Ever since the Baltimore Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson in 2018, they have been eagerly waiting to cash in on what they believe to be a surefire Super Bowl ticket. Since then, the Ravens have recorded six 10+ win seasons and have only missed the playoffs twice. This season was even expected to be the one.
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In the preseason, the Ravens were booked as the betting favorites to win it all. Today, however, they stand with a losing record for the season, and just three playoff wins, one AFC Championship appearance to show for all of the Jackson-led brilliance and potential.
Thanks to a mixture of bad luck with injuries, poor play calling, and even worse roster management, the Ravens have failed to capitalize on one of the most gifted quarterbacks of the modern era. And as a result, their long-time head coach, John Harbaugh, has now been fired.
“It felt stale to me,” Skip Bayless said in response to the news. “18 years in Baltimore… Over the last 14 years, eight of those 14, they did miss the playoffs… This was a long time coming.”
Bayless then referred to the Baltimore Sun’s infamous column, the one that labeled Jackson as “an overgrown kid in an adult’s body” who falls “asleep during team meetings” as a result of long nights “playing video games.” The analyst added that “Harbaugh had been clashing with the star quarterback behind the scenes for quite some time.”
In the end, the team’s owner was forced to decide between the two of them, and they apparently sided with Jackson.
“It was a gutsy, ballsy, courageous decision,” Bayless exclaimed. “We need a change at the top. I don’t hate John Harbaugh… But he needed a change of scenery, and they needed a change of scenery. Wherever he lands, he’ll be very good.”
The Cleveland Browns have become the immediate favorites to become Harbaugh’s next employer. But the 63-year-old has not indicated what his plans for the future are. Instead, in his parting message to the city of Baltimore, Harbaugh simply chose to express his “gratitude” and “appreciation” for the team’s owner, the Ravens organization, and the “author and finisher of our faith.” He was, in fact, spiritual in his reaction.
“All is well with my soul because of the Good God who guides and sustains me,” Harbaugh wrote, capping off nearly two full decades of service.
Moving forward, things are expected to be a lot different on the Ravens’ sideline, and that’s not just because of Harbaugh’s exit.
The veteran head coach had reportedly refused to let go of Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, before his firing. And it’s since been reported that Monken is a potential interviewee for the Cleveland Browns’ head coach search.
So, for better or worse, it seems as if the Ravens will be rehiring for not one, but two, of their most prominent coaching positions. Whether or not this type of overhaul will cure their postseason ailments is anyone’s guess. But what has been made clear is the fact that mediocrity will no longer be tolerated in the city of Baltimore.
