Do the Ravens have a coaching problem?

**mcBradley** · 10-17-2016, 04:39 PM

I apologize for the long post, but I want to be thorough: I love John Harbaugh. He seems like a great guy and a coach I'd want to play for. He stands up for his players and doesn't get down when the going gets tough. He won a Super Bowl. But I'm starting to wonder if the Ravens as an organization have a coaching problem. It seems like week in and week out, the coaches don't make adjustments to put the specific players they have on the field in the best positions to be successful. Whether that's strategic in-game decisions or game plan adjustments, it seems like the coaches coach as if everyone on the field is an A-level starter that should be able to win one on one at all times. And the result is that guys on the field are being left out to dry. The team can't be missing 3 starting O-linemen and have the same game plan as if everyone was healthy. The team can't be down to their last 3 corners and be expected to play press man with a single high safety against OBJ and company with the game on the line (granted, my interpretation of the coverage just from the game broadcast, not the all-22 or anything). That's just setting the team up to fail. And that's not fair to the players. I think Tavon Young is going to be a fine player. But he's a 4th round rookie playing press man against one of the best receivers in the game with the game on the line and no help overtop, other than a single-high, very slow, safety (Webb).

There are so many little things the coaches could do to put their players in position to be more successful. And they just don't. Perfect example: after the arguably egregious PI call benefitting the Ravens in the 4th quarter, Baltimore got the ball 1st and goal with a little over 2 min left. After spotting the ball, the officials wound the clock. Rather than let the clock run down to the two minute warning before running a play (which I was thinking they should do at the time because they had enough time on the play clock to take them to the 2-min warning), the Ravens snapped it and threw a quick pass to Wallace where he was knocked out of bounds. That stopped the clock before the 2 min warning. Then they ran another incomplete pass. After a 3rd down run, we finally got to the two minute warning. (I'm just going from memory so maybe the two minute warning was after the second down play, but I don't think so.) The Ravens end up scoring with just under two minutes left, giving the Giants plenty of time to run their full offense on the ensuing possession.

Now if Baltimore would have let the clock run down to the two-minute warning before running the 1st and goal play, they could conceivably have run a lot of time off the clock in that goal line sequence. Of course, they would have had to run the ball on first and second down to do so, rather than throw a pass complete out of bounds on first down, and throw incomplete on second down, but IMO, that's what the coaches should be looking to do there: run the clock out so the Giants don't get the ball back. The Giants had all their timeouts, so they could have used them to stop the clock, but in that situation, most teams that are leading won't call timeouts to preserve time for their offense in the event their defense gives up the TD. And even if they do, then they don't have the time outs on their ensuing possession, which stacks the circumstances more favorably for an undermanned Ravens D, should the offense score and give the team the lead.

To be fair, even if the Ravens do run off much more of the clock, they still have to make a play on defense to win the game. But simple coaching in that situation puts the players in a better position to be successful. And it wasn't that complicated. Who knows, maybe the Ravens are even able to run out most of the clock before scoring? As it was, they mismanaged the clock and put their players in bad position, requiring them to execute perfectly in order to win the game. That's on the coaching staff...

And by my count, that's 3 losses in a row where the coaching staff didn't put an undermanned team in obvious positions to be successful. I love Harbs, and I love the way he goes to bat for his players, but at some point, these issues have to get fixed. And they aren't. They seem to be getting worse.

**Annapolis6686** · 10-17-2016, 04:45 PM

HARBAUGH's time is UP.

**esmd** · 10-17-2016, 05:24 PM

Great post. A big part of the problem is indeed coaching, and I'm also a Harbaugh guy. There needs to be accountability there as well. Ozzie and Steve need to be asking why we don't do the things better that you alluded to in your post. We don't play or coach smart a lot of the time, and that's a huge problem.

