Dear Coach Harbaugh,
Congratulations on a fine start to your first season as an NFL head coach! I have to admit that I was one of the few who was disappointed by the firing of former Ravens coach Brian Billick, mostly because of things like this.
But you've gotten the team off to a 2-1 start, and had them in position to win in Pittsburgh with a rookie quarterback guiding your offense in front of a national audience on Monday Night Football. Very, very impressive John.
However, even you must admit that there is always room for improvement. While colleague and sparring mate Zak (who, by the way, I recently proved to be physically superior to in a living room brawl stemming from a sports-related argument that ultimately ended in nice man-hug) took a purple Kool-Aid route in his post following the game, I'd like to come from the opposite angle and provide you with a few suggestions:
1) After your rookie quarterback has just engineered a game-tying drive in the fourth quarter, you might as well trust him to run a two minute offense to try and win the game in regulation with 1:40 and change on the clock. Come on, John. You're on the road in Pittsburgh. Isn't the rule to play for the tie at home and the win on the road? I know Joe Flacco was backed up inside his own 20 on that drive. But the guy was playing the best game of his (admittedly brief and uneven) NFL career. If he completes a few passes and sets up a game-winning Matt Stover field goal, you leave Pittsburgh with a 3-0 record and recognition as the NFL's surprise team. If he throws a pick and the Steelers score, well, you're 2-1 and have to realize that you're playing a rookie quarterback that is going to make mistakes. "Flac" (like it Zak, and I'm adopting it) earned the opportunity to make that mistake with his play throughout the night, though. Give him a shot. That being said...
2) Remind Flac that, while Derrick Mason is an excellent target to throw to, there needs to be more of a concerted effort to get the ball to Todd Heap and Mark Clayton. Heap may be coming around slow because he missed all of training camp, but Clayton should be open at least sometimes with the constant spotlight put on Mason. As for Heap, he has been staying in to block more because the offensive line has struggled with pass protection, but Heap appeared open on at least a few plays Monday night. Know who your playmakers are, and find them when you need a big play. That being said...
3) Ask Mark and Todd to do us all a favor and play football. I'm tired of hearing that Baltimore doesn't have any offensive weapons, and that's why some quarterbacks struggle. John, please pass the following message along: You were both first round draft picks. Todd, you've been to a few Pro Bowls. You have a responsibility as veterans to step up and make plays for your rookie quarterback. That means if he puts the ball right in your hands in the corner of the endzone, you catch the damn thing. Period.
4) Le'Ron McClain should get every single carry. If 55 running plays are called in a game, McClain should touch the ball on 55 of them. I'm only being a little hyperbolic. The man is a tank, and it's easy to see that teams simply don't want to tackle him in space. He's a straight ahead runner who hits the hole, lowers his shoulder and tries to dish out punishment. Willis McGahee is a Pro Bowl caliber back, but isn't healthy. Ray Rice is a nice lightning to McClain's thunder. The offensive line is mediocre at the very best, and you need a battering ram sometimes just to get positive yardage out of a running play. McClain is that battering ram. Until McGahee returns to form proves that he is ready to carry the load full time, and the offensive line improves, McClain is the best option in Baltimore.
5) Coach up those special teams. You were never an offensive or defensive coordinator; you were a special teams coordinator in Philadelphia, where you made your name and earned the opportunity to take the Ravens' head job. At the very least, this should be a team that excels on kick and punt returns and coverage teams. Coverage has been solid, but what the hell kind of return game was that Monday night? If Yamon Figurs isn't healthy, get him off the field. The Ravens are not going to score 35 offensive points every Sunday; big plays need to come from the defense and special teams in order for this team to be successful. Although it seems risky to use Ed Reed on punt returns given his injury situation, if Figurs can't get a few positive yards in a big game there needs to be another option.
Again, John, congratulations on the successful start of your head coaching career. May you stay in Baltimore for 10 years, and never interview for an Oakland Raiders head coaching vacancy.
Your pal,
ap
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