NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Baltimore Ravens need a new head coach, and not just any head coach. They need someone willing to throw themselves into the fire, drenched in gasoline, and see what happens. This may be the most enticing job on paper, but under the surface, it’s also the most toxic.
I say toxic strictly due to the expectations. It’s like a regular 9-5 guy saying he wants to date Cardi B. Yes, she looks good, but she’s used to a certain way of life that a blue-collar man may not be able to provide right away. These guys are used to neighborhood spots, and she eats at 5-Star restaurants. The love is there, but not the blueprint. This is what the new Ravens coach is dealing with.
Whoever it may be is not walking into a situation like the Tennessee Titans or the New Orleans Saints. Those teams are in straight rebuild mode, while the Baltimore Ravens are in Super Bowl or bust mode. That’s why John Harbaugh was fired. He had the Super Bowl roster, but couldn’t get it done.
So, for anyone thinking the new coach will be given a long leash, you’re sadly mistaken. He’s expected to come in and not just win the AFC North, but find himself in the Super Bowl. This is what the Ravens have spent money on, and to be honest, you have an MVP QB and one of the best running backs in NFL history. No more excuses.
A team right on the cusp of so called gretaness rarely parts ways with a coach who has them there. Maybe the Ravens jumped the gun just a bit, but Harbaugh has been given chance after chance and has continued to fall. Hell, they didn’t even make the playoffs this season. The time has come for a new voice in the locker room and on the sideline.
There are a slew of names floating around for head coaching jobs, but how many have the resume that Harbaugh has? What the Ravens front office must ask themselves is who is ready to put it all on the line for what could be just one season. I say one season because players wear down and windows close. No one knows how long this Baltimore Ravens core can keep this up. The Kansas City Chiefs did not make it this year, Joe Burrow was out, the Chargers are hobbled, and the AFC is being led by teams who are just a season or two removed from top 10 picks in the NFL Draft.
This was to be the Ravens’ season; the Buffalo Bills are not as dangerous as they once were, and with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, a high-priced defense, and Harbaugh leading the way, this was the time to represent the AFC. And here they are, looking for a new leader. But the good part is, they still have a winning formula. Well, maybe that’s not a good thing, cause truth be told, this core has not done much but rack up offensive stats and fallen short of the real goal.
Dropped passes, goalline fumbles, and missed kicks have haunted them. But just as much as analysts want to separate Jackson from that critism saying others need to step up and do their job, I guess the same can be said of Harbaugh. He didn’t cause Zay Flowers to fumble, or Tyler Loop to go wide, or Mark Andrews to drop a pass. However, that’s the nature of the game and business, and now they have to hand the keys to this broken and fragile team to someone new who could shrink under pressure like his players.
Maybe, just aybethis team never had what it takes to be the top dawg. The front office has ot go into this coaching search knowing just what they’re looking for. They need a coach who can do whatever Harbaugh was doing wrong. The problem is, no one knows what Harbaugh was actually doing wrong. He had his team in positions to win, but the players just cracked under pressure. Good luck to the new guy.