**HKusp** · 10-17-2016, 05:44 PM

I have been a Harbaugh guy since about half way through his first year here. I am no longer though. It is painfully obvious to me that he is inadequate in too many areas to be an effective head coach of this team. They need a coach that can manage a clock and a 2 minute drill if they are going to keep playing for the last or next to last possession of a game, and he has shown too many times in the past that he can't do that.

**Annapolis6686** · 10-17-2016, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by esmd

Great post. A big part of the problem is indeed coaching, and I'm also a Harbaugh guy. There needs to be accountability there as well. Ozzie and Steve need to be asking why we don't do the things better that you alluded to in your post. We don't play or coach smart a lot of the time, and that's a huge problem.

Ozzie - the draft genius - is part of the problem TOO

**BcRaven** · 10-17-2016, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by Annapolis6686

Ozzie - the draft genius - is part of the problem TOO

Yes, while I cannot deny it, Ozzie did bring us two Super Bowl championships in two different Ravens (Ray Lewis / Joe Flacco) eras. I'm an unashamed Newsome backer, and I don't think he's gone stupid or crazy. Annapolis6686 I'll bet you loved him in 2000/01 and 2012/13. While the last few drafts have been suspect, and perhaps due to my age, I am willing to give Ozzie much more time to try to straighten out these current Ravens. Perhaps you would like to sign one of the many Browns GMs to do the job... Bc

**Annapolis6686** · 10-17-2016, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by BcRaven

Yes, while I cannot deny it, Ozzie did bring us two Super Bowl championships in two different Ravens (Ray Lewis / Joe Flacco) eras. I'm an unashamed Newsome backer, and I don't think he's gone stupid or crazy. Annapolis6686 I'll bet you loved him in 2000/01 and 2012/13. While the last few drafts have been suspect, and perhaps due to my age, I am willing to give Ozzie much more time to try to straighten out these current Ravens. Perhaps you would like to sign one of the many Browns GMs to do the job... Bc

"Suspect" drafts since 2012 is a kind term. Name me ONE impact playmaker that OZZIE has drafted in the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 drafts. Name me ONE TOP TIER skill position player (WR, RB, TE) that OZZIE has drafted during this same period.

**esmd** · 10-17-2016, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by Annapolis6686

Ozzie - the draft genius - is part of the problem TOO

No doubt, I've bemoaned our lack of recent draft success.

**sailorsam** · 10-17-2016, 08:54 PM

I think it's time for Harbs to go. Pees too.

Promote Mornhingway maybe?

hoping Pags leaves Indi and comes back to DC.
I think if Harbs had big-time coordinators he might be okay @ HC.

definite draft issues, but apparently a lot of talent in this one.

Flacco is like any other QB, can't pass if he isnt' protected and can't force receivers to get open.

**KingSerg** · 10-17-2016, 09:00 PM

I appreciate the OP, and welcome to the board! Great post.

That being said this is all a whole hell of a lot of hand wringing. I think it is tough for people to accept that we just don't have a real talented OL or DL. Combine that with a coach who likes to make a bonehead call or two (or three) and an above-average to exceptional QB who is a top 15 QB and we are right where we belong...kind of in the middle of the pack. A bounced ball here or there/a call here or there and we are either a playoff team or we are a .500 team. I think it is just hard for home town fans to accept that we just don't really have that much talent. We are not bad, but we are not that good either. It happens in a league of parity and salary caps. We also happen to play in a conference in which we typically have to go through one of the best coached and put together franchises of our generation (like it or not).

I was happy with Trestman being gone, but I was under no illusions that much would change or that the pass attempts by Joe would go down. To paraphrase (deeply and edit for a PG audience) a YouTube video I just watched, "you have to urinate with the member you've got."

**mcBradley** · 10-17-2016, 05:55 PM

It seems like other coaching staffs do a good job of getting younger guys, or less seasoned guys that have specific skills, on the field in position to take advantage of the good things they can do without exposing the bad. Our staff on the other hand can't seem to get guys in position to do what they do best without leaving them out to dry on things they can't do well.

