Even though only one week has passed, the Baltimore Ravens' decision to part ways with Super Bowl-winning coach John Harbaugh and the New York Giants' reciprocal move to bring him in appears to have been the best decision for all parties involved.
Harbaugh got his Giants tenure started with a very impressive win against the Dallas Cowboys in which Jaxson Dart threw three touchdown passes and had his way with Christian Parker's defense. The Giants may be set up nicely for a turnaround after the mess that Brian Daboll left for them, and the Ravens seem to have turned the page quite well.
In Jesse Minter's first game as head coach, Baltimore pulled out a 41-23 victory that saw Lamar Jackson get back to his old form, new OC Declan Doyle get the most out of Derrick Henry, and Minter's defense cause some havoc against a promising Colts offense. Both sides seem to have gotten exactly what they wanted from this separation.
John Harbaugh's Week 1 win proves Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants made the right call
Harbaugh's Super Bowl will forever make him a legend in Baltimore, but his act started to wear thin. Harbaugh oversaw the entirety of Jackson's prime. Despite winning two MVPs and barely missing out on a third, Harbaugh guided his teams to one AFC Championship Game appearance, which they lost.
No one will say that Mike Tomlin, Sean McDermott, and Mike McCarthy weren't great coaches for their respective franchises, but sometimes, veteran coaches just run out of time. Their ideas get stale, and they end up in the dreaded middle ground. They aren't good enough to get to a Super Bowl, but they're never bad enough to justify a full-scale house cleaning.
The Ravens finally bit the bullet with Harbaugh, perhaps a year or so after many fans had finally soured on him. Luckily, he found a spot that was in dire need of the gospel he is preaching, and the Giants seem to be in a much better spot in both the short and long term because of it.
Former Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh looked great with the Giants
The Giants, save for a complete fluke in 2022, have been as bad as the crosstown laughingstock Jets in the last decade. Between quarterback mismanagement, insane chokes in the fourth quarter, and general dysfunction, someone of Harbaugh's stature was needed to clean up the mess.
The Giants needed a floor raiser, and Harbaugh is one of the best in the league at that. Hiring Minter away from the Los Angeles Chargers was a risk. Baltimore needed someone who could supercharge this defense and bring in the right offensive mind in Declan Doyle to help Jackson turn back the clock after a down 2025.
Even though these Minter reviews are based off one game against a Daniel Jones-led team, the signs that Baltimore can once again compete for a championship are there. Both the Ravens and Giants appear to have the right man at the helm as they try to make some noise in 2026 and beyond.
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