[News] Late For Work 10/16: John Harbaugh To Coach Trojans? Nice Try

[BR News]

How is Harbs handling rough start? Ravens-49ers predictions. Taliaferro surgery. Forsett could play.

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[salamander]

I really don't care if we are picked to win or lose each week by the "experts". Every single "expert/pundit" on the NFL Network picked Atlanta beat the Saints and every single football guru was wrong. Underdog is fine with me.

[boldtown]

not surprising harbaugh being on someone's short list. just because someone makes a list doesn't mean one will asked to be on it. but, if anyone remembers the press conferences after last season where bisciotti stated that he is not happy with not winning the division. well, he will not be happy after this year. could the results of this year change the positive relation of owner and coach? it's very possible. i don't believe bisciotti will outright fire john,but, he may open the door to allow john make his own choice with a little push. DO NOT think i see harbaugh leaving the ravens anytime soon. i am merely presenting a scenario that is possible. kind of prepare for the worst and expect the best type thing.

[iluvpurple]

Imho, and no disrepect to B Billick who happened to be a very good Raven's head coach, John Harbaugh is the best coach to ever be a head coach of this organization....... If we were to lose him anytime soon, that would be a huge loss at minimum for our team. Note to colleges, STAY AWAY, LOL !!!!!!

[Dorota]

Harbs for Spartans is way too funny. Who in their right mind would come up with that? Even if Harbs DID want to leave the NFL, which is highly unlikely to be his preference or that he would be forced to make that decision, Spartans wouldn't be the way to go. He has ties in 2 Big Ten teams up north and neither is Michigan State.

 

I can't imagine Justin Forsett tempting that ankle, after all, one game game is not the rest of the season and ankle injuries very easily turn from minor to major if underestimated. I'd rather see Buck tested and either the new guy or Magee being promoted from PS. He hasn't by any chance been stellar, but he wasn't a bust either. My guess is that SSS is more probable than Forsett for Sunday, though even if he does dress up, I don't expect him to get too many snaps.

 

Coaches have mentioned a comeback to the more blitz mentality on defense and Ravens have hopefully eliminated some of the penalties, so I'm hoping to see some defensive renaissance. Pass protection has been an issue, but at least I hope we hold Carlos Hyde to abysmal stats Sunday.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Dorota

[merryjman]

Disappearing pass rush a concern? I wonder if it has something to do with our two starting OLBs both being hurt and our secondary unable to defend quick-throw passes.

[stixfix69]

Always crazy talk when teams are losing, Harbs has it made here, and isn't going anywhere.....

[trevorsteadman]

If the Ravens lost Harbaugh I can honestly say with how bad they are doing with Harbaugh they would be the Jaguars of the last 10 years until they got a coach like Harbaugh. Teams know it is hard to find franchise coaches and Harbaugh is one of those great coaches. He's not going anywhere.

[trevorsteadman]

Let Forsett rest... I think Allen will be fine starting. This 49ers game is not going to be won by the ground game. Their secondary is suspect. It is up to the wide receivers and tight ends to get open. Allen will be able to run when we need him to. Bleacher Report did a report and the Ravens were the worst in speed at skill positions than any other team in the league. Which is why the Ravens need to start either signing faster players or draft faster players. Enough with these "possession" receivers that people talk about, if you are in the NFL you can catch good enough we need the speed. Or at least better route runners to get open.

Edited October 16, 2015 by trevorsteadman

[Arch Mage]

John is a great guy. He holds a very exclusive position. He is 1 of 32 who is a head coach in the NFL.

We can say the same about Pees for the 1 in 32 part. Watching the difference between the Saints defense before and after they got a new coach (Rob Ryan) is an interesting tale. (MNF is quite the spotlight)

In the past few days I was reminded by a post, here, about how the former player leadership (Lewis, Reed, Pollard) had to have a heart-to-heart with Harbs to save our season in our Super Bowl year.  Certainly John has been part of the Ravens success, but since Ray Lewis retired and Ed Reed left, we are playing close to .500 ball. No one can doubt that they were coaches on the field and have not been replaced on the sidelines (way up in the press box - Hmmm) or on the field.  Something needs to change.

