Unless something crazy happens, the Baltimore Ravens will make the postseason for the fifth consecutive season, but is that really good enough? Are we all content with just another postseason appearance?
In my opinion, the Ravens have underperformed for years. This has been a team with Super Bowl caliber talent that hasn’t big to the dance in 12 years. Their weaknesses have been exposed the past two weeks and poor coaching can be to blame for the majority of these deficiencies.
Tony Lombardi of Russell Street Report highlighted a few of John Harbaugh’s head scratchers in his The Good, Bad, Ugly, the Megan Fox postgame column.
John Harbaugh, I have no idea what goes through his mind at times. He chooses to feign a fake punt with the obvious intent being to get the Redskins to jump offsides. Ok, not a bad idea. You gave it a boy scout’s try and it failed. No sweat. But why call a timeout when the play clock approached zero? Take the 5-yard penalty and punt from the 45 instead of the 40. This is very basic stuff.
Then at the end of regulation with 24 seconds left, tied at 28 and with 2 timeouts in tow, He instructs Flacco to take a knee. During each of the last 3 games when faced with similar situations, Harbaugh has shown absolutely no confidence in his quarterback to make any positive plays to help his team win a game. If that is what you are going to ask your supposed franchise quarterback to do, Steve Bisciotti, if you endorse this kind of coaching, please save your money and go out and get a game manager, not a franchise quarterback.
I said it last week and I’ll say it again, Harbaugh needs to be blamed for this downward spiral. I’m tired of hearing say that Ravens won’t overreact to losses or that they game plan the same way they do after a win. How about some answers on his decision to tell Flacco to take a knee or explaining why he clearly doesn’t have faith in his QB in clutch situations.
Enough of the cliches. Enough of the mighty men. Enough of saying “football” every 11 1/2 seconds. Let’s hear some actual answers.
Maybe Harbaugh is in over his head. Perhaps his backgrounds as a special teams coach is finally being exposed. Or maybe it’s just a couple bad losses.
All I know is, one and done in the postseason isn’t good enough.
They only had one timeout at the end. They wasted a second one when they lined up for the 2 pt conversion. The quoted block from the other article is wrong about having 2 timeouts at the end.
From espn:
2nd and 20 at BAL 26 (Shotgun) K.Cousins pass short middle to L.Hankerson to BLT 11 for 15 yards (B.Pollard).
Timeout #3 by WAS at 00:36.
3rd and 5 at BAL 11 K.Cousins pass short right to P.Garcon for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. 28 26
Timeout #2 by BLT at 00:29.
TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. K.Cousins rushes left guard. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. 28 28
K.Forbath kicks 65 yards from WAS 35 to end zone, Touchback.
I have said it before and I will say it again , Harbaugh doesn’t have a clue on how to ‘coach’em up’………………As the veterans that were trained by Billick and others are leaving the replacements do not make the grade,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,as I have said , it is either Ozzie’s poor drafting of talent or Harbaugh’s poor ability as a head caoch,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,one of them must go in order for this team to be great again…………..
The first shoe drops with Cam getting the boot.
Look folks, it’s really pretty simple. When Art Modell owned the team, you had a football guy captaining the ship. He didn’t make his money from some dot-com business or “hired gun” (whoops, shouldn’t say GUN around the Ravens, sorry T-Sizzle), he was a football owner. Now you have Slicky Boy Biscotti who’s trying to run this thing like his business; a front-man in Harbaugh, who is about as qualified as me to run a team; and a core of guys who are slowly going by the wayside.
You have a non-football guy as an owner and a special teams coach who is getting exposed as the core gets old.
Folks, Harbaugh was trained by Andy Reid and your Ravens have become the Eagles. Good enough to get to the post season, but don’t expect a whole lot more.
Right on spy.
And MGW , sorry.
There is pattern here that should be evident to anyone watching the games. Bad game plans, play calling, clock management and never any adjustments during the game when it’s clear the plan they came in with is not working. Cam Cameron is not a winner and got bounced out of Baltimore just like everywhere else he has been. John Harbaugh not only needs to take responsibility he needs to take action which he has finally done. I lost some respect for harbaugh after steelers game when he said “It’s a typical Pittsburgh-Baltimore game. It’s a three point game. It’s amazing how it works out that way. Maybe someone expected it to be different.” Yeah, like everyone including your so called football insiders. So the fans and everyone else in football expected a Ravens win at home against a team starting their 3rd string quarterback. Everyone except the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. I think Harbaugh should end up in the hot seat after this season.
Agreed.
I doubt Harbaugh-less had anything to do with this move. Cameron, like Pees, is a Harbaugh family friend, I’m sure Biscuit made him do this.