He was asked multiple questions about kicker Justin Tucker’s ongoing struggles, Diontae Johnson’s uncertain status, injured and inactive players, and potential changes to an offensive line that struggled mightily in Sunday’s 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh was even asked Monday whether his team had shown enough physicality against some of its tougher opponents this season.
Most of the questions in his lone news conference of the Ravens’ bye week were about areas of uncertainty or concern. Yet, before he exited the team auditorium, Harbaugh wanted to make one thing clear.
“I’m not down on our guys at all,” he said. “I’m not disappointed. I’m not worried. I’m excited. We’ve got a bunch of tough, competitive fighters that want to be the best they can be.”
Ravens players reported to the Under Armour Performance Center Monday for meetings and film study. With 13 games down and a stretch of three in 11 days waiting for them after the bye, they’re getting the rest of the week off before returning to the team facility on Monday to start preparations for a matchup against the struggling New York Giants.
Harbaugh and his coaching staff, meanwhile, will spend the week scouting upcoming opponents and reviewing “every aspect” of the team. There are plenty of things there to keep them busy. The Ravens are 8-5 and currently occupy the AFC’s sixth seed, but they’ve lost two of their last three to fall a game and a half behind the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could improve to 10-3 by beating the last-place Cleveland Browns at home Sunday.
The Ravens have had one of the best offenses in the league for much of the year, but Todd Monken’s group has plateaued a bit and struggled in two of the past three weeks against two of the league’s better defenses. Defensively, the Ravens are in the middle of their best stretch of the season, yet there are still areas where improvement is needed and skepticism is warranted. Partly, but not solely because of Tucker’s issues, special teams has been a major disappointment just about all year.
“There are certain things we want to look at — special teams. There are things on offense and things on defense that we want to look at, in terms of what we can create to be ready for what’s in front of us,” Harbaugh said. “I’m happy with the first part of the season. It’s not perfect, I’d like to have a few more wins, but I’m glad we have the wins that we have. Every goal that we have is in front of us, and we have the team to do it. Bill Parcells had a great quote. He said, ‘The season starts after Thanksgiving.’ What a truth for the teams that are still in it, and we’re one of those teams.”
This could be a critical stretch for Harbaugh, the team’s 17th-year head coach. It’s already been a challenging year in a lot of ways. The departure of defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and key assistants Anthony Weaver and Dennard Wilson forced Harbaugh to reconstruct his defensive staff this offseason. Until the last few weeks, it’s been a struggle for the defense as a whole. The August death of offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris left Harbaugh without a trusted coach and confidante.
Baltimore rebounded from an 0-2 start despite facing a challenging schedule, but recent poor performances in Pittsburgh and at home against Philadelphia have led to questions about the Ravens’ validity as Super Bowl contenders and haven’t left a ton of margin for error entering the final four regular-season games. It also appears that if the Ravens are going to make a Super Bowl run, they’re going to have to do it largely on the road.
Meanwhile, outside criticism of Harbaugh is probably at — or at least close to — its highest during his tenure. That’s not to say Harbaugh will necessarily be on the hot seat if the Ravens falter down the stretch. The only one who can put him there is owner Steve Bisciotti, who has a strong relationship with his longtime head coach. Bisciotti doesn’t often talk to reporters and keeps things very close to the vest, so his thoughts on how this season has unfolded and the state of the team are unclear.
Regardless, there will be a ton of pressure on Harbaugh, his staff and quarterback Lamar Jackson to make an extended run, particularly after the team played poorly in a home AFC championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in January. Since winning Super Bowl XLVII, the Ravens have had three postseason wins in six trips to the playoffs.
Jackson’s record in the playoffs is 2-4, and his struggles in postseason games is probably the one blemish on his growing resume. This year, in particular, the Ravens probably have their best offense with Jackson at the helm and a worthy sidekick in Derrick Henry. It certainly would feel like a missed opportunity if Baltimore didn’t have postseason success.
Yet, Harbaugh faces a delicate dance on several other fronts before the playoffs even begin. Tucker’s status is probably the most challenging situation to navigate. The kicker is one of the franchise’s all-time best performers and has a very close relationship with Harbaugh and other decision-makers in the organization. The Ravens have vowed to stick with Tucker through his struggles, and he’s certainly earned the benefit of the doubt and some grace.
