The questionable roughing-the-passer penalties in the Ravens' 27-21 loss Sunday to the New England Patriots have spurred a national debate on whether Tom Brady is being overprotected by officials.
But there is another issue: Are the Ravens being overscrutinized?
Through the first quarter of the season, the Ravens have been penalized four times for roughing the quarterback. In contrast, the rest of the AFC North (the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns) has been flagged a combined two times for that penalty.
Asked whether the Ravens' aggressive reputation has drawn more attention from officials, Harbaugh said: "I sure hope not. That goes back to the credibility of the league and the credibility of the game. I know Joe [Flacco] got hit five different times during the game hard, and there was one call. Tom [Brady] didn't get hit five times - and we wanted him to be hit more - but when he sort of got hit, it was called. That goes to the credibility."
In the first quarter, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was flagged after his left arm hit the side of Brady's helmet, allowing the Patriots to convert a third-and-9. In the second quarter, the right shoulder of a diving Terrell Suggs grazed the right leg of Brady, helping New England convert a second-and-11.
The Ravens have submitted "plays and questionable calls" to the NFL for review, according to Harbaugh.
"The bottom line is this: As a coach in this league or a player in this league or a fan of the league, the expectation of the officiating is that it's fair and it's consistent," Harbaugh said. "To me, that's a reasonable expectation. I know the league agrees with that because the league chases that."
It was a year ago Monday when a roughing-the-passer call against the Tennessee Titans led to a 13-10 Ravens loss. After the game, Suggs said officials look at the Ravens closer than other teams, saying, "We're the bad boys of football."
Asked after Sunday's loss whether the Ravens' image has led to more penalties, Suggs said: "Kind of. We are a very physical defense. I can't say whether it does or whether it doesn't."
The Ravens' relationship with officials has been contentious over the years.
During a 21-penalty game in Detroit in 2005, Suggs had a face-to-face argument with a referee after a roughing-the-passer penalty and was ejected.
