There wasn't much for the Ravens to be mad about during their 27-13 win on "Monday Night Football", but even winning teams can get emotional when plays don't go their way.
That was the case with cornerback Marcus Peters and head coach John Harbaugh, who exchanged words on the sideline after Peters and the Baltimore defense allowed a 41-yard touchdown to Juwan Johnson in the fourth quarter, the only time the Saints found themselves in the end zone all game.
— Gump Cathcart (@bubbagumpino) November 8, 2022
Juwan Johnson with his 3rd TD catch of the season ⚜️#BALvsNO | 📺: ESPN (FOX-8 locally) pic.twitter.com/ZrDXqIqKk2
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 8, 2022
The frustration from Peters stemmed from the defense failing to get Johnson out of bounds after the catch. While Peters pulled the wide receiver to the sideline, Johnson was able to skillfully stay in bounds, sprinting down the side for the score. Safety Chuck Clark had pulled up on the play and didn't attempt to tackle Johnson as he ran by him, as he and others on the field thought that the play was dead.
Harbaugh challenged the call on the field of a touchdown, but after review, it was confirmed that Johnson stayed in bounds and the score stood.
After the game, Harbaugh downplayed the incident, stating that Peters was animated because he felt Johnson was out of bounds, and the coach went over to calm his cornerback down.
John Harbaugh when asked about his exchange with Marcus Peters late in the game: pic.twitter.com/eBydkHCZWv
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) November 8, 2022
"I just went over and told (Peters), 'Let's just win the game.' Win the game and we'll figure everything else out later," Harbaugh said after the MNF win.
While in hindsight Peters or Clark should have pushed Johnson out of play, it was the lone error in what was an exceptional performance from Mike Macdonald's unit. The Baltimore defense allowed just 243 yards to the Saints' offense, in addition to sacking Andy Dalton four times and picking him off in the fourth quarter that led to a Kenyan Drake TD.
It's by no means the first time the two have gotten into a war of words. During their Week 4 loss to the Bills where the defense allowed 20 unanswered points, Peters and Harbaugh had to be separated on the sidelines after the two got into an argument.
Marcus Peters and John Harbaugh exchange words leading them to have to be separated 🍿 pic.twitter.com/jI2NqLYrGo
— 573 Football (@573Football) October 2, 2022
"Emotions run high," Harbaugh said after the Week 4 incident. "We’re on the same page. We’ve got a great relationship. We’ve got an honest relationship. I love him. Hope he still loves me. We’ll see."
Given the nature of both Peters and Harbaugh, it's likely not the last time we will see emotions boil over between the two.
