Tag: John Harbaugh

Sean McDermott, John Harbaugh reflect on Andy Reid coaching tree

Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott, Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh reflect on coaching together under Andy Reid.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott and the Ravens’ John Harbaugh don’t often see links to one other in recent memory, but they do exist and are deeply rooted.

The long and short of it is the Andy Reid “coaching tree.”

McDermott took the scenic route to the Bills via the Panthers but prior to that, he was an Eagles guy. Speaking of which, so was Harbaugh. That’s where they’re intertwined.

Both were hired by the current Chiefs coach when he was leading the Eagles. McDermott rose through the ranks there, up to defensive coordinator, while Harbaugh mostly was their special teams coordinator before jumping ship to his current role back in 2008.

As their current teams are set to faceoff against each other in Saturday’s AFC Divisional round matchup, both Harbaugh and McDermott reflected upon their pasts together.

“It’s remarkable,” Harbaugh said via conference call, reflecting upon that time with the Eagles. “I guess I realized that when it was pointed out to me in practice to me today. You kind of take a moment and think about it, it’s pretty amazing. I think it speaks really highly of Andy. The kind of coach that he is. We all learned so much from him.

“Just the guys that we had, we had an amazing group of guys, I guess Andy is a good scout for coaches, too. Not just good… smart, tough, great guys… guys like Sean and Leslie (Frazier) and Dave Culley and that’s here and others. The idea, they’re just good people. I look back on those years with those guys… just a bunch of great people who are just tremendous friends to this day. I don’t know how to explain it but it’s pretty amazing.”

Displaying how close they really are, Harbaugh also took a little jab at McDermott, too.

“He married way out of his league, I know that about him. Really big plus for him,” Harbaugh joked.

But on a more serious note, Harbaugh mentioned how he was first impressed with McDermott’s personality as a coach. He was built for it, he said.

“Sean was like, when he came in there, was really just starting out… and I think two things. First of all just a high character, high quality person. A very hard worker, very disciplined and very hard worker. Wrestler, played football of course at William and Mary but also a wrestler, really tough, mentally tough kind of a person and really smart. Really always wanted to learn, always asking questions always listening. Doing everything he could to improve,” Harbaugh said.

McDermott appreciated the cheek that Harbaugh gave him, and gave the compliment right back as he said Harbaugh’s family ties to football always stood out to him.

“You could always tell he had great leadership quality. He comes from a football family and you could tell he had football intelligence that usually comes with growing up around the game,” McDermott said. “A lot of respect for coach Harbaugh.”

And as if this blast from the past wasn’t enough, it could be a student vs. teacher type of AFC Championship in 2021. Regardless of winner between the Bills and Ravens, we’ll have someone connected to Reid playing in that game… but the man himself might as well. His Chiefs face the Browns for a spot in that same game on Sunday.

The story is just writing itself already.

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Ravens’ Lamar Jackson has ‘zero experience’ playing in snow

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, head coach John Harbaugh, OL Bradley Bozeman on playing in snow vs. Buffalo Bills in Divisional round.

Just about nine times out of 10, folks in western New York roll their eyes when their region, the NFL, and weather is connected.

Yes, Buffalonians know it’s not always pretty. But there’s maybe 10 games a year played at Bills Stadium. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean it’s going to be an ugly day. It has to be the perfect storm, of sorts.

Here’s where we hit the record scratch portion of our story because the stars currently might be aligning for this narrative to actually hold true.

On Saturday, the Buffalo Bills (13-3) host the Baltimore Ravens (11-5) for an AFC Divisional round matchup. The forecast lines up with the stereotype for once. Currently there’s 60 percent chance of snowfall on Saturday evening with temperatures near 30 degrees.

There’s also two parts to this story. The Bills have the advantage because they’re used to playing in the snow as compared to their opponents. The Ravens revealed this week that this portion of the story holds true, too.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was among Ravens players that said this week he has minimal experience playing in snow. In fact, he has none.

“No experience, I never got to play in the snow,” Jackson said via video conference. “Except my first time seeing snow in Louisville, but we had a snowball fight so that’s totally different from playing in it.”

