Even after a 35-point blowout, some Ravens players aren’t satisfied.
In fact, veteran safety Ed Reed apologized, via Twitter, for his play in the 55-20 win over the Raiders. His missed tackle, which led to a 55-yard touchdown by Darrius Heyward-Bey, helped keep the margin under 40.
“Just had a bad day,” Reed tweeted. “Not perfect, though we try!”
“That’s the thing about Ed he’s a great player,” coach John Harbaugh said, via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “He’s definitely his own worst critic, his own strongest critic. He has a really high standard for how he’s going to play ,and I’m sure that’s reflected in his comments. I thought he played well. Ed sets a high bar, and he usually reaches it.”
Reed also suffered a stinger in his right shoulder during the game and didn’t finish, though that could have been a call-the-dogs off move like not playing Haloti Ngata, who was given the day off to rest from injuries. Harbaugh said he talked to Reed about coming out, and Reed said it was his call to not continue.
“These guys have a lot of pride,” Harbaugh said. “These are some of the most competitive men and athletes in the world, and that’s how that conversation goes sometime in a game like that. That’s the way that one went.”
There will be days when the Ravens need them much more, coming up soon, so letting them watch a blowout was the right call, by whomever made it.