expect, Twitter was all over both the decision and the play call. And once again, the definition of “analytics” is all over the place.
This is correct. Harbaugh’s decision to go for 2 and the win is NOT an analytics decision. I’m guessing he went with his gut and “my defense can’t hold up in overtime.” https://t.co/Xty00KgaWN
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@FO_ASchatz) December 20, 2021
This article from earlier in 2021 explains where John Harbaugh got the analytics wrong against GB today–he should’ve gone for 2 after the TD that got them within 8, instead of kicking the XP to get within 7. The numbers are surprisingly clear on this.https://t.co/oWM9I7PKRO
— Haggai Elitzur (@helitzur) December 20, 2021
This.
Which means the people who blurt out ‘analytics’ anytime anyone goes for anything, are now railing on Harbaugh for doing the anti-analytics-based thing.
Which is a wild turn of events. https://t.co/j7DfGNGzpE
— Matt Russell 🇨🇦 (@mrussauthentic) December 20, 2021
Another Sunday, another swarm of analytics twitbots saying “process > results.”
Harbaugh’s process was faulty! When you’re down 14 late in the game and you score a touchdown, you go for 2 right away! Stat nerds should be crushing him, not praising him.
— James Mitchell (@TheRealJWM) December 20, 2021
Harbaugh is on another level & has an analytics guy in his ear telling him the win %s of each decision.
If he does something you shud try to figure out why what he did is smart, not why it’s dumb bc it goes against the grain. (Other) Coaches are far too conservative in general.
— Frank Barrett (@FrankBarrett119) December 20, 2021
If he used actual analytics he goes for 2 when it was 31-23 so that if he missed, he could go for 2 again to tie the game
— Mike (@TheRealWalvie) December 20, 2021
The Ravens didn’t lose because of analytics, they lost because their QB threw behind the intended receiver into double coverage.
— Coach D’Andraia (@CoachDAndraia) December 20, 2021
People blaming the #Ravens decision to go for it on “analytics” already have a narrative they want to push.
Most models said to kick in that situation.
Blaming “analytics” is literally outing yourself as someone who doesn’t understand what analytics are.
— Justin Fried (@JustinTFried) December 20, 2021
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