Jesse Minter has won over many observers since replacing John Harbaugh as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, but not everybody’s convinced by the rookie sideline general. Including one doubter who compares former Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator Minter to “arguably the worst type of head coach you can have in the NFL.”
It’s a tough take, but Austin Gayle of The Ringer is concerned about how defensive-minded head coaches tend to flail without the assistance of a gifted offensive coordinator.
Minter arguably has one of those while 30-year-old Declan Doyle is making a positive early impression. Gayle asks, “if Minter is just good a year from now when his seemingly brilliant and creative OC Declan Doyle is a head coach outside Baltimore, what will the narrative be then?”
There’s a lot of what ifs here, but Gayle uses Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ chief Todd Bowles as a worrying reference point for Minter and the Ravens.
Jesse Minter Faces Tough, Todd Bowles Comparison
Gayle acknowledged how “Bowles, before recency bias and short internet years, was a good head coach. He’s called elite defenses and will always be revered for his defensive mind. He’s also hired good OCs before, including Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen. But Bowles got only one year each with those offensive minds and has missed on a bunch of other OC hires dating back to his first stint as a head coach with the New York Jets (2015-18).”
The argument is clear. Defense-first coaches without an imaginative play-caller on the other side of the ball are likely to suffer.
Perhaps there is a limited ceiling for this type of head coach, but Bowles did guide the Bucs to three-straight NFC South titles, while also being the last man in charge to oversee a 10-win season for the Jets.
That’s a solid track record, but Gayle’s convinced, “The sad reality is that only elite defensive play callers (Mike Macdonald), elite offensive play callers (Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Ben Johnson), and/or elite game and people managers (Dan Campbell) can be great head coaches.”
Perhaps that’s true, but if it’s too soon to declare Minter elite after six games with the Ravens, it’s also too early to put a ceiling on his potential. Gayle admitted as much when he conceded:
Minter is a good coach! Baltimore is 1-1 with Lamar Jackson out, and Minter’s only other loss was a fluky fourth-quarter comeback orchestrated by the legend that is New Orleans Saints QB Tyler Shough. The Ravens have beaten the Colts, Cowboys, Titans, and Falcons; they’re 4-2 in Minter’s first six games as head coach. That’s good, right? The defense is middle-of-the-pack in pretty much all the important metrics (success rate, EPA, etc.). That’s not not good, but it’s not bad, right? Sorry to steal from Nix here, but I think calling Minter a good coach six internet years into his head coaching career is a fine narrative we’re all happily making up before things get much scarier after Halloween. But what if Minter is only good?
Two things will determine if Minter can be a great, rather than merely a good head coach.
Ravens Need Clever Coaching Decisions From the Top
Minter’s first task is to put a strong defense onto the field. He hasn’t managed it yet, with the Ravens consistently failing to make stops in clutch moments.
Minter is owning the problem, and he’s also taking steps to correct the issue. Including making more creative use of key personnel.
Showcasing the particular expertise that got him the top job will be vital for Minter, but it’s not the only way he can prove himself. Taking care of the big picture is arguably the most important facet of being a head coach.
The process can start with Minter showing he’ll exert more influence on play-calling in key moments. Notably, more than when he allowed OC Doyle to ignore two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry in short-yardage situations during the shock defeat by the Saints in Week 2.
That setback was just one more example of the Ravens’ longstanding habit of letting late leads slip. It’s a frustrating and damaging tendency Minter hasn’t been able to fix.
Losing leads late is usually the result of failings in situational football or the inability to avoid turnovers. Minter must do more to stress the fundamentals and ensure a talented team doesn’t waste its potential.
If he can manage close games the right way for the Ravens, Minter will eventually earn elite status in the top job.
Ravens’ Jesse Minter Compared to ‘Worst Type of Head Coach’