Coach Harbaugh is in the middle of his 2nd-season as an NFL Coach. He holds a 14-8 regular-season record, and obviously played a roll in the Ravens advancing to last years AFC Championship Game.
It has basically been one-long Honeymoon for Harbaugh, where he has not faced criticism from the local-press, or the fan-base.
That will begin to change tomorrow, if the Ravens lose today.
I know that Denver is 6-0. I respect what Josh McDaniels has achieved with the Broncos, and recognize there is skill existing on the roster. However, when I look at the Broncos roster, and compare it to Baltimore; there will be no excuse for the Ravens losing today.
The Ravens can simply not afford to lose, coming off of a bye, and playing at-home. Everyone can look at the schedule, and recognize this is a must-win game.
Baltimore entered the 2009 season with Super Bowl aspirations. If you find yourself at 3-4 at the end of Week 8, and on the outside looking-in at the playoffs, the pressure on Harbaugh is going to mount exponentially.
By the way, that pressure will not be all external (press, fans) either. From the day Harbaugh took over, there have been plenty of whispers of him not being loved in the locker-room. Winning cures a lot of things. When a team is winning, players are often able to compartmentalize any disdain they have for the authority. When a team fails to meet expectations, you often see eruptions.
Hopefully the Ravens will take care of business today, and the next-two weeks, and Harbaugh’s Honeymoon can be extended.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.