After 18 years of stability in his coaching position, John Harbaugh’s seat is starting to heat up.
Following the Baltimore Ravens’ heartbreaking 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills to open up the season, all eyes are now on head coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Zach Orr. After blowing a 15-point lead with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, questions are starting to mount as the team struggles to close out games.
Patterns of Blown Leads
Last week’s loss isn’t just an isolated incident. Under John Harbaugh’s leadership, the Baltimore Ravens have developed a habit of blowing leads in the second half. Harbaugh has the most blown second-half leads since 1991, with 17 double-digit leads squandered. To make things even worse, the Ravens have blown a lead in 13 of their 20 losses since 2022. The trend of late-game collapses due to poor game management has led fans to question whether he can coach the team to a Super Bowl.
Fans can’t forget last year’s divisional game against the Buffalo Bills, which saw Baltimore tarnish an early 7-0 lead, eventually turning into bad management and costly mistakes that doomed the team. That game saw the Ravens fumble in the fourth quarter, and the Bills scored three points off the turnover. Before Baltimore drove all the way down the field to score a touchdown and make it a two-point game, a costly wide-open drop cost the Ravens the chance to tie the game and send it to overtime.
But not all the team’s issues are on Harbaugh. The defense continues to struggle under second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr, who also takes some of the blame, and is facing growing scrutiny from fans.
Looking at Zach Orr
Not only has Harbaugh’s seat been heating up, but so has defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s. The former Ravens linebacker-turned-defensive coordinator has struggled since taking over from Mike Macdonald who left the team in 2024 to coach the Seattle Seahawks.
Baltimore, a team known for its defense, struggled under Orr’s leadership; the team finished 26th in passing yards allowed last year and was constantly picked apart by opposing teams’ passing attacks. After making three significant moves to bolster the pass defense, the team drafted Georgia safety Malaki Starks, secured a steal in the second round with first-round talent edge rusher Mike Green, and finalized the signing of former Packers All-Pro corner Jaire Alexander to enhance the defense further.
Despite making plenty of upgrades in the offseason, Orr’s defense struggled in Week 1. Buffalo carved out the Ravens’ defense with a 41-point performance and gave up 394 yards to Josh Allen.
The Bills’ weak receiver room dominating the pass defense makes his performance even more concerning. As a second-year wideout, Keon Coleman carved out the passing attack with an impressive eight catches and 112 yards, many of which came down the stretch of the game.
Orr needs to find an answer soon with such a talented defense. The Ravens boast five All-Pro defensive players in S Kyle Hamilton, CB Marlon Humphrey, CB Jaire Alexander, ILB Roquan Smith, and DL Nnamdi Madubuike.
With Week 2 of the season arriving quickly, the Ravens need to respond emphatically. Their next test comes against a divisional rival, and another poor showing could intensify the noise even more.
What’s Next
The Baltimore Ravens take on fellow AFC North rival, the Cleveland Browns. Former longtime QB Joe Flacco will be making his return to Baltimore for the first time since leaving the team in 2019. If Baltimore loses this game, calls for Harbaugh and Orr’s jobs will only get louder from here.
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