The Big Lead

After another loss to the Steelers, the Ravens need to make changes

Baltimore has lost eight of its last nine to the Steelers and has just three playoff wins since its 2012 Super Bowl

By Javon Edmonds

Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh (right) talks with side judge Alonzo Ramsey II (80) against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh (right) talks with side judge Alonzo Ramsey II (80) against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Ravens have now lost eight of their last nine games to the Pittsburgh Steelers and appear headed for a Wild Card spot just one year after hosting their first AFC title game in franchise history.

With just three playoff wins since winning the Super Bowl in 2012, it's time to shake things up in Baltimore.

For years, the Ravens have lacked discipline, the ability to close games and look lost in the playoffs.

Baltimore has reached the 100-penalty mark 11 times in John Harbaugh's tenure, and are on pace to clear that number again this season. Super Bowl-winning teams, which should be the expectation with a two-time MVP under center, do not beat themselves like the Ravens do under Harbaugh.

On top of that, his hate rate on coordinators has been spotty. On the offensive side, there's been Cam Cameron, Marc Trestman, Marty Mornhinweg and Greg Roman. Now, the Ravens have a bad defense under Zach Orr, which is sacrilege to this proud franchise.

It also appears that the NFL has passed the Ravens' formula by. Every year since Baltimore won its last Super Bowl, the NFL's champion has been coached by someone with playcalling experience. The New England Patriots had Bill Belichick (defense), the Seattle Seahawks had Pete Carroll (defense), the Denver Broncos had Gary Kubiak (offense)—whom Harbaugh replaced with Trestman instead of retaining a member of Kubiak's staff after former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Joe Flacco had the best season of his career.

The Philadelphia Eagles—Harbaugh's former employer—had Doug Pederson (offense), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had Bruce Arians (offense), the Los Angeles Rams have Sean McVay (offense) and the Kansas City Chiefs have Harbaugh's old boss in Andy Reid (offense).

Almost every coach listed above called plays on the side of the ball they specialized in. If they didn't, they at least had the experience that allowed them to take the reigns from a struggling coordinator and correct the ship—something Harbaugh, a former special teams coordinator, has never been able to do.

It also allowed those coaches, especially the offensive ones, a sense of continuity on their side of the ball. Kubiak and McVay are prime examples as branches of the Mike Shanahan coaching tree. Any time an offensive coach left Shanahan, his son Kyle, Kubiak or McVay, their engines keep humming along. The same has never been true for Harbaugh's Ravens.

Perhaps the worst thing hurting Baltimore is the loss of the Ravens' identity. In the days of Ray Lewis and Reed, the Ravens got up for big games.

They showed up against the Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger lost sleep over them, not the other way around. Now, it seems Baltimore is the team losing sleep.

The Ravens don't seem to know how to beat Pittsburgh anymore, and haven't had success against Patrick Mahomes.

If the Eagles could fire Pederson not long after he won their first Super Bowl, and make it back to America's Game in Nick Sirianni's second year at the helm, Baltimore can move on from Harbaugh 12 years after winning the franchise's second title.

"Play Like a Raven" used to mean a lot at the castle in Owings Mills. Now, it seems like no one in the organization knows what that means, and it starts with the man in charge.

Baltimore came close to pulling the plug on Harbaugh in 2017, and again in 2018 before Lamar Jackson saved his job and somehow earned him an extension.

Harbaugh's $12M-per-year deal expires after next season, but waiting that long means potentially missing out on hot head coaching candidates Belichick, former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo—Baltimore's former secondary coach.

Baltimore already missed out on Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, their defensive coordinator from 2022-23, and the Ravens can't miss out an opportunity like that again. It's time to move on from John Harbaugh.