We can see Pees's weaknesses - 2 years of mediocre defense in 3 and then this year.  Maybe we are seeing Harbaugh's now too.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Arch Mage

[RailBird]

We play our best games when everyone picks against us. No team plays the underdog role better than these Ravens.

[The Greek]

have to agree that the niners will beat us than arizona will embarrass us by halftime on national tv. that will be the game that will get pees canned. i do not want us to blow our chances of drafting in the top 5. i am a huge fan but a realist as well.

[Tenacious Faulker]

If Forsett's ankle is boarder line I'm for letting Forsett rest a game and giving Buck the rock this game. Obviously its not my cal, but the 49ers are bad enough that we could recover from early mistakes and he needs the snaps to help let the game slow down for him.

 

I'm not feeling as good about LT's long-term prospects with the team. He's too fragile and has made minimal impact when he has played and I don;t see that changing while he's here. Unless they can unload him for a 2016-17 draft pick let him finish his rookie deal and "sayonara".

 

The Harbaugh to USC rumor is just pure comedy. Can't believe that Dan Patrick made a thing of that. Guess that's just another sportscaster to not take seriously now.

 

Regarding the 49ers as favorites over the Ravens, it seems the voting is a bit too overwhelmingly in their favor considering they have the same record as the Ravens (1-4) while playing a less difficult schedule while being outscored by competitors 55-140 compared to the Ravens 123-137. Guess the ravens are back to being overlooked and underrated by the media once more. Maybe that's what they need.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Tenacious Faulker

[Edug27]

Certainly John has been part of the Ravens success, but since Ray Lewis retired and Ed Reed left, we are playing close to .500 ball. No one can doubt that they were coaches on the field and have not been replaced on the sidelines (way up in the press box - Hmmm) or on the field.  Something needs to change.

 

 

Ed Reed and Ray Lewis had a close to .500 record playing together prior to Harbaugh's arrival. We had struggles with them building a title team, and we will have struggles without them as well. Every team not in New England goes through it.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Edug27

[whobilly]

Kyle Boller was the QB the last time I can recall I felt like I was just going through the motions watching a Ravens game.....but channel surfing. Hope I'm not watching the Food Network by the 3rd quarter.

[stixfix69]

The young guys will learn how to close, and pace themselves for a entire game, we have been in every game, and could have won, had the young defense not given up our leads....As long as they learn from this, and learn to close games down the road, i'm okay with this process, as we will be better off down the road.....JMO...

[RavensBoy69]

TBH, this is all on the coordinators, Dean Pees is making our corners play 10 yards off the receivers, then all the opposing QB has to do is call for a slant and they can dink and dunk the whole game. Our D-line plays with no fire at all. The only thing I've been impressed with on D this year is our MLBs and Will Hills instincts. On the offense its all Marc Trestman, Our o-line suddenly breaks down when last year we were a dominant force, Our guards were and still are amazing, Rick Wagner was emerging as one of the better RTs in the league, but Marc Trestman abandons the run game after three plays if they aren't successful. In Joe's defense, he has no weapons. This is all just my opinion.

[ellicottraven]

Well, Harbs is lucky to be part of a very stable organization here with the Ravens, led by one of the most astute and honorable owners in the NFL. I think his job is safe but he can't afford to show complacency and prove to Biscotti that he hasn't lost his players or the team. If the players rally around him and show that they played hard but lost, Steve will be lenient, but if it shows that the players aren't rallying around their coaches and not playing to their full potential, then he'll be let go without thought or remorse.

[ellicottraven]

have to agree that the niners will beat us than arizona will embarrass us by halftime on national tv. that will be the game that will get pees canned. i do not want us to blow our chances of drafting in the top 5. i am a huge fan but a realist as well.