“But, yeah, that would definitely be my first time playing football in the snow Saturday… if it does. Hopefully it don’t,” Jackson added with a laugh.

Naturally as the QB, Jackson’s thoughts on the snow hold a bit more weight to them. But hey, the more the merrier, right?

Starting left guard Bradley Bozeman is in the same boat. Never played in the snow.

“I know the surface of grass so I’ve never played in snow. Big guys in slippery situations is not always a good thing so I’m gonna hope for no snow,” Bozeman added on his call.

The person tasked with getting Baltimore’s players to not worry about the snowy situation ahead is Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. Heading into Saturday, the Ravens, like the Bills, are a streaky team.

Baltimore is currently on a six-game win streak which really got them into the playoffs. Referencing their last loss, a game against the Steelers which was moved around due to COVID-19 and eventually played on a Wednesday, Harbaugh said the mentality is still going to be the same for his team regardless of circumstances.

“I think you’re playing great teams. When you get to the playoffs, the teams that you play are great teams. But we’ve had our backs against the wall since the Pittsburgh game,” Harbaugh said. “That’s just where we’ve been. I think our guys have handled everything exceptionally well. They’ve taken it one day at a time. One play at a time, one practice. Try to keep it simple that way.”

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Watch: Mike Vrabel, John Harbaugh discuss head coach fight scenario

Vrabel and Harbaugh discuss what was a silly pregame storyline going into Titans-Ravens.

One of the more ridiculous things that were talked about leading into the Tennessee Titans versus Baltimore Ravens playoff game was the hypothetical scenario of who would win if both head coaches had to fight each other.

That’s right, this was a thing after it was brought up by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero when talking to Ravens and Titans players ahead of the matchup.

It was spurred on by the pregame spat between both teams prior to their Week 11 matchup that saw Ravens head coach John Harbaugh get into it with Titans players, and then with Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel after his players met up on Baltimore’s logo, which Harbaugh found disrespectful.

Well, both coaches, who appear to have cleared the air since, had a good laugh about it when they met on the field before Sunday’s kickoff.

“Inside the NFL” caught the audio of the conversation about the hypothetical scenario, which you can check out below.

It would appear that Harbaugh acknowledges he’d lose a fight between he and Vrabel, and who can blame him?

After all, Vrabel is a pretty big man and was an NFL linebacker for 14 seasons. Not to mention, Harbaugh is 13 years his senior.

At the end of the day, the Ravens got the last laugh, as they not only knocked the Titans out of the playoffs, but also celebrated on Tennessee’s logo after notching a late interception to put the game away.

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Bills Divisional matchup: Everything to know about the Ravens

Everything to know about the Baltimore Ravens for Buffalo Bills fans.

Now that the Buffalo Bills have their first playoff win since 1995 after the 2020 Wild Card round, why not make it two?

The Bills (13-3) will look to do so on Saturday once again as the NFL’s Divisional Round sees the Baltimore Ravens (11-5) head to Bills Stadium. Like their matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, the Bills will face a team they haven’t seen yet in 2020.

With the Ravens just around the corner, it’s a great time to learn more on them. Here’s everything to know about the Ravens ahead of Divisional weekend:

John Harbaugh on Ravens’ defensive effort vs. Titans: ‘Best win I’ve ever been associated with’

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, who is a Super Bowl champion, told reporters that Sunday’s win over the Titans is his best.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh is no stranger to success. In his 13 seasons leading the Ravens, Harbaugh has a 129-79 record, won 11 of 17 playoff games, and has held the Lombardi Trophy as the winner of Super Bowl XLVII. Despite all that success, it was Sunday’s wild-card playoff win over the Tennessee Titans that Harbaugh considers the top of his career.

“But right now, for me, this is the best win ever,” Harbaugh said when asked about this being the best all-around defensive efforts he’s seen. “And not just because of what was at stake, but because of the guys and what it meant to our team and to our guys – what it meant to all of our guys. This may be the best win I’ve ever been associated with.”

