The Baltimore Ravens must consider pushing the panic button with John Harbaugh

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh, whose team lost four of the five players – and, by and large, may miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year – was questioned following the match on an NFL Media report suggesting that it could be sent back in the next few days. . (The team owner, Steve Bisciotti, admitted in February that he was weighing on Harbaugh's dismissal after last season, while a defeat in the regular-season final had extended the drought of the Ravens playoffs.)

"I did not see that, I do not know," Harbaugh replied when asked when he was in the hot seat. "I have never been someone who is afraid of keeping a job.

"We will continue to fight, and that's what we do."

But beyond that, Harbaugh seemed to be a man searching for answers.

"I just told the players," You know, we lost three consecutive games. What does it mean we have to do? "They all said," We have to win three games in a row, "he said." That's what we have to do. There are seven games remaining in the season. There is still a lot of football to play. "

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Harbaugh raised the need for a week off, hoping that a list of 10 players listed on the injury report will come out in better health after the break. Starting forwards Ronnie Stanley and James Hurst both faced the Steelers, who limited the Ravens to 268 yards and 23:31, possession time.

Defensively, Baltimore could not leave the field, allowing Pittsburgh to convert 10 of 16 third-try attempts on the way home, giving him 395 yards, more than 100 more than she concedes on average. The top-ranked Ravens defense has allowed more than six conversions in the third round in any other game of the season.

"We are going to look closely at what we can do," said Harbaugh, who lost to an opponent in the home division in November for the first time in his career (previously 7-0). "We have to score more points, accumulate more yards – especially – score in the red zone, we scored very well in the red zone at the beginning of the year, and it is now dry."

All this is certainly true, especially for a team that started the season with a record 12 touchdowns in their first 12 trips inside the 20-yard line. The Ravens were 1-in-4 in the red zone Sunday while Pittsburgh was 3-in-4.

Game. Together. Meet.

But it may be time to hope for more than better executions in crucial situations and rejuvenated troops.

Does it kick Harbaugh to make the team work? This seems dubious at this point, since this type of gambit rarely works in the NFL. The players also seem to support the coach.

"This team believes in him," said Eric Weddle, director of safety. He is clearly open to new ideas given the drastic cut of his iconic beard.

"It's an incredible man."

Maybe it's time to try Ty Montgomery, inactive on Sunday after being acquired from the Packers at the trading deadline, to trigger a virtually dormant ground attack (61 yards Sunday).

Of course, the most radical solution would be to rank quarterback Joe Flacco as defenseman for rookie Lamar Jackson, the first-round pick made by outgoing chief executive Ozzie Newsome.

"I would like to see him more often," Harbaugh said of Jackson, citing the success of New Orleans in Baltimore two weeks ago, with Drew Brees and Taysom Hill multidimensional.

Harbaugh has shown no desire to put Flacco on the bench, which is clearly the most effective smuggler, his term as a starter is about to end. Yet Jackson's packages seem to produce few explosive games – he completed a 12-yard pass on Sunday and won just 10 yards in five runs.

And his presence seems almost counterproductive as he enters and leaves the entourage. Flacco – yes, he was behind a decimated line – never lived up to Pittsburgh and missed a Jackson open for a touchdown on a goal that resulted in a center placement and Michael Crabtree in the flat on another game that could have produced seven points when the Ravens finally got three.

To make Jackson a regular component of the offense would certainly result in rookie mistakes. However, this would also force the defenses to spy on it and could pave the way, not only downstream, but on the ground, where turn-by-turn options could become a more effective element.

In this case, when Jackson comes into play, Flacco inevitably separates, because a lure is not a defender.

"We're going to watch everything, we always do it in the week off," Harbaugh said.

The locker room seems resolute, refusing to panic in the midst of struggles or to pay attention to the rumor mill.

"Let them keep talking," said quarterback Brandon Carr. We have everything we need in this locker room. "

Harbaugh said, "We will determine our own destiny."

Until someone else does it anyway.

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