If the outcome is indeed as you predict, then nobody is safe with the Ravens. There will be an overhaul with sights on next year for sure.

[MKM3917]

TBH, this is all on the coordinators, Dean Pees is making our corners play 10 yards off the receivers, then all the opposing QB has to do is call for a slant and they can dink and dunk the whole game. Our D-line plays with no fire at all. The only thing I've been impressed with on D this year is our MLBs and Will Hills instincts. On the offense its all Marc Trestman, Our o-line suddenly breaks down when last year we were a dominant force, Our guards were and still are amazing, Rick Wagner was emerging as one of the better RTs in the league, but Marc Trestman abandons the run game after three plays if they aren't successful. In Joe's defense, he has no weapons. This is all just my opinion.

 

You are dead on accurate about the corners playing too far off the line, but the rest of your assessment of the defense is pretty far off.  The d-line has looked pretty good, despite being inconsistent at times.  The MLBs have been very inconsistent, especially in coverage.  The OLBs have been awful since Suggs went down.  No pressure on the opposing QBs and they haven't been setting the edge well.  The only group that has been somewhat consistent is the safeties.  As for the offense, the O-Line looks like they still aren't completely healthy from their various off-season injuries and surgeries and so they haven't put together a complete game yet.  Overall, the offense has looked like the stronger side of the team, despite the lack of weapons, and Flacco has looked pretty good overall.

Edited October 16, 2015 by MKM3917

[MichaelJ34]

LOL did i see a tweet about someone asking i Jarrett Johnson wanted to lace em up again for the Ravens awful pass rush?

[riseNConquer81]

why do so many people who dont understand NFL defense or cornerback play at all have so much to say about defensive coordinators and cornerbacks?

[FloridalovesRavens]

Just pack it up Ravens because some of our fans want a better draft pick next year. You guys are too much. Some fair weather fans for sure. On well if that is what makes them happy so be it lol. I say Go Ravens!

[Crusader]

Why go there when he built a College team here?

[ravenstime]

I'm pretty sure it's not Harbaugh's fault the team can't play defense. We're doing very well on Offense, except for the 4th quarter, in which Flacco (I've read on ESPN) is the 32nd or worst QB in the league. I'm also pretty sure that's not Harbaugh's fault either. And give him a break, lots of teams around the league would give a fit to get a perennial playoff coach like John.

[Flamengo1265]

Why would Harbaugh want to go to USC? Is he a heavy drinker?

[ReginaldColeman1]

They have seven games they should win and a steal or two and suddenly we won't have to read about what the experts in the stands think.

[bioLarzen]

It's gonna be just plain funny if Forsett can't play on Sunday... Flacco will be without the #1 WR, #1 TE and #1 RB... Maybe that's why he started going for TD's himself - noone else has left

[nevermorebmore]

anyone here who is talking about Harb's job should put on a throwback jersey, because you sound like a Browns fan!

The organization is too level headed to even be thinking about coaching changes right now. Every single one of these games essentially came down to a two minute drill. When that happens you're looking at home-run-hitting playmakers on offense, defensive stops through sacks or interceptions, a ninja kicker, and most of all who has the most left in the tank. Looking at those options, we've got only one two-minute go-to - Tucker - who put our sole W on the board. (Flacco usually counts in the clutch, but he can only do so much). Ultimately, the number of injuries, starting with Perriman on offense (which compounds the other issues by taking away the vertical threat), and Suggs on defense (which allows game planning against Dumervil, and by extension exposes our corners), the team is inevitably going to struggle when faced with winning in two minutes.

Ultimately, the team is well coached. We all know that. But the compounding factors of injuries and the sting of the salary cap (still paying off Ray Rice, etc.) really hamper the team's current ability to compensate for the underlying talent imbalances that affect every NFL team. The two-minute drill just brings it all into focus.

[Bohica5]

Why would Harbaugh want to go to USC? Is he a heavy drinker?

Uh..They have THE best cheerleaders in the world......That would be enough ....