Ravens Prioritize Lamar Jackson Over Coach John Harbaugh - Episode Hero Image

Ravens Prioritize Lamar Jackson Over Coach John Harbaugh

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TL;DR

  • Firing John Harbaugh was a strategic move to prioritize Lamar Jackson's future, as the team believed a 29-year-old quarterback in his prime offers more long-term value than a 62-year-old coach.
  • The Ravens' decision to fire Harbaugh was driven by a perceived disconnect and lack of communication between him and Lamar Jackson, impacting the team's ability to succeed.
  • Underachievement and blown fourth-quarter leads over the past three seasons, which are typically coaching indicators, contributed to the Ravens' decision to move on from Harbaugh.
  • Lamar Jackson's availability and performance in the postseason are critical, as he has missed 17 regular-season games in the last seven years, significantly fewer than Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow in comparable periods.
  • The Eagles' controversial decision to rest starters in the final regular-season game was a calculated risk to prioritize player health, aiming for a repeat of their Super Bowl runs achieved with highly healthy rosters.
  • Josh Allen faces immense pressure to advance in the playoffs, as losing to a less respected Jaguars team would amplify questions about his inability to overcome AFC rivals like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow.
  • The Ravens' firing of John Harbaugh, a long-tenured coach, reflects a broader trend of increased coaching turnover in the NFL, where stability is becoming increasingly rare.
  • Mike Tomlin's six-game playoff losing streak, with his defense allowing 38 points per game and a 18:1 TD-to-interception ratio against opposing quarterbacks, raises concerns about his postseason coaching effectiveness.

Deep Dive

The Baltimore Ravens' decision to fire head coach John Harbaugh represents a calculated gamble prioritizing their franchise quarterback, Lamar Jackson, over a long-tenured coach, aiming to reset the team's trajectory and unlock future success. This move, while risky, is seen as necessary to address systemic issues of underachievement, blown leads, and a perceived disconnect between Harbaugh and Jackson, fueled by ongoing availability and communication concerns regarding injuries. The implications are significant: Lamar Jackson now shoulders immense pressure to deliver a Super Bowl, while the organization faces the challenge of finding a new coach who can effectively manage a star quarterback and navigate a rapidly evolving NFL coaching landscape.

The Ravens' decision to part ways with John Harbaugh stems from a multi-year pattern of underperformance relative to expectations, marked by a failure to advance deep into the playoffs despite high seeds and Super Bowl aspirations. More critically, the relationship between Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson appeared strained, evidenced by public injury reporting discrepancies and a lack of clear communication. This disconnect, coupled with Jackson's impending contract negotiations, made retaining both untenable. The firing signals a clear organizational choice to build around Jackson, who is perceived as having greater long-term value and potential, despite his own playoff performance questions. The subsequent search for a new coach will be pivotal, requiring a leader who can not only manage the team but also effectively connect with and maximize Jackson's elite talent.

The broader NFL coaching environment is characterized by increasing turnover and a shift away from long-tenured coaches. Mike Tomlin's comments highlight this trend, suggesting that stability is becoming a rarity, with owners more inclined to make changes for entertainment or perceived improvement. This creates a volatile market for coaches, where even successful individuals like Harbaugh can be let go. The Ravens' move, while potentially regrettable if they falter, aligns with this broader shift, emphasizing the paramount importance of securing a franchise quarterback's future and aligning the coaching staff with their vision. The success of new coaching hires like Matt LaFleur with Aaron Rodgers offers a model for this transition, but the inherent risk of cycling through coaches remains a significant concern for NFL teams.

Action Items

  • Audit coaching turnover impact: Analyze 5-10 teams that replaced long-tenured coaches to identify common patterns in performance and stability (ref: Harbaugh firing discussion).
  • Develop quarterback-coach communication protocol: Draft guidelines for injury reporting and severity assessment to ensure clear communication between coach and quarterback (ref: Lamar Jackson injury report issues).
  • Implement player availability tracking: Establish a system to monitor player availability and participation in practices to ensure consistent team readiness (ref: Lamar Jackson's varied participation).
  • Create a post-game performance review template: Design a standardized format for analyzing team performance, focusing on root causes of blown leads and underachievement (ref: Ravens' blown leads and underachievement).
  • Design a proactive player development program: Outline a plan to enhance passing efficiency and reduce reliance on running for quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson (ref: Lamar Jackson's passing improvement discussion).

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"This is not about Harbaugh not being a good coach. Obviously, I've said it, you know, guys know I've been saying for a couple of years his seat should be hot. And I said as soon as he's fired, he'll get a job whenever he wants it. And obviously, he's in high demand. He's the number one guy on the market right now. But they absolutely made the right move. It had to be done."