Admittedly, Harbaugh might just be caught up in the emotion of it all. While it was a big win, Baltimore has had far more impressive defensive outings. However, with the Ravens having been bullied by the Titans in their last two meetings and what this means to a unit that has been much maligned over the second half of this season, it’s certainly a big win.

Baltimore was able to hold top running back Derrick Henry to just 40 rushing yards, a 2.2 YPC average, and no touchdowns. The Ravens owned the line of scrimmage for the whole game, staying disciplined yet still aggressive on defense. Tennessee had just one first down on the ground, which came late in the game when quarterback Ryan Tannehill ran a quarterback sneak on fourth down. The secondary, while there were lapses, settled down nicely and largely contained an efficient and capable passing attack.

With the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills still remaining in the playoffs, Baltimore is going to need that level as early as next week if Harbaugh wants to keep moving forward in the postseason.

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The Ravens taunted the Titans by stomping on their logo, and NFL fans absolutely loved it

Epic… and so petty.

It was the John Harbaugh revenge game.

That much became clear when the Ravens went to midfield to stomp on the Titans’ logo at Nissan Stadium after cornerback Marcus Peters intercepted quarterback Ryan Tannehill late in the fourth quarter in a Wild Card game the Ravens would win 20-13.

In Week 11, the Titans and Ravens got into a heated pre-game exchange over Tennessee taking centerfield during warmups to stomp on the Ravens’ log. Tennessee cornerback Malcolm Butler and Harbaugh, the long-time Ravens coach, had some unkind words for each other.

That’s surely what inspired the Ravens to choreograph this hilariously petty celebration. The result was a 15-yard taunting penalty. But the Ravens were probably just fine with that.

The internet absolutely lost its mind. Everyone (who was rooting for the Ravens, or just watching to watch) loved it.

That. Was. Awesome.

Thank you for planning that, Baltimore.

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Who would you pick to lead your team to the Super Bowl? We ranked every coach in the playoffs.

Who would you want to guide your team over the next few weeks? We ranked them by how prepared they are to win this Super Bowl.

I think we can all agree that coaching matters just a little bit more in the NFL playoffs when games are more competitive, making the margins much smaller. A team might be able to overcome a coaching mistake (or two) against a team that will be drafting in the top-five a few months later, but not against the better teams in the league.

Because of that, ranking the coaches in the playoffs seems like a fruitful thing to do. Here’s the thing: It’s really freaking hard. Why? For one, Who would you want to coach your team for the next decade? is an entirely different question than Who would you want to coach your team for the next four games?

While locker room management and player development probably trump X’s and O’s and in-game decision making over the long haul, the more tactical aspects of the job take precedence for one postseason run. And that’s what these rankings are based on: Which coach would I want over the next five weeks? So just because I have one coach ahead of another here doesn’t mean I think they’re a better coach overall.

With that out of the way, let’s rank some coaches…

Ravens vs. Bengals final score recap: Top stars, quotes, and more

Here’s everything you need to know from the Baltimore Ravens’ dominant win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 including stars and quotes

The Baltimore Ravens had a clear goal in Week 17: Beat the Cincinnati Bengals and lock up a playoff berth. In about as dominating a game as you’ll see, that’s exactly what the Ravens did. They move to 11-5 on the season and are the fifth seed waiting for the afternoon games to determine who their foe will be next week.

Baltimore has arguably been the hottest team at the tail end of this season. Though they’ve had a fairly soft schedule, they’ve blown out any of the bad teams they’ve faced and pulled out a gritty win against the Cleveland Browns to end the season on a five-game winning streak. Whoever their first playoff opponent ends up being will likely be shaking a bit after watching what they did to the Bengals.

With the regular season closed out for Baltimore, take a look at exactly what went down in Week 17 below. We’ve got the box score, the top stars, quotes, and more waiting for you below.

Jaguars vs. Ravens: Week 15 staff picks and predictions

The Jags Wire staff isn’t all that confident that Minshew Mania will give the Jags the spark they need Week 15.

