Ravens' Harbaugh: Patriots' 'Brilliant' Blocked FG Tactic Shouldn't Be Banned by NFL

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was a big fan of Brenden Schooler's blocked field goal for the New England Patriots in the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Harbaugh called the play "brilliant" and doesn't think there's a need for the NFL to change the rules to prevent similar plays because it's more of a timing issue for the offense.

"It doesn't need to be ruled out because all you have to do is change the tempo of your snap count so it's more of a surprise play. I think now people, if that's something a team might do against them, they'll just change the timing of their snap count. But what a good idea that was. They got it, it was a great play. I thought it was brilliant."

Schooler was initially lined up near the sideline and came sprinting toward the line of scrimmage so he had a full head of steam when the Dolphins snapped the ball. He got around the edge and blocked the attempt by Jason Sanders.

If the NFL were going to look at banning the play, it would likely happen in the offseason when teams and the competition committee can propose rule changes.

There's nothing about the play that indicates it should be banned. It wasn't obvious there was any significant injury risk. Schooler did make some contact with Sanders' lower leg on the play, but it didn't appear to have a big impact on either player.

It's also not a play that's likely to be easily duplicated. Schooler made this one work because it came out of nowhere and it's not something opposing teams previously had on tape to prepare for.

"If it works, then it tends to be stolen," Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said about the play earlier this week. "That's what the nature of the profession of coaches is all about."

Now that teams are aware the Patriots have this particular arrow in the quiver, they will likely be thinking about it going forward. But it could be effective in at least making the kicker think about the attempt as he's moving toward the ball.

Sanders had a 55-yard attempt in the fourth quarter that missed wide left. It's not an easy kick to make, but he also may have seen Schooler lurking on the edge before the ball was snapped.

The Dolphins got the last laugh with a 24-17 victory over the Patriots, but Schooler increased his Q rating as a result of the blocked field goal. The 26-year-old is in his second season with the Patriots after being signed as an undrafted free agent in May 2022.

School has appeared in 18 games over the past two seasons, including 91 percent of the special-teams snaps through two games this season.