The speaker argues that firing John Harbaugh was the correct decision, despite his effectiveness as a coach. This perspective suggests that Harbaugh's departure was inevitable due to underlying issues, and his immediate high demand indicates his value in the coaching market. The assertion that "it had to be done" implies a necessary change for the organization.

"The biggest reason it was the right move to fire John Harbaugh was because they, I think, correctly chose their 29-year-old quarterback over their 62-year-old head coach. It was not going to be tenable to run it back with this coach-quarterback combo, barring a, I don't want to say miraculous like it was impossible, but a playoff run that rebonded those two guys."

This quote highlights a strategic decision by the organization to prioritize their young quarterback, Lamar Jackson, over their veteran head coach, John Harbaugh. The speaker believes this choice was correct because the existing coach-quarterback dynamic was unsustainable without a significant, perhaps improbable, playoff success to mend the relationship.

"I have very good reason to believe from what I would call circumstantial evidence and real information that bringing back John Harbaugh was not going to land well at all with Lamar Jackson. That is not just because he didn't give him the vote of confidence at the end, and it was this relationship and whatever. I don't know if I want to call it mistrust, but had been brewing all year, right out in the open via publicly available injury reports, availability designations, and practice schedules, and Lamar's missing of Wednesday practices for different injuries, and then for an illness, and then for a rest day, and then having a full participant in practice, and then missing a game, which again, we saw him get hurt."

The speaker posits that Lamar Jackson's relationship with John Harbaugh had deteriorated significantly over the season, evidenced by public information regarding injury reports and practice participation. This suggests a lack of trust or communication between the coach and quarterback, making Harbaugh's return untenable for Jackson.

"The hope for the Ravens is exactly the Matt LaFleur, Aaron Rodgers piece. You are coming off the worst year of Rodgers' career up to that point, his last year with McCarthy. You were a, now he had won a Super Bowl, I understand, and Lamar hasn't, but he had won MVPs. He was coming off a bad year. It felt like it had gotten stale with a Super Bowl-winning coach. You bring in Matt LaFleur, and all of a sudden, and it, right, and this is, this is, I think, pretty universally accepted as the best opening of a job since that one."

This quote draws a parallel between the Ravens' situation and the Green Bay Packers' coaching change from Mike McCarthy to Matt LaFleur, hoping for a similar revitalization. The speaker suggests that even with a successful coach, a relationship can become stale, and a new offensive mind like LaFleur could reignite a star quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, implying a similar potential for Lamar Jackson.

"The biggest reason it was the right move to fire John Harbaugh was because they, I think, correctly chose their 29-year-old quarterback over their 62-year-old head coach."

This statement directly asserts that the primary justification for firing John Harbaugh was the team's decision to prioritize their younger, 29-year-old quarterback, Lamar Jackson, over their older, 62-year-old head coach. The speaker frames this as a correct strategic choice by the organization.

"The pressure is to break through. Coach, well, coach, quickly, I would say he, um, Harbaugh has been like the target for like these last few years, even though people like you have said rightly that Lamar has struggled at times in the playoffs and he's made some mistakes. Harbaugh's been like the one that's going to get the blame. Certainly amongst the, I think now, unless this new coach is horrific, which they wouldn't even be in the playoffs if that's the case. But assuming this is a good coach, they're, they're back to being a contender. Lamar now becomes the number one target. He's, he's caught some bullets already, but he becomes like the number, if they don't get it done, you're not looking at the coach anymore. They're going to be looking at Lamar."

The speaker explains that with John Harbaugh gone, the focus and pressure to achieve playoff success will now squarely fall on Lamar Jackson. While Harbaugh previously absorbed some of the blame for playoff shortcomings, the expectation is that any future failures will be attributed directly to Jackson, especially if the new coaching staff is competent.

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "The Last House on the Left" - Mentioned in relation to a song lyric.

