John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco will be under a microscope in 2018
By Cory Hughes
The last two years haven’t exactly gone in the Baltimore Ravens’ favor. Harbaugh and Flacco will surely be under more pressure than ever in 2018
Its been over three years since the Baltimore Ravens lost to the New England Patriots in the 2015 Divisional Round, where the game ended on a pass thrown by Joe Flacco, intercepted by Duron Harmon. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that year. Since then, three seasons have passed and the Ravens haven’t been able to get over the hump to get back to the playoffs.
The last two years have ended in heartbreak, losing out on the playoffs the last two weeks of the season to divisional opponents. Not to mention in 2015, when the team had 22 players on Injured Reserve. It’s been quite a ride the last couple of seasons for the team and their fans. With the Ravens, it seems to be a case of, what can go wrong, will.
Looking ahead to this upcoming season, head coach Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco are under the most pressure. To put it the easiest of terms, they don’t have any of the same excuses to fall back on over the last couple of seasons. The Ravens offense hasn’t exactly had any firepower regarding the skill positions but that won’t be the story in 2018. They added two of the top five tight ends that this year’s draft had to offer, two wide receivers and three more in free agency.
The Ravens receiving core could very well be one of their strengths in 2018. Sounds weird hearing, doesn’t it? Felt even weirder typing it.
But if the team doesn’t succeed like we are all expecting, could either Harbaugh or Flacco be shown the door?
It’s possible, or is it?
Back in February, owner Steve Bisciotti said firing John Harbaugh was a consideration after missing the playoffs. If the same thing happens in 2018, cutting ties with Flacco or Harbaugh could very well be a strong consideration if the season ends the way it did in 2016 and 2017.
“I haven’t gotten to where I am by just firing people” is one of the more telling words that have come out of Steve Bisciotti’s mouth over his tenure as owner of the Baltimore Ravens. The team has only had two coaches since he bought the team back in 2000. He’s shown to be quite patient with the team’s development over the last 18 years. It’s not a trait that’s necessarily common in billionaires. They want to see success and fast. But, one can only be so patient. After the Ravens lost on a 4th and 12 to the Bengals in Week 17 last season, Bisciotti said he considered firing the Super Bowl-winning coach but ultimately ended up keeping him around, thankfully.
However, the results don’t differ from 2016 and 2017, the decision might be a little tougher for Bisciotti. Flacco’s cap hit will be considerably lower after this season and he’ll have no more guaranteed money once this season concludes. We all know the future hangs in the balance with Lamar Jackson and if the team doesn’t thrive in this new offense like the fans are expecting, he could very well be handed the keys to the kingdom. At the end of the day, Bisciotti is a businessman and Lamar Jackson brings an eyebrow-raising aspect to the table from a business perspective. He’ll sell tickets, a lot of them and a lot more merchandise added on to that as well.
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With the new pieces the team has acquired and the pressure they both are facing, Harbaugh and Flacco should be as motivated as ever going into 2018.