However, his role in the team’s five losses can neither be denied nor understated. Eight of Tucker’s career-high 10 missed kicks (eight field goals, two extra points) have come in one-possession losses. Ravens players have publicly backed Tucker. Nobody has been more vocal than Jackson. Still, Harbaugh runs the risk of alienating the locker room by sticking with Tucker if he continues to miss kicks, particularly after Baltimore has already benched or moved on from other underperforming veterans.
“If it was a one-fix thing, it would be easy. It’s definitely not,” Harbaugh said. “He is kicking really well in practice; he’s kicking really well in pregame. So, you know that the physical ability is there — it’s just a matter of doing it. And that’s what he said to me this morning, ‘I know what I have to do, I just have to do it in those situations.’ That’s what it really boils down to.”
There are other personnel issues for Harbaugh to manage, too. One of them was addressed Wednesday when the Ravens suspended Johnson, the acquisition from the Carolina Panthers, for one game for conduct detrimental to the team. Per the Ravens, Johnson, who clearly hasn’t been happy about his minimal role since the trade, refused to play during the loss to the Eagles.
The Ravens declined further comment on the matter. It remains to be seen whether there’s a path forward for the Ravens and Johnson. Is he willing to be contrite and embrace a reserve role? Will teammates embrace his return even though they know he refused to play? It’s a delicate balance for the Ravens, deciding whether it’s worth it to keep a talented player who might be able to help them during the stretch run, or if it’s best to move on. Either way, Harbaugh will have to deal with the fallout. Johnson is also not the first Raven to gripe about playing time this year.
Veteran safety Eddie Jackson wasn’t happy with his reduced role earlier in the season. How he handled it resulted in him being kept home from Pittsburgh and ultimately released. Fellow safety Marcus Williams, whose $18 million salary-cap figure is the third highest on the team, was benched in Cleveland for his play. He returned as a starter for two weeks, but he then was put back on the bench after the Ravens gave up 34 points in Week 10 versus Cincinnati — and he was made a healthy scratch for the Eagles game.
Harbaugh, defensive coordinator Zach Orr and defensive pass game coordinator/assistant head coach Chris Hewitt have all praised how Williams has handled the demotion and gone about his business. Still, the locker room dynamic bears watching. Harbaugh and the Ravens typically do a good job of keeping these matters in-house, but three established veterans getting benched — one getting released and one getting suspended — is not an annual occurrence for this team.
That’s not to suggest there’s a locker room problem. In fact, veteran leader Marlon Humphrey attributed the improved play of the defense to players being held accountable for poor performances.
“The message kind of became a little bit clear: ‘If you want to play ball, then we’ll get you out there, but if you don’t, you’re going to have to sit on the sideline,’” Humphrey said. “I think guys responded really well to what was being preached amongst the coaches, amongst the players, and we’re holding guys more accountable now.”
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The bye week is also an opportunity for Harbaugh and his staff to ponder other personnel changes. Harbaugh said this week he doesn’t anticipate making any changes with his offensive line despite guards Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele having an especially rough go of it against the Eagles. Baltimore’s restructured offensive line was the team’s biggest concern heading into the season. It’s probably exceeded expectations, by and large. However, it’s also looked overwhelmed at times against high-quality defensive fronts, the types the Ravens will see in the playoffs.
Defensively, the Ravens have been mixing and matching their personnel at both inside linebacker and in the secondary. Second-year inside linebacker Trenton Simpson, a 13-game starter, is suddenly losing snaps to Chris Board. Cornerback Brandon Stephens, who has also started every game, is now being taken off the field at times for rookie Nate Wiggins or trade acquisition Tre’Davious White. Will rotations continue or will the coaching staff decide to go with just one guy?
And on special teams, punt returner Tylan Wallace has cost the Ravens valuable field position on several occasions by letting balls bounce deep in Baltimore territory. How long will they stick with him?
For an 8-5 team, the Ravens certainly face a lot of questions. They need Harbaugh and the team’s other decision-makers to have the correct answers.
(Photo: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)
