Broncos enter Steelers Week fuming about Ravens’ late-game run to tie NFL record

When the Denver Broncos arrive at Heinz Field Sunday to play the Steelers, they’ll be in a bitter mood. And the source of their agitation is a familiar one to Steelers fans: the Baltimore Ravens.

The Broncos lost to the Ravens 23-7 on Sunday, while Baltimore rushed for 102 yards as a team. That yardage on the ground put the Ravens in a tie with the 1974-1977 Pittsburgh Steelers for reaching that 100-yard plateau in an NFL-record 43 straight games.

It’s a rather obscure record. But Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh wanted a piece of it so badly, he ran quarterback Lamar Jackson for five yards on a meaningless first-down play to end the game, instead of kneeling out the clock.

“It’s one of those things that’s meaningful,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a very, very tough record to accomplish. It’s a long-term record. So, I’m not going to say it’s more important than winning the game, for sure. It’s certainly not. But, as a head coach, I think you do that for your players and you do that for your coaches, and that’s something they’ll have for the rest of their lives.”

Interesting turn of phrase. I wonder if Franco Harris or Rocky Bleier even knew the specifics of that stat as closely Harbaugh did.

Also, is attaining that number more important than risking Jackson’s health to perhaps a dirty hit from a bunch of ticked-off Broncos?

As for Jackson, he seemed to be less invested in the accomplishment — to say the least.

“I’m not going to lie,” Jackson said after the game. “I ain’t really care about the record. I wasn’t thinking about that. I was thinking about winning the game.”

The Broncos were completely put off by the act.

WATCH: The Broncos sideline was enraged as the Ravens decided to run the ball on the final play of the game rather than take a knee. #9sports #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/QshWgAbkpX

— 9NEWS Sports Denver (@9NEWSSports) October 4, 2021

“I thought it was kind of bull (expletive deleted),” Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said. “But I expected it from them. Thirty-seven years in pro ball, I’ve never seen anything like that. But it was to be expected, and I expected it.”

How come?

“‘Cause I just know how they operate,” he continued. “That’s just their mode of operation. Player safety is secondary there.”

Broncos HC Vic Fangio thought the Ravens’ run at the end of the game was “kind of bull****” and notes he’s never seen anything like that in his 37 years of coaching in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/TltszwLKmW

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 4, 2021

Hmm. I wouldn’t be surprised if all those injured Ravens running backs agree with that. They just might.

Initially, upon hearing Fangio’s grousing, Harbaugh feigned hurt feelings while speaking with reporters Monday.

“I thought we were on good terms,” Harbaugh said with a grin. “We had a nice chat before the game. Known each other for a long time.”

"I had already decided, we decided if we got the ball back we were going to try to get the yards." pic.twitter.com/fQ3RF0tG1u

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 4, 2021

Then Harbaugh got a little defensive and turned the responsibility of what happened on the Broncos for throwing into the end zone on the previous possession.

“I promise you, I’m not gonna give that insult one second thought. What’s meaningful to us might not be meaningful to them. Their concerns are definitely not our concerns,” Harbaugh continued. “We didn’t expect to get the ball back. But I had already decided that if we got the ball back, we were gonna try to get the yards. And we got it back with three seconds left. So you’re throwing the ball in the end zone with 10 seconds left, I don’t know that there’s a 16-point touchdown that’s gonna be possible right there. So, you know, that didn’t have anything to do with winning the game.”

If that play does exist, can someone alert Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense? It might be better than the “throw the ball to Najee Harris five yards behind the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-10” play.

Unfortunately, the Broncos and Ravens won’t see each other the rest of this season unless they both get into the playoffs.

Fangio’s defense will have to settle for taking out its angst on the Steelers Sunday. The Broncos are second in the NFL in points per game allowed (12.3), fourth in total yards per game (267.8) and fifth best in the NFL against both the rush and the pass.

The Steelers are 28th in scoring (16.8 points per game), 27th in total yards per game (301.8) and last in rush yards per game (55.3).

So that extra adrenaline for the Broncos may not be necessary, after all.