The one-win Jacksonville Jaguars will find themselves taking on another team with the playoffs in their sights as they travel north to take on the Baltimore Ravens. Clearly, when looking at both teams, there is a talent gap, and as a result, many have taken the Ravens to win — and quite convincingly.

This week at Jags Wire, we pretty much agreed with most of the national pundits as none of our writers were bold enough to take the Jags for a win. Here are our thoughts and predictions heading into Week 15’s game:

*Update: Calais Campbell was listed among the Ravens’ Week 15 in actives. 

James Johnson (@Sportsgrind_Don): Ravens 31, Jaguars 20

It’s as simple as this for me, the Ravens have one of the easier three-game stretches fans will see as they try and move up one seed for a playoff spot. Of course, the Jags are apart of that stretch, as are the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants.

Simply put, they likely view the Jags as a team in their way and are focused on taking care of business Sunday. However, the game won’t come without a fight, especially with the team having six defensive backs on the final injury report. Two of them are Marcus Peters (calf/ questionable) and Jimmy Smith (was ruled out for ribs and shoulder injuries), so Minshew might have some success in his return.

Phil Smith (@PhiltheFilipino): Ravens 27, Jaguars 10

The 1-12 Jags take on the quarterback Jay and I were very vocal about wanting back in 2018. They also face off against former Jaguars Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue. Baltimore still has very real playoff aspirations and I don’t expect them to allow a one-win team to stand in their way. Minshew Mania makes its return, but I believe it’s in for a rude awakening. Don’t expect any kind of upset in this instance. 

Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis): Ravens 31, Jaguars 20

Minshew Mania is back in full force as Jacksonville faces off against the Baltimore Ravens. Minshew gave the Jags a much-needed spark last weekend and the team looked noticeably better as a result. The question is, will Minshew’s return be enough to get Jacksonville its second win of the season. Against a formidable Baltimore team with Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue at defensive end on defense, it’s tough to see that happening. Ravens take this one.

Robert Ricks (@rrickswriting): Ravens 31, Jaguars 16

The Jaguars will have another tough task against the toughest run offenses in the NFL. Unfortunately, the Jags rank near the bottom of the league in rush defense. Lamar Jackson should have a field day on the ground. 

Will Frost (@willfrost_): Ravens 34, Jaguars 13

The Jaguars opened as 13 point underdogs in this one, and frankly, that feels a bit kind. Lamar Jackson has a game under his belt after recovering from COVID-19 and the Jaguars provide the perfect tonic for the reigning MVP to return to game-breaking form.

The Jaguars may be serious about considering Doug Marrone staying on for 2021 because the team “plays opponents hard,” but it’s going to take every ounce this roster has to remain competitive in this one.

Jacob DeLawrence (@_Jdela): Ravens 35, Jaguars 21

The Jaguars head north to face the Baltimore Ravens this week and it will be a reunion of sorts as two key members of the Sacksonville defense (Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue) will take on their former team. The Jags are coming off of a beat down courtesy of the Titans and the Ravens are starting to look like they did last year. On paper, this looks to be a disaster for the Jags but this team has proved that despite their record they’re one of the more difficult teams to beat. Expect another solid performance from James Robinson as he continues his rookie of the year campaign. Still, the Jags will fall to the Ravens Sunday.

Behind Enemy Lines: Week 15 Q&A with Ravens Wire

Ravens Wire’s Matthew Stevens discussed Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, and more with Jags Wire heading into Week 15’s game.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking for their first win since Week 1 as they travel north to take on a Baltimore Ravens team that sees a grand opportunity to push for a postseason berth.

With both teams being on opposite ends of the spectrum record-wise and there being a talent discrepancy, many feel the Jags are up for another beatdown like fans witnessed Week 14. However, the Jags have also shown that they can hang with the big boys on occasions, so things could get interesting if they bring the right mindset and the Ravens underestimate them.

To get a little more familiar with the team heading into Sunday’s game, we sat down with Ravens Wire editor Matthew Stevens for a Q&A. Here are five burning questions he was kind enough to answer about the Ravens, who have some interesting history with the Jags: