Why is it that the Ravens can sweep the Steelers and beat the Jets, but fall flat against the Titans, Jaguars and Seahawks? How can the Ravens be perceived as the best team in the AFC after last week’s come from behind win on the road against the Steelers and then just a week later they get caught with their pants down in Seattle and not seem to slow down Tavaris Jackson’s offense?
The answer to all of those unknowns has to be bad coaching and it starts at the top with head coach John Harbaugh.
Professional athletes shouldn’t need motivation for work, especially with their multi-million dollar contracts, but the fact is that they do. The Ravens can give every excuse in the book about their losses in Jacksonville and Seattle, but no matter what they say they didn’t play at the same level as they did in weeks one and ten. This Ravens team amped itself up for the Steelers and threw it in cruise control on the west coast yesterday. Coaching has to be blamed for the lack of effort from the team. The talent level is there, the desire to beat bad teams is not.
Harbaugh has put himself in a nice situation in Baltimore. When Kyle Boller sucked for the Ravens, Brian Billick always seemed to take the heat. “Boller was his guy,” or “he’s supposed to be an offensive guru” fans would say. What about the Ravens special teams yesterday? Why is no one criticizing John Harbaugh, a former special teams coach, for the terrible play in that aspect of the game? Kick returner David Reed fumbled twice and was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in three kick returns. Billy Cundiff missed two more field goals from 50+ yards. Can we blame Harbaugh for that? Maybe not, but burning a timeout to throw the red flag on an unwinnable challenge late in the fourth quarter certainly is his fault.
While I’m taking time to complain about the coaching of this Ravens team let me add on my thoughts from my Quick Hits post on Sunday night. If I was Ozzie Newsome, I would meet with Cam Cameron and tell him that if Ray Rice touches the ball less than 25 times next week he’s fired. Rice would have to be on a stretcher for him to not get 25 carries next week. Ray Rice is the Ravens’ biggest play maker and Cameron tried to beat the Seahawks in a fight by tying one arm behind his back.
Cameron called seven running plays in the first half, which is tied for third least in a half in Ravens franchise history. The Ravens have one of the elite running backs in the NFL and they are trying to prove that Joe Flacco can compete with Tom Brady. He can’t and the Ravens won’t win when Flacco throws 52 times and Rice rushes seven. Rice averaged 5.4 yards per carry yesterday, but was never given a chance to get the Ravens offense rolling. The guy makes things happen on the field, give him the ball or let someone calls the plays who will.
The challenge of the spot of the ball was one of Harbaugh’s worst mistakes in his tenure thus far. However, I’m not willing to lay blame on him for the loss – he is the best coach we’ve seen in franchise history – Billick was horrendous. I am willing to lay blame on Cam Cameron; we will never be a championship team with Flacco/Cameron at the helm. Joe is a good quarterback, but I don’t see him stepping up as a leader. And Cam’s play calling? Give 27 the ball! Let Joe run the two-minute shotgun all game. This is what I want: Jle stops looking over at Cam and takes control himself. I would love to see Cam’s face then.
David Reed made it very hard to win this game. And I used to think Cundiff was the wonderboy – now I am getting nervous when he kicks extra points. I’d rather be playing the Steelers, Pats, or Cheeseheads – at least we won’t completely suck. Very frustrating. Definitely not a championship team.
@V1 Rotate
Who does Cameron work for? His boss is Coach Harbaugh, who you term the “best coach in franchise history” are you kidding me? this guy has lucked into a team with two sure fire HOFers, one of the NFL’s most dynamic backs in Ray Rice, probably the NFL’s best defensive player in Haloti Ngata, defensive force in T-Sizzle, and despite this have hosted ZERO playoff games and have been a 5th or 6th seed (out of six AFC teams) in each of his years in teh playoffs.
Best coach in our history? Best UNDEACHIEVER in our history.
The only reason ray Rice averaged 5.2 yards a carry was because they passed 52 times. He had a couple draws late in the game that gained yardage. When there was still a chance of having a running game he was averaging 2 yards a carry.Everybody has figured out the zone blocking. If he ran the ball 25 times we would have had many more 3 and outs. Flacco 3rd and long all day long.
Everyone has figured out zone blocking? That must be why Houston struggles to run the ball so much. Thanks for the great tip. Stupid (I felt stupid was necessary because anyone that writes that dumb of a post is probably not going to pick up on sarcasm).
@V1 Rotate – Are you high??? Harbaugh the best coach??? Did they over medicate you at the Free Clinic this morning?
You guys never seem to give the other team any credit. Why don’t you just tell the truth? The Seahawks offensive line and Marshawn Lynch manhandled the Ravens defensive line!
First off I would like to state im a Steelers Fan and I hate the Ravens out of respect. Last week the Ravens beat the Steelers and where the better team. Just like they where in the first meeting. Yesterday plain and simple Seattle was the better team. Ravens might have had better players but Seattle played with heart. The same way the ravens played last week. So gratz to the ravens and there fans for last week. And you have to give credit to Seattle the deserved this game dont blame it on your own coaches.
