Have you ever had a friend or family member that you care about deeply, but you find it really hard to maintain your relationship with them? You like them, and you want to like them, but for one reason or another, it’s hard to like them, because maybe there’s a part of you that just doesn’t respect them?
That’s where I am with this iteration of the Ravens.
Hard to feel much after this game.
Far too often (especially in big games) this team just loses any identity it has established.
Numb to it.
Youre a choker until you prove you don’t choke.
— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) November 17, 2024
In January of 2023, the Ravens had just blown a double-digit lead against (guess who) Pittsburgh, and at the time, I wrote an article about how dangerous the feeling of apathy was that was creeping into the fanbase.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
During that stretch the clamoring among the fanbase to make the much-needed move of firing Greg Roman reached a fever pitch. It happened years too late, but at the end of that season, the Ravens finally announced that they were parting ways with their OC, and the results on the offensive side of the ball have shown that it was long overdue. The improvement the following season was incremental at times, but it allowed Lamar Jackson to capture another MVP after returning to form. It reinforced that the hard decision is sometimes the right one.
There will be no shortage of hard decisions to make for the remainder of the season, and in the offseason beyond it.
Ravens Special Teams EPA according to Pro Football Reference was -10.67 vs. Steelers.
That puts their total of EPA at -34.43 on the season
(If I'm doing this right, I'm new to the EPA stuff)— Kyle Phoenix (@KylePBarber) November 18, 2024
John Harbaugh says he's proud of his guys and they'll "look at everything" to figure out what went wrong. I mean, he hasn't said that yet, but he will in 20 minutes or so. #RavensFlock
— UK Ravens (@UKRavens) November 17, 2024
I’m not going to sit here and act like success at the level of professional sports is easy. There’s a reason that it’s such a euphoric payoff when your team wins a title, because championships are so elusive, and for every fanbase that gets to feel that at the end of a year, there are 31 others ending their seasons in disappointment. But when you know you have the pieces, when you have by far one of the best players in the entire league at the most important position, and you not only fail to execute in the biggest circumstances, but do it over and over again, is it any surprise that people check out?
It’s just frustrating because the ravens losses are the same each time
One phase just completely and utterly eats itself alive and the other parts of the team left standing has to try and carry weight
Can’t remember a time we’ve lost in recent memory and it wasn’t some bs going…
— Yuri (@Yuri_Ravens) November 17, 2024
I can give you any number of frustrating statistics like we always have coming out of games like this. Did you know Derrick Henry has no touches in the fourth quarter (that weren’t negated by penalty)? Did you know all three of Lamar Jackson’s interceptions this season have come off of the hands of his own receivers? Did you know the Ravens are 0-2 in games that Odafe Oweh records 2.5 sacks?
Now let me ask you this: does knowing any of that make you feel any better about where we are?
Probably not, because the people who have the power to do anything about it can’t, or won’t, or don’t have the necessary willpower. The experience of watching this group that’s so talented, that’s worked so hard to win games and be a competitor in this league, continue to be Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill is excruciating. And as a fanbase, we’re right there with them, because we care too much to just walk away.
Ghosts of season’s past have drawn fear in the Ravens’ fanbase. Hope is being engulfed by familiar fears.https://t.co/TqnOJTdVYI
— Kyle Phoenix (@KylePBarber) November 18, 2024
This is going to sound like a tangent, but bear with me. I’m a big horror movie guy (I know, why watch scary movies when you can just watch Ravens football?), and what I’ve found is true in writing a good horror movie, maybe more than in any other genre is that the ending has to be good. Sure, you can get some cheap thrills with jump scares, but a horror plot could be exceedingly well-written just for it to be unraveled by a stupid ending, and then you come away feeling disappointed because the writers couldn’t land the plane. As important as 90% of the film is, it’s nothing if you don’t have that 10% figured out.
