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There’s not another head coach in the NFL that I would want for the Baltimore Ravens more than John Harbaugh. But like you, sometimes the decisions he makes or doesn’t make can be infuriating.
Clock management has always been suspect and that weakness was on display in Oakland towards the ends of both the first and second halves. These guys practice the two-minute offense regularly and what they have to show for it is at best, sub par.
The in-game adjustments or the apparent lack thereof are maddening. Time and time again the Raiders bunched 3 receivers, normally to Derek Carr’s left, and ran flanker screens, challenging the Ravens suspect tacklers to make a play. They often did not.
The play that brought out the worst in my football Tourette’s took place when the Raiders faced a third and 2 – third and TWO, with the scored tied 17-17 at the 5:56 mark of the second quarter. The Ravens corners were at least 10 yards off the receivers as Carr operated out of a spread formation with an EMPTY BACKFIELD.
Naturally the result was an easy first down. Carr could have drop kicked it to either of his flankers.
And then of course there’s this overtly coy way of addressing injuries. On July 31 we were told that Breshad Perriman suffered a bruised knee and that he’d be ok. Here it is September 22nd and the only thing we’ve been told by Harbaugh is that Perriman is expected back by October.
I’m no doctor but that seems to suggest that the rumored MCL injury is accurate given the recovery time of 6-8 weeks.
Why not just admit it – Breshad has an MCL injury.
Instead, Harbaugh gives us the initial impression that Breshad’s injury is nothing that the boo-boo bunny couldn’t cure. NOW, Perriman is tagged as a soft player and I’m here to tell you, players would rather you call their mothers names before you call them soft.
Insiders have shared that the veil of secrecy when it comes to injuries and the Ravens is strategic by nature – that Harbs doesn’t want to give the opponent a competitive advantage.
NEWSFLASH!
Since Perriman’s injury the Ravens have suited up 6 times and they’ve won only once – a last second preseason win courtesy of the now departed Bryn Renner.
I know that John and his staff have forgotten more about football than I’ll ever know, but sometimes a sharp stick in the eye seems more appealing than observing the decisions that he and his staff make.
I guess we’ll call it Coaching Like a Raven.
