Clueless in Baltimore

Guest Post Submitted by Gary Lam

The head coach has no clue!

Much like the tale of the emperor has no clothes, the head coach has no clue. Also much like the tale, the emperor having no clothes didn’t become an issue until someone shouted it to the masses, thus conforming to all of us, I now know that you know that I know and that we all know, the head coach has no clue.

I’m not going to recite all Harbaugh’s epic failures here, they are well documented, especially when juxtaposed with his lack of success. Instead, now that we all know that he has no clue, I’m highlighting how it’s now an embedded toxic presence with this organization.

It is unfair to ask this group of players to carry this burden on behalf of this coach. It is unfair to all the organization to continue to waste generational talent on this coach. And it is unfair to ask this fan base to constantly root, while always wondering when the collapse will happen.

Even if you tried to blow games in the fashion that Harbaugh has, it would be difficult. They are impressively historic with long, long odds.

Harbaugh has been far too loyal to players and coaches at times when they underperform to the detriment of the team.

Harbaugh is a likable guy that is more suited for a front office job that requires a larger knowledge base and football acumen but that can be handled at a much slower pace in terms of decision making. He doesn’t have the fast twitch brain processing required to make critical on the spot decisions. That’s not an insult fyi, it’s just pointing out a difference, like between a distance runner and a sprinter.

Harbaugh is not a top-level head coach. He is the beneficiary of the support of the single best front office and organization in the league.

His leash was longer because he entered the league with a loaded veteran team and rode Ray’s last ride to a Super Bowl title. Which, btw, he was unwilling to fire to OC Cam Cameron, and the front office overruled him. And he still needed the aiding of the mile High miracle, and Ray diddle-diddle up the middle 4th and 23 dump-off conversion to accomplish this feat. So desire a loaded veteran team he still needed the help of 2 miracles. I would also add he would’ve likely lost that Super Bowl were he not playing a lesser Harbaugh.

Immediately after that he cleaned house off all the dogs, trying to assert his control of the team. Since then, nothing.

In 2019 he was actually on the hot seat, about to lose his job. With an underperforming team, led by Flacco, rookie QB Lamar Jackson stepped in to save Harbaugh’s job. An unfortunate turn of events to say the least for Lamar Jackson.

That decision to bench Flacco for Lamar not only saved Harbaugh’s job but also ended Flacco’s tenure in Baltimore.

This weekend, week 2 of the NFL, and on the heels of this stinging loss to the bills, Joe Flacco could end up returning the favor to Harbaugh (this diehard Ravens fan hopes it happens).

I don’t hope it happens for the sake of rooting against the ravens or for Flacco, but rather I know it’s the only way this deliberately slow-moving front office will consider a change at head coach.

My recommendations? Take a play from the KC playbook, keep the OC (offensive genius) and QB linked by making the OC the head coach. Lamar is clearly thriving with Monken. Why risk losing Monken to another head coaching job just so we can keep Harbaugh? We’re living that right now with Macdonald.

It breaks my heart as a diehard fan to have to speak this truth (that I’ve been speaking for the past 5 years btw), but you can’t solve a problem, until you identify the problem.

And John Harbaugh is the problem.

This head coach has no clue.

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