John Harbaugh led the Baltimore Ravens to a division title. What grade should we give the coach of the purple and black?
The Baltimore Ravens went 10-6 and won the AFC North, which bodes well for John Harbaugh’s season grade. This season was a roller coaster ride of emotions that ultimately ended in a heartbreaking playoff loss at M&T Bank Stadium. Harbaugh did a lot right in this season. In fact he has a strong argument for being coach of the year.
It wasn’t all good though. The Ravens had some awful losses this season. The offense didn’t seem to show up to Cleveland. They looked unprepared for their week two battle with the Cincinnati Bengals and later in the year against the Carolina Panthers. Harbaugh deserves credit for turning the 4-5 record around. However he got he Ravens to the point where a historic run was needed just to make the postseason.
It’s time to give Harbaugh a grade. Doing so requires balancing the good with the bad and seeing the entire picture. Let’s break it down.
The 6-1 stretch is A+ work by Harbaugh. The playoff game dropped his grade to a flat B. There is no getting around how ugly that day was in Baltimore against the Chargers. It leaves a stain on an otherwise incredible job of coaching. Harbaugh is left with the final grade of a B.