Is John Harbaugh the worst in-game coach in the NFL?

jdip9 · January 23, 2012 1:54AM

I say yes. There are a number of coaches that cannot utilize timeouts correctly or manage down-and-distance or end-of-half situations correctly, but for my money Harbaugh is the worst, and nobody mentions it. He may be great at preparation and motivation, but he is an awful game coach.

Absolutely inexcusable that his FG kicker had to SPRINT onto the field to attempt a game-winning FG. For one - why isn't Cundiff at the ready?....for two - he had a freaking timeout he could have used to settle him down. It's like being late for your tee time, your foursome is on the tee, and you run up to the tee box with driver in hand and your shoes barely tied - of course you are going to snap hook it into the woods!

Add in kicking a FG on the Pats 2 on 4th and inches in the 2nd quarter, and wasting a timeout on 4th and 6 with 3 minutes left when he should have had his strategy mapped out before the 3rd down call, and its clear that Harbaugh had just as much to do with the Ravens losing as Cundiff did.

Does any remember the game vs. the Colts when he used a timeout at the 2 minute warning to think about challenging a spot, decided to challenge it (and of course lost, because spots never get reversed and this one was clearly not going to be either based on the available replays)...thereby using his last 2 timeouts, and allowing the Colts to run out the clock?

markj111 · January 23, 2012 6:39AM

No.

ziggy29 · January 23, 2012 7:04AM

Worst ever? No. But in retrospect he allowed Cundiff to get thrown under the bus by not using that last TO.

grote15 · January 23, 2012 8:19AM

Don't know if he's the worst ever, but that loss is largely on him, imo...you just cannot have your kicker running onto the field to attempt a kick like that. An astute coach would have called TO to settle him down.

lawnmowerman · January 23, 2012 8:45AM

<< <i>Don't know if he's the worst ever, but that loss is largely on him, imo...you just cannot have your kicker running onto the field to attempt a kick like that. An astute coach would have called TO to settle him down. >>

He sure would have. Just ask Jason Garrett

RonBurgundy · January 23, 2012 3:03PM

He was horrible. He cost them the game with putrid game management.

bking · January 23, 2012 11:09PM

<< <i>I say yes. There are a number of coaches that cannot utilize timeouts correctly or manage down-and-distance or end-of-half situations correctly, but for my money Harbaugh is the worst, and nobody mentions it. He may be great at preparation and motivation, but he is an awful game coach.

Absolutely inexcusable that his FG kicker had to SPRINT onto the field to attempt a game-winning FG. For one - why isn't Cundiff at the ready?....for two - he had a freaking timeout he could have used to settle him down. It's like being late for your tee time, your foursome is on the tee, and you run up to the tee box with driver in hand and your shoes barely tied - of course you are going to snap hook it into the woods!

Add in kicking a FG on the Pats 2 on 4th and inches in the 2nd quarter, and wasting a timeout on 4th and 6 with 3 minutes left when he should have had his strategy mapped out before the 3rd down call, and its clear that Harbaugh had just as much to do with the Ravens losing as Cundiff did.

Does any remember the game vs. the Colts when he used a timeout at the 2 minute warning to think about challenging a spot, decided to challenge it (and of course lost, because spots never get reversed and this one was clearly not going to be either based on the available replays)...thereby using his last 2 timeouts, and allowing the Colts to run out the clock? >>

You're the only other person besides me that has brought up that 2nd QTR FG. When you're playing the Patriots, you just don't settle for a FG in that situation.

jeffcbay · January 23, 2012 11:42PM

As I was watching Cundiff sprinting onto the field, I told my buddy there is no way he makes this, he's way too rushed. I was HOPING either team would call time out, but of course they didn't. Why on earth was he the last to the line? Was he taking a leak or something? As for Harbaugh being the worst, I wouldn't go that far, but he was definitely to blame for a lot of what went wrong that day. The Ravens were a better team on the field. Definitely a heart breaker.

57loaded · January 24, 2012 2:21AM

probably the best example of brain lock at a hyper critical ending to a game.

worst coach? of course not but it's great for an attention getting post topic

jacksfull · January 24, 2012 4:45AM

According to a deadspin Q&A he said he has a 3rd. down ritual and the pats field scoreboard was wrong,thats
why he was rushing on the field.They always say,you cant take the timeouts home with ya,use em!

grote15 · January 24, 2012 5:44AM

Scoreboard clock was wrong and Cunfiff thought it was 3rd down. Hoodie was at the controls, lol..

jdip9 · January 24, 2012 7:33AM

By worst, I meant current NFL...there are plenty worse all-time (Art Shell and Marty Schottenheimer are two that come to mind).

If the scoreboard was wrong, that doesn't absolve Harbaugh from not using a timeout. It's really inexcusble. The fact he admitted that it didn't even cross his mind is even worse. I could almost accept if he said "I thought about it, but decided against icing my kicker". It would still be the wrong choice, but at least it shows he was thinking.

To be fair, I thought he actually did make the right call in going for the TD vs. Houston in the 4th quarter on 4th and goal from the 1. Unfortunately, I think he let that failure creep into his mind in not going for it on 4th and 1 vs. the Pats this past week, and it cost them the game more than any other play or decision made in that game. Regardless of the opponent, from an expected value perspective (google "advanced NFL stats" if you are curious), it is ALWAYS is the correct choice to go for it in that situation. Even more so when playing a high-scoring team like the Pats.

Is John Harbaugh the worst in-game coach in the NFL?

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