New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh pulled back the curtain on his stunned reaction to Ravens kicker Tyler Loop's costly missed field goal that ended his tenure in Baltimore
19:03 ET, 13 Feb 2026
John Harbaugh stands on the field
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John Harbaugh revealed his reaction to Tyler Loop's missed field goal that ended the Ravens' season(Image: Getty Images)
New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh shed light on his immediate reaction to the costly mistake that ultimately ended his tenure in Baltimore.
In what would prove to be Harbaugh’s last game with the Ravens prior to his dismissal on Jan. 6, Tyler Loop missed a game-sealing field goal that sent Baltimore packing for vacation. Rather than express frustration with his player, however, the 63-year-old promptly went to console the kicker during a heartwarming moment.
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With the AFC North title and playoff spot on the line, the Ravens endured a heartbreaking 26-24 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, decided by Loop's final-second field goal attempt that went awry. As time expired in the fourth quarter of the closely contested matchup, the 24-year-old's 44-yard kick veered wide right — instantly triggering wild celebrations at Acrisure Stadium.
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The gut-wrenching outcome was one of many twists and turns that the Ravens experienced during the 2025 campaign. After beginning the season 1-5, Baltimore rallied back with consecutive wins before losing four of their final six contests.
Despite encountering no shortage of obstacles over the course of the year, Harbaugh conceded that he remained bullishly confident the Ravens would make the postseason.
“I really believe — and I think our team believed — that we were on this sort of spiritual quest a little bit, whatever your beliefs might be,” he told FOX News’ Brian Kilmeade. “We started off 1-5, and we were down at the bottom, man.
“We were at the bottom of the ocean, had to swim our way all the way back to the top to the surface, just to barely get our head above water.
Tyler Loop attempts a field goal
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Tyler Loop cost the Ravens a trip to the playoffs by missing a game-winning field goal(Image: Getty Images)
"You just knew that that was what the plan was, maybe that God had for us. And boom, it goes wide right, and you’re like, ‘That’s not what I expected.’
“And then you just gotta ask yourself why. It’s like well, you know, we make our plans. God orders our steps, and this is the way it is. This is the way it’s supposed to be. This is the purpose somehow, some way.”
Once the dust had finally settled on the Ravens' devastating defeat, Loop kept his head down and helmet on as he jogged toward the tunnel.
Observing his dejected demeanor, Harbaugh approached the rookie and wrapped an arm around his shoulders while they walked side by side into the visiting team's locker room.
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“I just said to him, ‘It’s gonna be OK. You’re gonna be OK,’” Harbaugh recalled. “Why? Because I was walking up behind him and it’s like one of those God moments.
“It was a moment where there was no other option. I didn’t think about, ‘Let me go find Tyler.’
“God told me, ‘You gotta go walk up and put your arm around this guy. It’s just too easy to do it.’”