BALTIMORE RAVENS

Ravens secure win by holding, taking safety on final play vs. Bengals

Steven E Dilsizian
USA TODAY
Punter Sam Koch of the Baltimore Ravens holds the ball for a safety against the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 27, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Baltimore Ravens weren’t taking any chances.

With a 19-12 lead on the Cincinnati Bengals and only 11 seconds left on fourth down, John Harbaugh, a former special teams coach, went to his bag of tricks to make sure there would not be a blocked punt or a return.

The Ravens coach had his players block, hold and even tackle the Bengals so they couldn’t get near punter Sam Koch, who retreated to the back of the end zone.

Koch held the ball until the clock ran out, at which point he stepped out of the back of the end zone for a safety to secure a 19-14 win.

Harbaugh was able to pull this off because a game can end on an offensive penalty.

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