Welcome to Baltimore Beatdown’s Week 15 mailbag. Apologies for taking so long to answer your last set of questions, but here they are! Submit more in the comments below and/or be on the look out for our next post seeking questions!
Make some predictions! How many wins and losses for the rest of the regular season? If you project them to make the playoffs, which seed and who do they play in the first round? (ursula)
Ursula, this was a tough question when you first asked it. The Ravens were in the middle
of their win streak and appeared to be turning things around. But the problems with the offense remained, making the end of their season the true test of those perceived improvements. The defense put in a valiant effort against the Bengals but was let down by their offense, and neither side of the ball could put together a solid game against the Steelers.
So, with that context and the Ravens’ remaining opponents (CIN, NE, GB, PIT), they seem destined to miss the playoffs. If they make it at all, they will likely have won out and be 10-7. If they beat the Steelers, 9-8 feels possible. That would position Baltimore as the No. 4 seed with a wide range of potential opponents as the top wild card. The Chargers and the Bills feel like the two most likely options, and it’s hard to see the Ravens beating either.
Does Harbaugh have any say in game day play-calling, and if he does, why doesn’t he step in to correct clear in-game issues? In that same vein, will the coordinators cost Harbaugh his job? (BMore Champs)
BMoreChamps, these are all good questions that I will try to answer as succinctly as possible. First, if Harbaugh gets fired, I don’t think the coordinators will have ‘cost’ him his job. At the end of the day, the buck stops with the head coach, especially when this year seems to be a team-wide failure.
As for play-calling, I hear this question a lot. The first thing to know is that Harbaugh does not have much (if any) experience as the primary play-caller for either side of the ball. But, obviously, he plays a major role in the game planning and strategy each game. I agree that he could do a better job of stepping in and steering his coordinators’ play-calling based on the game situation, though. Sticking with the run and soft zone coverage in end-of-half scenarios are two examples that come to mind. And while I do not think every head coach has to be a play-caller, that is a worthwhile consideration for future hires, whether it’s at head coach or coordinator.
What do you really think about Todd Monken? Was the offense’s success in the past few years more a result of the roster than the play-calling? (The zone27)
There is no doubt Monken was a major part of the Ravens’ offensive success in 2023 and 2024. He was a clear improvement over Greg Roman, though, as you note, he was dealing with a better set of weapons than Greg Roman ever had. Monken’s scripted drives consistently produced points (often TDs) and his overall game-planning against each specific opponent was excellent. He also found the right ways to incorporate each players’ specific skillsets into his scheme.
This issue with his offense is that it works best with five-man protections rather than keeping in TEs and RBs all the time. The Ravens’ offensive line isn’t built for that, so sometimes, there are simply not enough pass-catchers for Jackson to target, especially as a release valve underneath. After last year’s success, it makes sense that Monken would be confident in a largely-unchanged unit, but he has struggled to adjust to the team’s issues this year. The offensive line, more than anything else, seems to be thwarting him at every time, but he’s still the offensive coordinator, so he bears some responsibility there.
What are the odds that both the Steelers and Ravens have new head coaches next season after an almost 20 year tenure? How could that affect the culture of these two teams and ultimately the rivalry? (CrabbyDave)
Apologies, CrabbyDave. it would have been ideal to answer this question before the two teams’ Week 15 matchup, but I think that game outcome offered some information, too. The first is that neither team, as they are currently built and performing, is a Super Bowl contender. Both franchises value stability and believe in making the playoffs every year. So if either misses it – Harbaugh with a healthy Lamar Jackson and Mike Tomlinson with his best quarterback in years – there is reason to think they will be fired. But again, prioritizing stability and continuity can, for better or worse, lead to a bigger impact of loyalty. The Steelers and the Ravens may not want to ‘fire,’ their coaches, neither one seems likely to retire, and both would likely receive interest elsewhere.
That’s why I think a trade might be the ideal outcome. I could see Tomlin in Tennessee and Harbaugh in New York, and other gigs will likely come available, too. Harbaugh’s connections to Michigan have already been discussed in the wake of Sherrone Moore’s firing. The Saints sent Sean Payton and a third-round pick to Denver for first- and second-rounders; that kind of return would be great for the Ravens and the Steelers.
If Harbaugh and Tomlin were to move on, that would obviously change the dynamic of the teams’ cultures and rivalry. However, both new coaches will be determined to set a strong tone against the other early in their tenures, which will likely keep the gritty, competitive nature of their matchups as a constant.
