Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh has been one of the most successful NFL coaches over the last twenty years. Now, in his 17th season as Baltimore’s head coach, Harbaugh has a career .617 winning percentage and has led the Ravens to the playoffs 11 times, including one Super Bowl championship.
Baltimore is 3-2 this season and tied for first place in the AFC North. The Ravens have the NFL’s top offense and look poised for another deep playoff run. On Sunday, Harbaugh’s team hosts one of the NFL’s hottest teams, the Washington Commanders.
The Commanders are a completely different organization from the last time they met Baltimore in the 2023 preseason. Washington has new ownership (took over shortly after that preseason meeting), a new GM, a new coaching staff, and, most noticeably, an exciting franchise quarterback, Jayden Daniels.
Harbaugh has watched the film and understands the challenge that his struggling defense is facing in trying to defend Daniels on Sunday.
“He (Jayden Daniels) creates problems in different kinds of ways,” Harbaugh said this week. “He can throw it; he’s throwing the ball downfield at a very efficient rate. He’s hitting all the quick-out throws, the RPO throws and the quick-game throws very effectively — he gets the ball out fast on those throws. And then, if he’s not there, he’s creating plays on the run with his legs. He’s not just running, which he is running, but he’s also throwing on the run and making plays that way. He’s doing it in all those different ways.”
It’s safe to say that Daniels has Harbaugh’s attention.
Harbaugh and Baltimore have looked at the Commanders as a joke in recent years. You can bet he’s singing a different tune this time around.