The problem with live-tweeting a game is you don’t always have time to take inventory of your previous takes. That’s exactly the issue that Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post ran into while covering Sunday’s game between the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens.
Facing a third-and-goal with 2:28 remaining in the game, Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley found tight end Charlie Kolar for a 19-yard touchdown pass, pushing Baltimore’s lead over the Dolphins to 56-19. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Schad took issue with the play-call, noting that Dolphins pass-rusher Bradley Chubb had just been injured on the previous play.
“That’s pretty terrible that John Harbaugh and the Ravens just passed for another touchdown, up 49-19, with a few minutes left and moments after Bradley Chubb was carted off with a potentially serious injury,” Schad posted. “It’s 56-19.”
That's pretty terrible that John Harbaugh and the Ravens just passed for another touchdown, up 49-19, with a few minutes left and moments after Bradley Chubb was carted off with a potentially serious injury
It's 56-19
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) December 31, 2023
Schad later penned a column titled “John Harbaugh allows ruthless, unnecessary, distasteful touchdown pass at end of 56-19 win.”
The take is a debatable one.
Although the Ravens were certainly still being aggressive with the game’s outcome in hand, they were also in no man’s land on this particular play. Facing a third-and-goal from the Miami 19-yard line with 2:28 still left in the game, it was still too early to take a knee. And while they could have called a running play, that could also result in an injury. So why not play out the situation as if the game was still competitive, especially with your backups already in the game? Would settling for a field goal and a 52-19 score really save the Dolphins that much embarrassment?
Where you fall in the argument comes down to how much responsibility you believe a team has to its opponent. It’s also worth noting — as Schad pointed out in his column — that Harbaugh has a history with Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio regarding running up the score.
What isn’t for debate, however, is that Schad’s take on the Ravens running up the score is inconsistent with how he responded to the Dolphins scoring 70 points against the Denver Broncos earlier this season. After De’Von Achane’s 67-yard rushing touchdown pushed Miami’s lead to 70-20 with 8:01 remaining in the game, Schad celebrated the occasion by posting a gif of Kate Hudson’s Penny Lane saying “it’s all happening” in Almost Famous, before later referring to it as a “virtuoso” performance.
The Dolphins have 70 points. pic.twitter.com/11fABVuE8k
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) September 24, 2023
Shout out @bbrech for compiling copious, plentiful, intriguing stats following Miami Dolphins’ record-breaking 70 point virtuoso
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) September 25, 2023
While it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison — there was more time left in the game and the Dolphins’ final score came on a running play — this does appear to be a case of Schad applying a different standard to the team he covers and its opponents. And unsurprisingly, many on social media were quick to point out the inconsistency in celebrating one team’s 50-point win and bemoaning another team’s 37-point victory.
Backup players should be allowed to play. That includes passing the football. Your Dolphins did the same thing up 56-13 against the Broncos https://t.co/aJqlwT2xYX pic.twitter.com/MrniTsslRZ
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) December 31, 2023
You can’t make make this sh*t up lol #BillsMafia https://t.co/TJ4KoWMkAU pic.twitter.com/hhQuAKcBkk
— Jon Thomas 🚂🚂🚂 (@jtvan44) December 31, 2023
This you? https://t.co/1eZeovIhJA pic.twitter.com/8cYdSDsDbu
— MeRk (@Merk256) December 31, 2023
Imagine complaining about this when the Dolphins literally ran up the score on Denver week 2 https://t.co/cSm3j4sTDa
— Depressed Buffalo Sports Fan (@Tommy_Dangles72) December 31, 2023
Schad’s recent likes on X shows that, if nothing else, he’s aware of the reaction to his take.
This isn’t the first time that Schad has an elicited a reaction with a seemingly pro-Dolphins take, as he called for the Eagles’ ‘tush push’ to be banned during Miami’s loss to Philadelphia earlier this season. As for Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, he seemed to take less issue with the Ravens’ play call than Schad did.
“I didn’t really have any thoughts, like, you know, in terms of the opposing teams’ decision making,” he said, per Schad. “When you have a lead of multiple scores, you’re free to do whatever you want. So you know, we have to defend it, we didn’t.”