People

  • John Harbaugh - Former head coach of the Ravens, subject of discussion regarding his firing.
  • Lamar Jackson - Ravens quarterback, central to the discussion about Harbaugh's firing and future contract negotiations.
  • Trevor Lawrence - Jaguars quarterback, mentioned in relation to his grills and performance.
  • Janis - Player mentioned in relation to a potential Knicks trade.
  • LeBron - Player mentioned in relation to a game against Wemby.
  • Luka - Player mentioned in relation to a game against Wemby.
  • Wemby - Player mentioned in relation to a game against LeBron.
  • Eli - Player mentioned in relation to the Giants' coaching changes.
  • Tom Brady - Former Patriots quarterback, mentioned in relation to the "Let's Go" podcast and his coaching history.
  • Aaron Rodgers - Packers quarterback, mentioned in relation to coaching changes and his performance.
  • Joe Burrow - Bengals quarterback, discussed in relation to availability and playoff performance.
  • Patrick Mahomes - Chiefs quarterback, discussed in relation to playoff performance and coaching stability.
  • Josh Allen - Bills quarterback, discussed in relation to playoff performance and team potential.
  • Steve Young - Player mentioned as a comparison for running quarterbacks.
  • Randall Cunningham - Player mentioned as a comparison for running quarterbacks.
  • Michael Vick - Player mentioned as a comparison for running quarterbacks.
  • Derek Henry - Ravens running back, mentioned for his performance since joining the team.
  • Saquon Barkley - Player mentioned in relation to a potential record and his current team.
  • Joe Flacco - Player mentioned in relation to breaking down the playoffs.
  • Kirk Cousins - Player mentioned in relation to potentially joining the NFL from college.
  • Bill Belichick - Former Patriots coach, discussed in relation to his tenure and the team's transition.
  • Pete Carroll - Coach mentioned in relation to team transitions.
  • Sean Payton - Coach mentioned in relation to team transitions.
  • Tom Coughlin - Coach mentioned in relation to team transitions.
  • Chip Kelly - Coach mentioned in relation to the Eagles' coaching history.
  • Andy Reid - Chiefs coach, discussed in relation to his tenure and potential retirement.
  • Mike Tomlin - Steelers coach, discussed in relation to his tenure and playoff performance.
  • Don Shula - Coach mentioned as an example of longevity.
  • Tom Landry - Coach mentioned as an example of longevity.
  • Billick - Former Ravens coach.
  • Ba Shady - Owner mentioned in relation to the Ravens' coaching hires.
  • Jesse Minter - Coach mentioned as a potential Ravens head coach candidate.
  • Flores - Coach mentioned as a potential Ravens head coach candidate.
  • Cliff Kingsbury - Coach mentioned as a potential OC candidate.
  • Mike LaFleur - Coach mentioned as a potential OC and head coach candidate.
  • Anthony Weaver - Coach mentioned as a potential Ravens head coach candidate.
  • Clint Kubiak - Coach mentioned as a potential Ravens head coach candidate.
  • Carson Wentz - Player mentioned in relation to the Eagles' draft decisions.
  • Nick Foles - Player mentioned in relation to the Eagles' Super Bowl win.
  • Doug Peterson - Coach mentioned in relation to the Eagles' Super Bowl win.
  • Matt Rhule - Coach mentioned in relation to the Panthers.
  • Christian McCaffrey - Player mentioned in relation to the 49ers.
  • Brock Purdy - 49ers quarterback, discussed in relation to the Eagles game.
  • Jalen Hurts - Eagles quarterback, discussed in relation to his playoff performance and MVP case.
  • AJ Brown - Eagles player, mentioned in relation to potential comments.
  • Lane Johnson - Eagles player, mentioned in relation to practice status.
  • Howie Roseman - Eagles executive, mentioned in relation to coaching decisions.
  • Jeffrey Lurie - Eagles owner, mentioned in relation to coaching decisions.
  • Danny - Person mentioned in relation to the Packers and Bears game.
  • Josh McDaniels - Coach mentioned in relation to Drake Maye.
  • Tomlinson - Coach mentioned in relation to Drake Maye.
  • Geno Smith - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Tua - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Baker Mayfield - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Jordan Love - Packers quarterback, discussed in relation to Matt LaFleur.
  • CJ Stroud - Texans quarterback, discussed in relation to his performance and MVP case.
  • Josh Hines Allen - Player mentioned in relation to Josh Allen.
  • Willie Colon - Person mentioned in relation to MVP race.
  • Coach Man Genie - Person mentioned in relation to MVP race.
  • Adrian Peterson - Player mentioned in relation to MVP vote comparison.
  • Peyton Manning - Player mentioned in relation to MVP vote comparison and Super Bowl win.
  • Matthew Stafford - Rams quarterback, discussed in relation to his MVP case.
  • Puka Nacua - Rams player, mentioned in relation to Stafford's MVP case.
  • Devante Adams - Player mentioned in relation to Stafford's MVP case.
  • Sean McVay - Rams coach, discussed in relation to Stafford's MVP case.
