John Harbaugh addresses job security amid fading Ravens playoff hopes: ‘I try to do the job, not try to keep the job’

After a late-game collapse by the Baltimore Ravens in a loss to the New England Patriots further dampened their playoff hopes, the pressure continues to mount on head coach John Harbuagh.

Hours after the 28-24 loss, Harbaugh was met at his Monday press conference with questions about his job security.

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Harbaugh: ‘I’m trying to do the job, not keep it’

“That’s what sport is. That’s how it works,” Harbaugh said. “One thing I’ve always believed in is that, first and foremost, coaching at any level is a daily job. Your job is to do the best job you can today. And to do everything you can to help your players and your coaches – if you’re a head coach – be the best they can be every day.

“It’s never been about keeping a job. There’s no such thing as your job or my job. We have responsibilities. We have the ability to take on those responsibilities when you’re given a job to do it. Until you’re not doing it anymore. I’m trying to do the job, not keep it.”

Why didn’t Derrick Henry play until the end?

Harbaugh was also asked specifically about the use of All-Pro running back Derrick Henry late in Sunday’s game.

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The Ravens held a 24-13 lead early in the fourth quarter after Henry scored his second touchdown of the game with 12:50 left. At that point, he had totaled 128 yards on 18 carries (7.1 yards per attempt) and paced a Ravens offense playing since late in the second quarter without injured quarterback Lamar Jackson.

He didn’t touch the ball again. Instead, Keaton Mitchell carried the ball for the remainder of the fourth quarter as part of a pre-established running back rotation.

The Ravens gained just one more first down in two possessions after Henry’s final point. And the Patriots scored 15 unanswered points to rally for the 4-point victory.

Harbaugh reiterated that the decision to keep Mitchell in the game to start the final series that ended with a Zay Flowers fumble was part of the planned rotation and was agreed to by Henry and running backs coach Willie Taggart.

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“Looking back on it now, I would have grabbed him and said, no, put Derrick in the game,” Harbaugh said. “But that’s not really how it works in real time.

“Those are the guys that make the rotation and drive the rotation. And those are also the plays that are called. Some plays are set up for Keaton. And that opening play was more of a Keaton play.”

It’s not just about a loss to the Patriots

The mounting pressure on Harbaugh extends well beyond Sunday’s turnover and running back loss. Baltimore entered this season on the short list of favorites to win the Super Bowl.

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A 1-5 start compounded by Jackson’s repeated injuries derailed that discussion. Despite a slow start, the Ravens were in play to win the AFC North after a five-game winning streak to improve their record to 6-5.

But they have since lost three of four games, including a critical Week 14 loss to the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens are now 7-8 and need a perfect scenario to overtake the Steelers for the division title. They need to win their last two games and for the Steelers, two lose their last two.

The Ravens control one of those games as they face the Steelers in Week 18. But if the Steelers beat the Browns next week, they will win the division and the Ravens will be eliminated from the playoffs. They have no path to a wild card spot.

The Ravens are also in the midst of a long streak of playoff disappointments. Harbaugh coached the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory following the 2012 season. Since then, they have advanced to just one AFC Championship Game and have not returned to the Super Bowl.

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It’s a streak that includes four 11-plus win seasons with Jackson, who has won two MVPs since his first season as Baltimore’s full-time starter in 2018. Expectations were high in Jackson’s era. And they were not satisfied.

Harbaugh is in his 18th season as Baltimore’s head coach. He is a respected Super Bowl winner who is ingrained in franchise history.

But the Ravens failed to live up to expectations on several occasions. And patience is running out for the franchise to make the most of the Jackson era. In Baltimore, that means not only playing in the Super Bowl, but winning it.