For years, the Ravens have more or less had the 90% figured out. It’s the 10% that’s vexed them, and the more often you watch movies with a disappointing ending, the more you start to contemplate skipping the next blockbuster.
9 Responses
One dynamic is eminently clear…..John Harbaugh is still HC! Factor that into your equation and it represents a lot more than 10%! With all the coaching/personnel changes over the last 16 plus years, nothing has changed at the top! So, when you continue doing the same things over and over again and expect different results, that’s…….insanity!
The part that’s missed is that because our HC has such great character he let’s his assistant coaches excel and move on. He never gets in the way of that. There is certainly something to be said for being selfless like that. And I’m gonna say it; Have you lost your freaking mind!?
The best damn sports writers in sports today (Toni Lombardi and Darin McCann) have published articles in relationship to my point already. Toni wrote one “The Brain Drain is Real”. And it’s a great article, if you haven’t read it, you should. Their point and mine is the same. We are victims of our own success in some ways and in others Harbaugh is kookoo for letting that much defensive coaching talent leave in one season.
No one would ever question his character; it’s his coaching, particularly on game days, that is the problem! It hasn’t changed and is not likely to……
History repeats itself. We have already seen this movie before. Maybe we need to change the script.
Why are so many surprised. As long as the owner is content then we are bound for more bad endings.
Armchairq you have been all over this for as long as i can remember. The same problems come from the same coach. New year, same coach, same kinds of losses. Everybody is so quick to say “well where would you find a new coach?!” I know they don’t grow on trees, but whoever heard of John Harbaugh before he landed with the Ravens? Without question Harbs creates a great atmosphere. But when it comes to all the intracacies of winning (especially big games) the Ravens seem so ill-prepared. I do applaud the new safety tandem. Ardarius played safety at SMU. And the defense (as they played in last year’s AFC Cahmpionship game — they balled out. But the tone of the offense that always seems to stall.
I was gonna write something deep and meaningful but what.the he’ll. I’m so fed up with the same shit every year. We have the talent but are ill prepared and lack the fire that used to be.. pass the Tylenol..
Can we please get over the “identity” BS? I expect better from Cole Jackson and the RSR staff.
This crap is everywhere, from Cowherd the Great on down. It has to stop, because it’s dumb and backward looking.
But, since we’re playing—
Here is the identity of the rest of the Division: they play a softer schedule and get higher draft picks because they collectively sucked last year.
The identity of the Conference? Mr. State Farm interception king? Josh the hype machine who the Ravens thumped?
The NFC, weak as your father-in-law’s home brew? A couple of tough games a year? In Domes? Oooooh
Here’s the skinny: The singular LJ8 has to USE his talents meet the opportunity of the moment. And the kicker can’t choke in the big moments, especially down the stretch. The rest is negotiable and will change week-to week, with circumstance.
Because the only identity that matters is being a winner. Period.
The same types of losses year after year to teams less talented than the Ravens. Harbs is a great motivator, but he is consistently out-coached and many times has no clue how to manage games. Correct me if I’m wrong, but he is the only NFL head coach that is neither an offensive or defensive coordinator (zac taylor was a QB coach). If there is no SB this year, Harbs needs to go. Otherwise, the same sad song is being played by Bisciotti while Lamar, Flowers, Bateman, Hamilton, etc rot away their talents.
Many have already said it and im going to aswell- JOHN HARBAUGH issue!!
EDC has delivered him arguably the most talented rosters in the AFC atleast in recent years, and whenever they play Andy Reid or Tomlin( especially as a favorite) they get upset and out coached. Because the only tool in his coaching tool box is motivation&Rah Rah. Well that works when you are the underdog and you are the lesser team. Ravens have a HOF QB and studs everywhere, they aren’t going to be underdog to anybody except KC in KC probably. So your HeadCoah and no.1 assistant this case Monken have to make difference in game. Not negatively like Harbaugh did Sunday. Calling Timeout before half leading to a turnover instead of going into half with a lead. Things like that is the difference I’m winning big games