Ravens’ Coaching Staff Ranked at No. 4
It was noted in Late for Work last week that the Ravens have the best roster in the league according to ESPN analysts. They also have an elite coaching staff.
ESPN’s Ben Solak ranked all 32 coaching staffs (head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators), and the Ravens’ trio of Harbaugh, Monken, and Zach Orr landed at No. 4.
“The best offensive playcallers are all head coaches, but if we narrow our scope to coordinators, the best one around is Monken,” Solak wrote. “Last season, Lamar Jackson led the league in open targets (61% of his attempts) and wide-open targets (36%, the most for any season in the NFL Next Gen Stats charting database, which goes back to 2017). Jackson certainly helps those receivers get open by breaking the pocket and threatening to run. But recall how congested those Ravens’ passing designs were before Monken got to town. He has elevated the entire offense around the two-time MVP.”
Solak praised Orr for turning the defense into one of the best in the league during the second half of last season.
“One of the best 2024 coaching moves was the midseason reshuffling of the Baltimore secondary, which is a feather in Orr’s cap, even if it was a decision made collectively,” Solak wrote. “From Weeks 1 through 10, the Ravens started Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson at safety, using star defensive back Kyle Hamilton as more of a roving nickel/linebacker. They were the fourth-worst defense by EPA per dropback and sixth worst in points per drive. Then, after Williams and Jackson were benched and Hamilton was relocated to a true safety role, Baltimore became the league’s best defense in both metrics.
“Under Harbaugh, the Ravens have always been good at adjusting to midseason injuries and correcting poor play. They also remain one of the league’s best in managing fourth-down decisions and late-game clocks.”
The Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers were the three teams ranked ahead of the Ravens.
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