This team has made the playoffs in each of the first five years under Head Coach John Harbaugh with more room to improve. When it comes to the Ravens, it is very easy for some to underrate the head coach with all the star power on the football team. Given all the he does and the egos in that locker room (most healthy), he should be commended.
What doesn’t go unnoticed is John’s ability to do the little things that make the team better. Every game is treated equal, no matter the next opponent. As good and as a smart good Brian Billick was for the Ravens, there were weeks where the Ravens didn’t show it. They show it with Harbaugh. Harbaugh has been a top five coach in the NFL since he got here in 2008.
Given his history as a special teams coach and a former defensive backs coach, Harbaugh has the ability to reach out to any player on the team regardless of position. Under Billick, the locker room seemed to be divided between offense and defense.
Being the first coach in NFL history to win a playoff game in his first five years is not something to sneeze at. Taking over a 5-11 football team in 2008 from a possible rebuilding process to immediate Super Bowl contender cannot be over looked.
He has coached the team the way I always thought they should be. Have I been critical of Harbaugh at times? Yes I have, but I always knew he was one of the best coaches in the NFL. It comes with the territory.
Changing the offensive line and the firing of Cam Cameron are the things that can change a coach from good to great. The willingness to do whatever is necessary to win a championship.
Perhaps John Harbaugh’s most underrated feat is the way he handled Joe Flacco from day one. In times when the Joe didn’t play that well, he always took the necessary approach to give Flacco weapons and ease the offense for him. It is the little things that he is willing to do that distances himself from most head coaches.
Not many coaches would do that. Many are stubborn. Many would rather win their way than another way.
See the New York Jets for example.
Yeah, we almost had that guy, remember?
