Imagine that you are one of the
best head coaches in the National Football League and have a brother who
aspires to become an NFL head coach as well. Maybe you’ll even get to coach
against him once or twice in your coaching career. This is the exact reality
for the Harbaugh brothers, John and his brother Jim, who have already been on
opposite sidelines twice in their NFL coaching careers. It has been a long time
since this happened, mainly because of Jim Harbaugh’s firing, followed by the
Niners' 8-8 record at the end of the 2014 season. The last time the Harbaughs
met, millions watched as John beat his younger brother Jim in Super Bowl XLVII,
or as it became widely known as the “HarBowl.” John is going into Monday Night
Football holding a 2-0 record over his younger brother, but what Jim has
managed to do with this Chargers team in a matter of months is possibly the
most impressive coaching I’ve seen.
Jim Harbaugh found his way back
into the NFL when the Los Angeles Chargers hired him on January 24th, fresh off
his National Championship win as the University of Michigan’s head coach. Jim
had coached the Michigan Wolverines for the previous nine seasons, and deep
down, I believe it was his every hope to turn the Wolverines (his alma mater)
around and bring them another National Championship title. Upon completing what
he set out to do in Michigan, no one was too sure of what he wanted to do next.
However, one thing was certain: wherever he ended up, he was going to improve
them dramatically. From the middle to the end of the 2023 college football
season, there was a lot of speculation that Harbaugh might end up as the next
coach of the Las Vegas Raiders or Los Angeles Chargers. Jim decided to return
to the state where he grew up and to one of the franchises that had once
offered him an opportunity to play quarterback for the Chargers. One reason he
chose the Chargers was, of course to no one's surprise, Justin Herbert, their
quarterback who is arguably one of the best and possibly the most underrated
passers in the NFL today. Jim and General Manager Joe Hortiz swung some family
deals with his brother to obtain both Ravens’ best running backs of the past
several years, Gus “the Bus” Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. Others who had made the
trip over to LA are center Bradley Bozeman, tight end Hayden Hurst (a Raven
from 2018-2019), and even coordinator Greg Roman (Baltimore’s OC from
2019-2022) who found new life with the Chargers after spending four seasons as
part of John Harbaugh’s staff.
When it comes to John Harbaugh
and his Baltimore Ravens, it is simple: win, and you are once again tied with
the Pittsburgh Steelers, setting up a significant rematch with said team in
Week 16. First, let’s get back to the task at hand, which is a huge game
tonight. Monday Night Football, Brother vs. Brother, Baltimore vs. LA in a game
where the number 5 spot in the AFC playoff picture is on the line. Tonight, in
a primetime game with the bright lights shining on them, while millions of NFL
fans are watching, Baltimore must follow the Eagles' footsteps from last night,
meaning they need to focus on the task at hand and not have their minds on next
week's opponents (Eagles play Ravens next week). Though the Ravens had a bad
loss last week at the hands of their division rival Steelers, they can turn
things around quickly tonight if they get back to what has been the main game
plan this season. Todd Monken (Ravens OC) needs to dial up a heavy dose of runs
for “King” Henry, who was the league’s leading rusher up until Saquon Barkley
went off last night (26 CAR, 255 YDS, 2 TDS, 9.81 YPC). It is never fun for any
defense to have to match up with these Ravens attempting to contain both Henry
and Lamar on the ground. Lamar played his worst game of the season last week
and will look to bounce back hugely tonight as they take on a Jesse
Minter-coached defense (LA’s DC) ranking 10th in total yardage allowed (317.1
YPG). The Ravens are undefeated this season when Derrick Henry rushes for at
least 90 yards.
This Chargers defense is the real deal this
season. They are currently holding opposing offenses to just 110.5 yards
rushing (10th) while allowing only 206.6 yards passing (11th). They are also
the number-one ranked scoring defense, ceding a league-low 14.5 points on
average, making it difficult for anyone to find themselves in a position to
beat them. Last Sunday night, the Bengals gave it everything they had, and
although they were able to put up 27 points on this defense, the Chargers were
able to seal a victory due to the bad defensive play of the Bengals. I already
outlined the blueprint for the Ravens to have success against the Chargers'
defense. To no one’s surprise, the best way for Los Angeles to beat the Ravens
is to pose a heavy air attack (Baltimore allows 284.5 YPG) with them ranked
dead last against the pass. I think there could be something to be said about
the Chargers wanting to give both Dobbins and Edwards some carries, attempting
to show Baltimore that they both still have a lot left in the tank; however,
this would be a very bad approach as Baltimore is giving up the second-least
rushing yards per game (77.5). A notable injury to watch for is Roquan Smith,
who is likely out tonight.
Lastly, I expect John Harbaugh to stay perfect
against younger brother Jim tonight in a game that could potentially contribute
towards one team sliding down in the rankings over the next couple of weeks.
Going forward, the Ravens' schedule has them playing a dominant Philadelphia
Eagles team before their bye week. Then a game in NJ against the Giants with
new starting QB Tommy DeVito, followed by their crucial rematch at home where
they play host to Pittsburgh. After that, they head to Houston for a Christmas
Day matchup and then end the season at home to play the Browns. The Ravens need
to keep their heads on a swivel with 5 tough games remaining, including tonight
in Los Angeles. The Chargers' remaining schedule will also have some difficult
challenges ahead starting this evening. Next week, LA will fly out to Atlanta
to play the Falcons, who are looking for vengeance after the beatdown they took
from an ascending Denver team. Then another road game is slated for the
Chargers when they play their division opponent Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday
Night Football in Week 14, followed by a home game against the Buccaneers. Week
16 will probably be their last difficult task in the regular season as they
will host their other rivals, the Denver Broncos, just four days after their
game with Tampa Bay. The NFL recently announced that they will be flexing this
divisional game into the Thursday Night slot on Amazon Prime. The Chargers will
play their final two games on the road, taking on the Patriots and the Raiders,
and should be able to add two wins to their record to end the season. I look
forward to tonight’s game. I haven’t been great with my recent picks.
Hopefully, that changes this evening as I will take the Ravens, who are favored
(-2.5) on the road.
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