Coaching Change -- Cam Cameron has been Fired

**srobert96** · 12-10-2012, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by TTRaven

It's reliable. The entire coaching staff could be gone(including Harbaugh) if things don't improve over these last 3 games.

That is shocking. I have always been a fan of Harbaugh but this year has tried my patience with his offensive philosophy and keeping Cam and Moeller around. That being said I think he manages the team well. He just needs to get an OC with a modern offensive scheme and get out of his way. This team cannot win ugly with great defense anymore.

**Jsmoove** · 12-10-2012, 03:21 PM

damn so Harbs could be in the mix too? As much as I don't like some of his methods for the record he is a good caoch, not great, but good, Like Joe he needs to be in a sitatuion where there talent i.e the brains are around him so he doesn't have to use much of his and can succeed. He has been starting to unravel lately because the team failures due to his and his assistants inconsistencies and lack of talent on the team overall is showing his deficiencies as a head coach.

**NOLARavenFAN** · 12-10-2012, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

Gimme a break.

Harbaugh is not getting fired after five playoff seasons.

The big decision looming is how much money to lock into Flacco, or start looking elsewhere, if there is elsewhere to look.

**lobachevsky** · 12-10-2012, 03:22 PM

"Why this happened now" has IMHO nearly nothing to do with Harbs yelling at Cam*. Look no farther than the standings for the reason.

Two huge things (& one not so huge) happened last Sunday: (1) Pittsburgh lost. (2) So did Cincinnati. (3) So did the Ravens.

As I pointed out in my recent thread (now front-paged by Tony, thanky kindly my friend), the only reason the Ravens have not already clinched a spot in the postseason is one wildly-improbably scenario where Cincy & Pitts both win out except for playing to a tie vs each other in week 16.

Consider the situation. In no particular order:

Cameron's contract expires at season's end anyway, so Bisciotti is on the hook for minimal cash
"Communications issues" between Flacco & Cam are well known & documented
Cam has shown minimal ability to adjust his offense during the game once the opponent's defense has adjusted to it
No one knows whether the inconsistent offense is Cam's fault or Flacco's or what combination of both, since Joe has never had a different OC
Because no one knows if Joe's hit his ceiling, no one knows what sort of contract extension he should get
The team is already in cap trouble for next year & (as Tony has pointed out in a front-page article) a big payday for an average Joe could sink the rest of the roster
Caldwell is the obvious candidate for OC but has never been one, & without a track record there is no solid basis for judging whether he should be hired as one
The Ravens are all but certain to make the dance, can lock up the AFCN & a home game with one more victory, could win the AFCN even if they lose out(& other things happen) & are still alive for a bye

What this all means is that if there was ever a time in the middle of a season to make this sort of change, it's now. Flacco gets to operate under an OC who is a QB specialist, whom he likes & gets on well with & who is likely to give him freer rein to run the offense. Caldwell gets to run a unit he's been working with for the whole year & is well liked by the players. They both get tested during 3 (& almost certainly 4) games against playoff-caliber opponents.

And there is almost zero downside risk. If they take a couple of games to get things working properly, the damage to the team's prospects will be minimal--beat Cincy in the finale & they still get a home game. And if they can't get it to work at all, then the minute the season ends Oz is on the phone lining up OC candidates for interviews & working out a (probably somewhat less cap-destroying) extension for #5.

This move would have made sense even if the team had held on vs the Skins--in fact, even more sense, since they would have clinched the division & the only remaining question would be a possible bye. But it would have been incredibly awkward from a human relations standpoint. (Who would want to coach for Baltimore if the management developed a reputation for bouncing people mid-season even after a win?) The (possibly, depending on the subsequent) biggest silver lining to the loss was that it enabled the change.

And as for Cam, while I doubt there would be much demand for him as an OC, there are probably a dozen college programs out there that would love to have him as their head coach. He'll land on his feet. (And my guess is he bears Harbaugh no ire because he understands that despite that statement, the impetus for the move was from farther up--Oz certainly, Biscuit quite likely.)

* In fact, one possibility is that Harbaugh knew how close Oz & the Biscuit were to forcing his hand re Cam & when the O turned turtle at half's end was screaming something at him on the order of Jeebus frackin' cripes Cam, are you trying to force Steve to make me fire you???

**Jsmoove** · 12-10-2012, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by NOLARavenFAN

The big decision looming is how much money to lock into Flacco, or start looking elsewhere, if there is elsewhere to look.

this is true

**HoustonRaven** · 12-10-2012, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by NOLARavenFAN

The big decision looming is how much money to lock into Flacco, or start looking elsewhere, if there is elsewhere to look.

And what does that have to do with Harbs?

It's Ozzie sitting on the other side of the table, not Harbs, negotiating the deal.

**esmd** · 12-10-2012, 03:23 PM

I don't buy it. At worst, Harbaugh get skewered in the post season presser, a la Billick back in what...04? No way Bisciotti fires him even if we lose out and miss the playoffs. Shoot, they had a lot of issues this year with FA defections and injury. The battle looked to be uphill from the start of the season. And if Bisciotti somehow did make a change, he's be forced to go big name, someone like Gruden. I just don't see that happening.

**sailorsam** · 12-10-2012, 03:25 PM

I just wish this had happened after the bye week. I really think we would have won one of these last two games.
one thought on offense/defense; the days of holding NFL teams under 17 points is gone. any decent team will score 20 (remember the Raiders did). part of the D problem yesterday was the O's three/outs, as well as the turnovers.
I sure hope Coach Caldwell can put some of his Indy/Peyton mojo to work here!

**Lee Van Cleef** · 12-10-2012, 03:25 PM

They need to fire Cam Cameron.

**Jsmoove** · 12-10-2012, 03:26 PM

I don't see it happemning either, its not like he's been bad since hes been here, he just let his cordinators piss aways games.

**NOLARavenFAN** · 12-10-2012, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by esmd

I don't buy it. At worst, Harbaugh get skewered in the post season presser, a la Billick back in what...04? No way Bisciotti fires him even if we lose out and miss the playoffs. Shoot, they had a lot of issues this year with FA defections and injury. The battle looked to be uphill from the start of the season. And if Bisciotti somehow did make a change, he's be forced to go big name, someone like Gruden. I just don't see that happening.

Gruden will NEVER coach the Ravens.