Finding the right replacement for longtime head coach John Harbaugh doesn’t have to be a complicated process for the Baltimore Ravens, not when the team can hire a multi-time Super Bowl-winning coach considered the “best of all time.”
That lofty title belongs to Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, according to Kay Adams. She explained on an episode of “Up & Adams” how Spagnuolo “isn’t the first name that comes to mind, but you can not tell me that this is not the best defensive coordinator, like, of all time. Who is better as a defensive coordinator?”
It’s a good point since no DC can compare with Spagnuolo’s four Lombardi Trophies, but the issue for the Ravens is can the 66-year-old finally cut it as a head coach? It’s an issue Adams acknowledged when she admitted, “everybody loved” Spagnuolo during his first try at handling the top job, with the St. Louis Rams back in 2009-11, although he “wasn’t successful maybe as a head coach, maybe I shouldn’t be bringing that up, but he’s revered, respected. If you want somebody to get this talented defense going that you have in Baltimore […] Spags is the guy you guys should be going for. Kansas City has had a top-10 defense six of his seven seasons with the Chiefs.”
The Ravens do need a ton of help to rediscover their identity and some swagger on defense. Spagnuolo is the right name to make that happen, but it’s his knowledge of franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson that could make this a sneaky good hire.
Lamar Jackson Nemesis Steve Spagnuolo Fits for Ravens
As Adams put it, Spagnuolo “is the only person on earth who has consistently stopped, stifled, maybe slowed down, Lamar Jackson.” Adams relayed numbers that show Jackson is 1-5 with a 78.9 passer rating against Spagnuolo-coached defenses.
Jackson has struggled to decipher the elaborate blitz pressures Spagnuolo dials up. As well as the patient, disguised coverages he presents to quarterbacks.
One of the more notable examples of Spags’ ability to flummox Jackson occurred in the 2023 AFC Championship Game. It was when the 14-4 Ravens had homefield advantage, but the Chiefs sacked Jackson four times, picked off a pass and forced nine bad throws, according to Pro Football Reference.
Spagnuolo’s understandings of the weaker points of Jackson’s game could be used to help the latter improve. Pairing Spags with a strong offensive coordinator, say former Washington Commanders play-caller Kliff Kingsbury, who is already on the radar for the Ravens, albeit to replace Harbaugh, would be a dream ticket to front a new era at M&T Bank Stadium.
The presence of a big-name OC would also make it easier for Spagnuolo to coach the way he wants to, namely by focusing most of his efforts on a defense needing help.
Defensive Failings Helped Doom John Harbaugh
Although Harbaugh’s support of offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and the latter’s rumored testy relationship with Jackson were problems, the Ravens were also undone by defensive failings.
Those failings were noticeable during the decisive, season- and era-ending 28-26 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The contest may have been settled by rookie Tyler Loop missing a field-goal attempt from 44 yards, but as ESPN’s Mina Kimes pointed out, the Ravens also “missed approximately 1,000 tackles in the second half. And I just feel that this Ravens team has lost their defensive identity over the last couple of years. They need more talent, that’s certainly been a big part of that, but I feel very strongly that like offense it’s Lamar Jackson, someone can figure it out. This defense is, like, what I would vert much prioritize here.”
On the pod, @benjaminsolak and I discussed why Baltimore should hire a defense-minded HC and rebuild their physical identity.
Hyperbole aside, things have been shaky defensively in recent seasons. Harbaugh found himself needing to defend young coordinator Zach Orr too often. Eventually though, even Harbaugh began to call out lapses on a side of the ball that had long been a franchise strength.
Spagnuolo would restore the strength, but he’s from the same coaching tree as Harbaugh, with both serving as assistants for Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles back in the day. Harbaugh came calling for Spagnuolo after things with the Rams and New Orleans Saints went sideways in 2013, but the Ravens doing so again might not be enough of a change to correct some of the issues prevalent late in Harbaugh’s tenure.
Ravens Urged to Hire ‘Best of All Time’ to Replace John Harbaugh