Ravens coach John Harbaugh met with the media on Friday, primarily to discuss the hiring of Dean Pees as defensive coordinator and the retention of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.
But Harbaugh also addressed an issue relating to a member of his staff that, before Tuesday, not many people even knew existed.
Kicking consultant Randy Brown appeared on WIP radio in Philly on Tuesday. Among other things, he said that foul play couldn’t be ruled out regarding the incorrect information displayed on the scoreboard at the end of the AFC title game, when kicker Billy Cundiff supposedly believed that it was only third down and had to rush to the field when he realized it was actually fourth down.
“I just think it was unfortunate,” Harbaugh said regarding Brown’s remarks, via John Eisenberg of CSNBaltimore.com.
“I’ve known Randy for a long time. Randy is a very good person,” Harbaugh said. “If you listen to the interview, you get a very clear indication that it was in jest. He’s known those guys for a long time. He’s a Philly guy, he’s been on that radio station a bunch, and they were going back and forth, and there was a lot of laughing going on.
“It wasn’t meant in a serious way, but it doesn’t come out that way in print. Randy should understand that, and he feels really bad about it right now. We in no way at all think that [the Patriots were up to something], and we’ve said that already.”
Still, Harbaugh seems to think that Cundiff possibly believed it was third down, due to the information on the scoreboard.
“Sometimes the kicker is in back, he’s on his own, he’s at the net, and they get themselves in that place to kick a field goal. He might be looking at the scoreboard . . . but he’s also in communication with Randy. Those guys knew, or should have known, what the down and distance was.”
If Randy Brown is looking at the scoreboard of his career in Baltimore right now, there’s a pretty good chance he’ll see this message: Game over. Kicking consultants are like long snappers; if you’re talking about them at all, there’s a problem.