Pundit Says Ravens Can Turn Their Season Around Under John Harbaugh, 'One of the Best Coaches in Football'
When a team favored to win the Super Bowl gets off to a 1-5 start as the Ravens have, there's going to be frustration and disappointment aplenty.
The players, coaches, and front office all feel it. So does the passionate fan base.
Head Coach John Harbaugh is aware of it, and he understands it.
"[We have] a fan base that I appreciate, because I know how much they care and how much they want us to be great – and even when they're frustrated, and even if they say things that are hurtful – it's OK, because that's our job," Harbaugh said on Monday. "That's our job. It's also going to be great – it's going to be wonderful – when things are rolling again, and they can enjoy it like they're supposed to, and that's why we're working so hard to get it where it needs to be."
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes better days are ahead for the Ravens this season as they get healthier and the schedule becomes less daunting. He also said Harbaugh, who has a .613 winning percentage in 18 seasons in Baltimore, has earned the benefit of the doubt because he is "one of the best coaches in football."
"I believe Harbaugh is a really good coach," Barnwell wrote. "The Ravens are 1-5 out of some combination of tough close-game luck against very good competition and a horrific run of injuries. If a pass doesn't deflect into Keon Coleman's hands or Derrick Henry doesn't fumble down the stretch in Week 1, is Harbaugh a better coach? Baltimore's rookie class isn't off to a great start, but the Ravens have brought through young talent for many years under Harbaugh with a lot of success. That has to mean something."
Barnwell noted that even future Hall of Fame coaches such as Bill Belichick and Andy Reid have not been immune to intense scrutiny. He compared Harbaugh's current situation to Reid's stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Ravens have been perennial contenders during the Lamar Jackson era, but haven't gotten over the Super Bowl hump. Reid's Eagles went to the playoffs nine times in his 14 seasons in Philadelphia and only made it to one Super Bowl, which they lost.
"Is there something innately lacking in Harbaugh that prevents the Ravens from winning a Super Bowl?" Barnwell wrote. "I'm not sure I loved that argument with Reid in Philadelphia or with any other consistent playoff-visiting coach who came up short of the Super Bowl without Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.
"Regardless, it certainly shouldn't apply to Harbaugh, who actually did win a Super Bowl. And unlike Reid, who started winning them after he landed a future Hall of Famer at quarterback, Harbaugh won his title with something less than the best version of those Ravens teams. His 10-6 squad ran through the AFC as the fourth seed, winning road games in Denver and New England along the way."
Based on One Formula, Ravens Currently Hold No. 2 Overall Pick
With the Ravens' history of success, they have become accustomed to picking near the end ofthe first round of the draft. Time will tell if that's the case this season.
NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter determined the current draft order by record, using strength of schedule as the first tiebreaker. Based on that formula, the Ravens would have the second-overall pick, which would be the highest selection in franchise history.
The highest the Ravens have picked is No. 4, in 1996 and 1997, when they selected offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden and linebacker Peter Boulware, respectively.
Reuter believes it's unlikely the Ravens will be holding a top-five pick at the end of the season, "assuming Lamar Jackson returns after the team's bye."
He ranked the Ravens' biggest needs as edge rusher, interior offensive line, tight end, defensive line, and cornerback.
Two Statistics That Help Explain Ravens' 1-5 Start
As Barnwell alluded, the Ravens' rough start can largely be attributed to a perfect storm of injuries, a brutal schedule, and some bad luck.
The Ravens also have performed at a level below their high standard. The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino identified five statistics that help explain why the Ravens are 1-5. Here's a look at two:
Zero: Quarterback hits from Ravens edge rushers
"Just days after trading Odafe Oweh to the Chargers, Baltimore's depleted edge group produced … nothing. Over 54 combined pass-rush snaps in Sunday's 17-3 loss to the Rams, Kyle Van Noy, Mike Green, David Ojabo and Tavius Robinson failed to register a single quarterback hit against veteran Matthew Stafford. To make matters worse, Robinson, who is tied with defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike for the team lead with two sacks, fractured his foot in the second quarter and will miss between 6-8 weeks, according to Harbaugh. That leaves a pass rush already thin on production scrambling for answers.
"Among the trio of healthy pass rushers, only Van Noy has registered a single sack this season. Van Noy's 14.3% pass-rush win rate ranks 42nd in the NFL, according to TruMedia."
10: Total turnovers, tied for second most in the NFL
"During [the game against the Rams], in which the Ravens finally ended their four-week takeaway drought, the team's offense wasted that effort. Sloppy execution and timely mistakes continue to play a major role in Baltimore's disappointing season."