  • Brad Stevens - Coach mentioned in relation to college to pro transitions.
  • Saban - Coach mentioned in relation to college to pro transitions.
  • Jameson Hensley - Reporter, mentioned for reporting on Harbaugh and Jackson.
  • Mike McCarthy - Coach mentioned in relation to Rodgers and the Packers.
  • John Elway - Player mentioned in relation to Super Bowl wins.
  • Peyton - Player mentioned in relation to Super Bowl wins.
  • Ben Johnson - Bears coach, mentioned in relation to Super Bowl aspirations.
  • Cole Kmet - Bears player, mentioned in relation to Super Bowl aspirations.
  • Caleb - Player mentioned in relation to the Bears game.
  • Rich Eisen - Person mentioned in relation to Mike Tomlin's comments.
  • Miles Jack - Player mentioned in relation to the Jaguars.
  • Blake Bortles - Player mentioned in relation to the Jaguars.
  • Whitely - Person mentioned in relation to the Jaguars.
  • Geno - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Tua - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Baker - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Rodgers - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Lamar - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Justin Herbert - Chargers quarterback, discussed in relation to his performance and MVP case.
  • Spencer Rattler - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Michael Penix - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Dylan Gabriel - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Kyle Shanahan - Coach mentioned in relation to coaching longevity.
  • Carson Palmer - Player mentioned in relation to the Raiders.
  • Jim Harbaugh - Person mentioned in relation to his brother John and coaching.
  • Andy Reid - Chiefs coach, mentioned in relation to his tenure and potential retirement.
  • Colin Cowherd - Person mentioned in relation to John Harbaugh's appearance.
  • Tomlin - Coach mentioned in relation to the Steelers.
  • Pegulas - Owners mentioned in relation to the Bills.
  • Sam Darnold - Player mentioned in relation to the Seahawks and Patriots.
  • Matthew Stafford - Rams quarterback, discussed in relation to his MVP case.
  • Puka Nacua - Rams player, mentioned in relation to Stafford's MVP case.
  • Devante Adams - Player mentioned in relation to Stafford's MVP case.
  • Sean McVay - Rams coach, discussed in relation to Stafford's MVP case.
  • Carson Wentz - Player mentioned in relation to the Eagles' draft decisions.
  • Nick Foles - Player mentioned in relation to the Eagles' Super Bowl win.
  • Doug Peterson - Coach mentioned in relation to the Eagles' Super Bowl win.
  • Matt LaFleur - Packers coach, discussed in relation to Jordan Love and potential job changes.
  • Brian Harline - Agent mentioned in relation to Matt LaFleur.
  • Kevin Harline - Broadcaster mentioned in relation to Brian Harline.
  • Bob Harline - Person mentioned in relation to Brian Harline.
  • Kyle Pitts - Player mentioned in relation to the Falcons.
  • Penix - Player mentioned in relation to the Giants.
  • Cousins - Player mentioned in relation to the Giants.
  • Raheem Morris - Coach mentioned in relation to the Falcons.
  • Zach Taylor - Bengals coach, discussed in relation to John Harbaugh.
  • Jamar Chase - Bengals player, mentioned in relation to John Harbaugh.
  • Aaron Rodgers - Packers quarterback, mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Geno Smith - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Tua - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Baker Mayfield - Player mentioned in relation to the Patriots' performance.
  • Josh Allen - Bills quarterback, discussed in relation to his playoff performance and team potential.
  • Josh Allen - Player mentioned in relation to the Bills and Jaguars matchup.
  • Josh Hines Allen - Player mentioned in relation to Josh Allen.
  • Willie Colon - Person mentioned in relation to MVP race.
  • Coach Man Genie - Person mentioned in relation to MVP race.
  • Adrian Peterson - Player mentioned in relation to MVP vote comparison.
  • Peyton Manning - Player mentioned in relation to MVP vote comparison and Super Bowl win.
  • Matthew Stafford - Rams quarterback, discussed in relation to his MVP case.
  • Puka Nacua - Rams player, mentioned in relation to Stafford's MVP case.
  • Devante Adams - Player mentioned in relation to Stafford's MVP case.
  • Sean McVay - Rams coach, discussed in relation to Stafford's MVP case.
  • Brad Stevens - Coach mentioned in relation to college to pro transitions.
  • Saban - Coach mentioned in relation to college to pro transitions.
  • Jameson Hensley - Reporter, mentioned for reporting on Harbaugh and Jackson.
  • Mike McCarthy - Coach mentioned in relation to Rodgers and the Packers.
  • John Elway - Player mentioned in relation to Super Bowl wins.
  • Peyton - Player mentioned in relation to Super Bowl wins.
  • Ben Johnson - Bears coach, mentioned in relation to Super Bowl aspirations.
  • Cole Kmet - Bears player, mentioned in relation to Super Bowl aspirations.
  • Caleb - Player mentioned in relation to the

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