Ravens
Harbaugh denies that Yanda spat on Burfict
Coach defends Jackson’s throwing ability; Stanley played through ankle sprain
Ravens coach
Video from CBS’ broadcast of the Ravens win shows Yanda standing over Burfict after a minor scuffle among several players early in the fourth quarter. A wad of spit appears to fall from Yanda’s mouth, after which he immediately raises his left hand near his helmet.
“Are you really, seriously asking that question?” Harbaugh said. “I mean, here’s my point on that. It’s like, this guy’s been playing for how many years? Eleven years. … Have you ever, from whoever wrote the article that makes the insinuation [that Yanda spat at Burfict], have you ever heard Marshal Yanda’s character being attacked or him doing something along those lines ever in his whole career? But now, all of a sudden, we’re going to say, ‘Oh, I know Marshal Yanda spit at somebody, at a person?’ Really? Come on. No way. There’s no way.”
Harbaugh, who said he hadn’t seen video of Yanda’s alleged spitting, asserted that earlier in the scrum of players, Yanda had his arm “stomped on” by Burfict,
“I’m not going to stand up here and say 55 [Burfict] did it on purpose, because I’m not going to point the bony finger of blame and I don’t know what somebody’s intentions are,” Harbaugh said. “So for all those quote-unquote journalists out there that think that they somehow inherited the position to judge another man’s character when they don’t know his intention, we don’t give that any consideration whatsoever. None. It’s not worth it. Kind of an indication of where our society is going right now.”
Jackson rushed for 117 yards in his first career start Sunday, almost twice as many as any previous Ravens quarterback had managed in a game. But he still left skeptics wondering whether he can mix in enough throws to keep NFL defenses honest.
Harbaugh was having none of that.
“How many plays did the kid make? Running around, throwing the ball? In the pocket, throwing the ball?” Harbaugh said. “All this veiled stuff, is he really a thrower? I’ve got news for you — he’s a thrower. The kid can throw. He’s a quarterback!”
Jackson carried the ball 27 times and threw just 19 passes in Sunday’s victory, and Harbaugh acknowledged that that ratio is unsustainable.
“I think it’s obvious,” he said. “You don’t want your quarterback getting hit that much. It’s not going to last that way. I think that’s pretty self-evident.”
Jackson seems likely to start again Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, another game the Ravens must win to keep pace in the AFC wild-card race. Though Harbaugh said
“It’s not a surgical thing,” he said. “It’s a calming-down type of a thing with the hip.”
When asked whether Jackson would be the starter going forward, Harbaugh said, “I’m not getting into any of that.”
When the Ravens lined up for pregame 11-on-11 drills,
But despite what Harbaugh described as a “pretty good” high-ankle sprain, the Ravens coach said he was never worried about Stanley’s availability.
“I thought he played well,” he said. “When you watch the game, Ronnie was really good. I mean, he played a very good game, very physical. Finished blocks really as well as he’s done — better than some of the [previous] games. So, yeah, I was very impressed with Ronnie’s game.”