Fire Cam? Agreed he leaves a lot to be desired… however, doesn’t the head coach approve each wks game plan? Yes they do… if Cam goes, so should Harbaugh. All the bravado he showed after the Pittsburgh win last wk was embarrassing. Come January, Tomlin will have those guys primed and we all know Harbaugh will flop… aren’t Gruden and Cowher still out there??
Btw… “best coach in franchise history”? Did he win the Super Bowl? How about the AFC? How many division titles…? He’s weak.
Thanks Dave. Sometimes all the blinded Harbaugh lovers get up in arms when you criticize the “community organizer”.
So, Brian Billick won a Super Bowl a dozen years ago and all of a sudden he is a better coach? You guys probably thought Jim Zorn was a good quarterback coach.
Harbaugh has a better W/L percentage than Billick. He turned a 5-11 team into a 11-5 team. That was year one.
You guys are morons. I wanted Marvin to take the helm. I also wanted Rex. But, that didn’t happen. Sooooo…we get a “rookie” coach with a rookie squad who ha pulled off post season results each year. Not too bad. And to Dave and MGW – Billick only won the AFC once – they year we won the Super Bowl – which was over a decade ago.
No one on this thread but me mentioned what really hurt us – David Reed flew to Seattle and laid a big fat egg.
I am NOT a Harbaugh lover. But if I had to choose between Brian and him, I would pick the latter. And the term “latter” means Harbaugh to you illiterate Dundalk dickweeds.
It’s easy for sportswriters to say it was the coach’s fault. The reality is that our guys didn’t show up – we are too damn arrogant – and we got beat. It has nothing to do with the coaching and more to do with stupid unnecessary penalties, fumbles, overthrown passes, and Ray-Ray tackling air.
As much as I thought this was the year, my hopes are crumbling. Yes, it’s frustrating – but dont blame it on a coach with a winning record. Blame it on the guys who only show up every other Sunday.
@V1 Rotate,
I guess you resort to juvenile name calling when trying to defend a defenseless argument?
Somewhere in San Diego, another guy like you is putting down Charger fans who are sick of Norv Turner running up wins in the regular season and then pissing down his leg when it comes to the playoffs. At least Norv wins his division and isn’t the last or next to last team in the playoffs.
You infer that Harbaugh took over some down trodden expansion team when he took over. Yea, the team was 5-11 the year Billick completely lost control, but they were 13-3 team the year before, not quite the patsy you seemed to have made them out to be.
Let’s see, two sure-fire HOFers, arguably, the game’s best defensive player in Haloti Ngata,arguably, the game’s most dynamic RB in Rice, a pretty fair pass rusher in Suggs, last year, a receiving corps that boasted 4 players with 500+ catches in the NFL, an offensive line made up of all first day draft picks, the game’s best punter…yea, what a rag tag group Harbaugh has had to work with!
I loved it the years Harbaugh tried to run the defense in the ground by employing his dad’s golf buddy, Greg Mattison, as the d-coordinator. The guys LOVED him.
Also love how Harbaugh can easily inject himself into his area of expertise, should it be needed, which is uh, well, uh, hmmmm..I guess special teams, where they rank near the bottom of the league this year.
So, yea, I see why you would defend him and call a few of us posters a middle high school like slur. I’m sure out in San Diego a few boys from Poway are hearing the same argument from a fellow Charger fan who’s happy with a 11-5 record, a nice playoff t-shirt, and the leg pissing in the playoffs.
@V1 Rotate,
Also, not sure why you talk about Billick winning the AFC. I’ve talked about winning Division titles, as in the AFC North Division…you do know what a Division title is, don’t you?
Why is it that every time the Ravens lose,the so called fans piss wine and moan. Grow up,and take a loss like a man.
@MGW
You threw the first grenade; in fact you threw a couple – so don’t get all high-and-mighty when someone calls you a dickweed.
Never implied that the Ravens were a downtrodden team. You can’t deny the hens were running the hen house the last couple years of BB. The players themselves have said that mindset is gone now.
As for the Ravens special teams play, it leaves some to be desired – but how can you blame the coach when our “premier” kick returner drops the ball everytime someone pats his ass?
Remember, the years that the offensive genius (BB) was here, we had the greatest offense in the league…oh wait…no we didn’t. 28, 31, 32 in the NFL – something like that.
I think Dave is right – we are a bunch of finger-pointing sore losers. It started with author penning this story. I’m sorry that you don’t agree that the players are the ones that lost this game – and until they step up, consistently, they will be watching the Steelers and the Pats representing the AFC at the big game every year.
V1 Rotate,
I tossed grenades? How, by disagreeing with you? Go back and read my posts, I never get personal or name call when I disagree with someone’s point…gave that up in 7th or 8th grade when I determined it wasn’t an effective tactic when losing an argument.
By your assessment, a coach getsthe credit when the team wins, but it’s the players fault qhen they lose.
Nice, where do I get a job like that!
MGW, how did the Ravens do in the playoffs the season they went 13-3? If the Ravens were in such good shape with all these HOFers when Harbaugh took over the team why were they 5-11, 13-3, 6-10, 9-7 the previous four seasons with 0 playoff wins?
While these guys go at it , Zach , I will say this is the best post you ever made to this site,,,,,,,,,,,