All Eyes On John Harbaugh: Ravens' Coach Under Most Pressure To Keep Team Dominant In 2024

John Harbaugh is the winningest coach in Baltimore Ravens history but his legacy as an all-time great coach will be on the line in 2024.

There hasn't been a head coach in football who has won more games for the city of Baltimore than John Harbaugh. His 172-109 record is one of the best in NFL history as well. 

Despite all the success he's enjoyed in his 16 years with the organization including a Super Bowl title in 2012, Harbaugh's true legacy has yet to be determined. Last week's AFC Championship game loss certainly muddies the waters even more. 

You see, despite being a Super Bowl champion head coach, Harbaugh has won just three playoff games in the last 11 seasons. His 9-4 postseason record in his first four years as head coach has followed a stretch of 3-6 in recent years. 

Now most fans of organizations around the league would be lucky for this kind of dominant stretch. But in the 17-10 AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week, some fans even argued that the winningest coach in team history held a 13-win group back from their ultimate goals. 

Things have been even more testy now that Harbaugh's highly valued defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has left to take the head coaching job in Seattle.

A city with an organization known for smash mouth defensive football is letting a young genius defensive minded coach walk right out the door & choosing loyalty to a special teams head coach in John Harbaugh instead. Man…. https://t.co/9nO77J8oMI

— Kip Smithers (@Chughes612) January 31, 2024

Seattle just hired one of the best young minds in the NFL & now I’m stuck with early playoff exits and John Harbaugh through 2025.

I hate it here. pic.twitter.com/xqlXWBGtn6

— Lamar & Order: RPO (@moneymarlo44) January 31, 2024

In 2024, John Harbaugh will have someone on his staff for

-Offensive game plan/ play calling
-Defensive game plan/ play calling
-Special teams game plan/ play calling
-game management

Someone explain to me what harbs brings to the table outside of being a “players coach”? https://t.co/79Pd454IBb

— Calvin (@FlockCwood) February 5, 2024

Are some of the concerns here unfair to a coach who has done more for the city of Baltimore than any coach before him? Of course. 

As bad as he was outcoached in last week's playoff game, Harbaugh has shown he can find great assistants at every turn. He also commands total respect for the locker room - something that is impressive for a man in the same role for 16 years. There are very few coaches in league history who have had the success Harbaugh has built with the Ravens.

All that being said, recent poor performances in the playoffs have (rightfully) called into question the kind of coaches needed to win playoff games in the modern NFL. With top coordinators changing teams every two years, having a head coach who can call plays on either side of the ball is incredibly important. 

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The more Harbaugh sees a player like future two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson struggle in the postseason, the more likely fans will point to his "inadequate coaching" as the reason why. 

Baltimore's long-time head coach may not be on the hot seat per se in 2024, but the more the Ravens struggle to reach the ultimate goal with him, the louder fans will get at their need for a change.