Getty Former Ravens assistant coach Jerry Rosburg named interim head coach of the Broncos.
The Denver Broncos became the second team to fire their head coach this season when they relieved Nathaniel Hackett of his duties with two games left in the regular season. While he lasted longer than Urban Meyer did in Jacksonville, his firing marks the second straight season that a first-year NFL head coach has been fired before the regular season ended.
Replacing him at the helm for the team’s final two games is a seasoned coach that is near and dear to the hearts of the Baltimore Ravens and their fans in Jerry Rosburg who will be taking over on an interim basis.
We’ve named 40-year coaching veteran and Super Bowl XLVII champion Jerry Rosburg as interim head coach.
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ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the move to promote Rosburg who had been serving as a senior assistant to Hackett assist in helping improve his “clock management strategy”.
Prior to joining the Broncos this year, Rosburg was a long-time assistant on the Ravens staff under head coach John Harbaugh. He served as both the assistant head coach and special team coordinator during his 11 years with the team from 2008-2018.
Rosburg possesses 40 years of coaching experience, was a big reason why the Ravens have the gold standard in terms of special teams for most of the last decade, and helped the team claim their second Superbowl title in franchise history.
Ravens Top Rookie Tabbed as 2023 Breakout Candidate
The play of Ravens’ first-round defensive back Kyle Hamilton hasn’t garnered the same amount of widespread hype and attention as that of Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets or Tariq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks who were voted to their first career Pro Bowls last week.
However, while he isn’t a front runner to win Defensive Rookie of the Year like his aforementioned peers, the former Notre Dame standout has been an integral piece in his team’s elite defense and earned a spot on the Heavy’s Matt Lombardo’s ’10 NFL Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2023′ list.
“Somewhat quietly, Kyle Hamilton has had one of the more dominant seasons by a safety this season,” he wrote.
In 14 games, Hamilton has recorded 51 total tackles including 4 for a loss, 2.0 sacks, 4 quarterback hits, 1 forced fumble, and four pass breakups. According to Pro Football Focus, he is the highest-graded rookie safety with an overall grade of 79.3 and a coverage grade of 78.2.
.@kyledhamilton_ with the SACK❗️❗️
Lombardo highlighted that his rare blend of size length and athleticism at 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds make him an “imposing presence over the middle of the field” and the versatile skillset that allows him to play and dominate in the slot as well.
“You can’t have a breakout star list and not have Kyle Hamilton,” an AFC South scouting director told Heavy. “He has the ability to cover tight ends that are so prevalent in passing offenses throughout the league today.”
“Hamilton’s rookie season may just be setting the stage for a bright future,” Lombardo added.
John Harbaugh Doesn’t Provide Update on Lamar Jackson
The health and availability of the former unanimous league MVP remain the biggest question mark for the Ravens as they prepare for their second matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the past three weeks. He missed the first meeting in Week 14 with a sprained knee he suffered the week prior that has kept him out of each of the last three games.
Thankfully, they were able to go 2-1 in his absence including beating their archrivals 16-14 the first time around. He has missed nine straight practices since suffering his injury and when asked if the two-time Pro Bowler is expected to practice this week, head coach John Harbaugh simply and plainly stated “we’ll just have to see” in his Monday press conference.
Coach Harbaugh asked about QB Lamar Jackson and if he will practice this week.
Since the Ravens have already clinched a playoff berth, the only thing they have left to play for is the AFC North division crown which they haven’t won since 2019. It won’t be decided by this week’s game which was flexed into primetime on Sunday Night Football, but if they can take care of business at home again and sweep the Steelers, they’ll have a chance to play for the title on the road when they face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18.
I Jackson still isn’t ready to practice or play this week, the Ravens still believe they will be in capable hands with third-year pro Tyler Huntley at the helm who would be in line to make his fourth straight start and the eighth of his career.
“It’s a team effort, and Tyler has led the team,” Harbaugh said in his postgame press conference after the 17-9 win over the Atlanta Falcons. “He’s played the position very well. He played a really solid game today; he made throws when he needed to make them, orchestrated the run offense. A lot of that stuff is the quarterback making checks at the line too, sometimes that goes unnoticed. [He] had some quarterback runs that were tough runs. [I am] just very proud of Tyler Huntley.”