A Baltimore Reunion in East Rutherford
It seems that John Harbaugh is about to become the new head coach of the New York Giants. Meanwhile, former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is one of the frontrunners to take over in Baltimore, according to NFL Network.
Monken, who is 59, has spent the last three years with the Ravens and is a prominent candidate for the Giants’ opening.
Although Monken signed a contract extension with Baltimore last February, it’s typical for teams to allow their assistants to seek other opportunities following a head coaching change.
Regardless of who the Ravens choose as their next head coach, there’s always a possibility they might prefer someone else instead of sticking with Monken.
For Harbaugh, securing the right offensive coordinator is crucial. The development of quarterback Jackson Dart is vital for the team’s quest to regain strong performance levels.
Dart had an impressive rookie season, racking up 24 total touchdowns (15 passing) and throwing for 2,272 yards in 14 games, with 12 of those being starts.
Of course, Dart isn’t exactly Lamar Jackson, the two-time MVP for Baltimore. But Monken managed to craft a strong offense around a quarterback who utilizes his mobility effectively.
Over the past three seasons, the Ravens have ranked 6th, 1st, and 16th in yards per game, and they stood 4th, 3rd, and 11th in points per game during that same timeframe.
This year’s drop in performance can largely be attributed to Jackson missing four games due to injury, impacting his ability to contribute as usual.
Interestingly, Monken took some responsibility for the offense not performing well.
“I didn’t coach Lamar enough,” he expressed during an appearance on “Ryan Ripken Show.” “We didn’t establish the best relationship we could have, and we didn’t execute what we needed to win enough games this year.”
The Athletic mentioned that Harbaugh’s decision to retain Monken may have influenced the final choice to part ways with him after 18 years with the team.
Now, it looks like both Harbaugh and Monken have an opportunity to prove Baltimore wrong as they take on the Giants.