Example: Correa. By all accounts he was flying around early in camp. But perhaps he doesn't grasp the playbook well enough to be an every down player. That's fine. Put him on the field in position to be successful. Scheme a way to let him use his explosiveness and energy without slowing him down with the mental game.

Example 2: Perriman. They are rotating him in and out asking him to run quick slants and be a fully developed WR off the bat. Just let him go deep. Ask him to do the things he's good at, i.e. run fast, get ball, instead of having to be so precise.

Example 3: Flacco. Flacco is best when he can just lock in on one or two guys in the passing game. IMO, he makes whatever throw comes first in his progression that the coverage favorably gives. So if his first read is one on one man coverage, he'll make that throw even if his next read is running wide open. So give Flacco WRs who can win one on one match-ups. He'll make the throw. You need guys that can go get it. Don't ask him to spread the ball around dink and dunk style. Don't rotate a million different receivers and packages in like Trestman did. Flacco needs to get in a rhythm with one or two guys that can make plays and just sling it.

Again, these are all my own opinions. But it seems like other good staffs figure out how to get their skill players on the field in ways they can use their best traits while not exposing their weaknesses. It's like our staff just has an idea of what a player X should be able to do, and they ask our guys to do that regardless of what their actual skills are.

**Jazz1988** · 10-17-2016, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by mcBradley

It seems like other coaching staffs do a good job of getting younger guys, or less seasoned guys that have specific skills, on the field in position to take advantage of the good things they can do without exposing the bad. Our staff on the other hand can't seem to get guys in position to do what they do best without leaving them out to dry on things they can't do well.

Example: Correa. By all accounts he was flying around early in camp. But perhaps he doesn't grasp the playbook well enough to be an every down player. That's fine. Put him on the field in position to be successful. Scheme a way to let him use his explosiveness and energy without slowing him down with the mental game.

Example 2: Perriman. They are rotating him in and out asking him to run quick slants and be a fully developed WR off the bat. Just let him go deep. Ask him to do the things he's good at, i.e. run fast, get ball, instead of having to be so precise.

Example 3: Flacco. Flacco is best when he can just lock in on one or two guys in the passing game. IMO, he makes whatever throw comes first in his progression that the coverage favorably gives. So if his first read is one on one man coverage, he'll make that throw even if his next read is running wide open. So give Flacco WRs who can win one on one match-ups. He'll make the throw. You need guys that can go get it. Don't ask him to spread the ball around dink and dunk style. Don't rotate a million different receivers and packages in like Trestman did. Flacco needs to get in a rhythm with one or two guys that can make plays and just sling it.

Again, these are all my own opinions. But it seems like other good staffs figure out how to get their skill players on the field in ways they can use their best traits while not exposing their weaknesses. It's like our staff just has an idea of what a player X should be able to do, and they ask our guys to do that regardless of what their actual skills are.

I don't think The Ravens operated like they wasn't missing three of their starting offensive line men. They ran the ball 26 times and use the play action and bootlegs Flacco consistenty which I think is effective at slowing down the pass rush especially if The run game is successful which it was. I have seen Ravens fans on this site and others complain alot about Dean Pees having our cornerbacks in off man but now it's a problem that he's showing confidence to allow a rookie cornerback to press one of the better receivers in the league that has struggled against press coverage or the more physical corners .

If Dean Pees allow Tavon Young to press ODB( not the Wu Tang member) then this guy must be really impressive in practice and has shown enough for Pees to have confidence in him. Correa passing rushing skills have always been considered unrefined according to scouting reports. Dean Pees could try putting him in a situation where he can succeed but at end of the day he has to start playing better and showing coaches that he can be trusted out there on the field. Coaches coming up with certain schemes to help players to make a play can only help but for so much. outside linebackers like Dion Jordan,Barkevious Mingo, Dee Ford and etc are all faster than Correa and none of them have been successful pass rush wise like their team expected them to be.