The Baltimore Ravens shocked the NFL world in January when the team fired John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. Harbaugh was incredibly successful during his run with the franchise, posting a .614 winning percentage and winning a Super Bowl title in 2012.
But maybe it was time for a change.
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Ravens wideout Zay Flowers spoke about the Harbaugh era during an appearance on the “4th and South” podcast Thursday. And while the receiver has a lot of respect for Harbaugh, and credited the coach for the team’s success, Flowers also said Harbaugh’s physical practices likely led to the team being more injured compared to the average NFL team.
The conversation about Harbaugh started after former NFL running back Leonard Fournette complimented the coach. Flowers said Harbaugh was good at getting players prepared to play thanks to the way the team practiced.
When Fournette asked whether the team was tackling in practice, Flowers then revealed how physical things were under Harbaugh. He said the team engaged in as many fully-padded practices that were allowed under the collective-bargaining agreement and that the team kept up its high level of intensity even late into the season, when players were already worn down. Based on Fournette’s response — and the response from former NFL wideout Jarvis Landry — that level of physicality was unusual around the league.
Fournette eventually asked Flowers how he managed that workload, leading to the receiver saying it was impossible.
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“You don’t,” Flowers said. “Low key, that’s why we had a lot of injuries. Because how we practiced.”
Flowers then detailed his own personal workload, saying he ran 10,000 yards in both Week 1 and Week 2 and then was putting up 4,000-5,000-yard practices, which added up over the course of the season.
“We’re running all week,” Flowers said. “Then Friday-Saturday, I’m like, ‘damn, my legs.’ Now my legs start to recover on Saturday.”
By the time his legs felt good, Flowers would then play in a game, setting things back to square one again. To cope with that, Flowers said he would use the cold tub and hot tub essentially every single day, another piece of information that drew surprised responses from Fournette and Landry.
While Flowers remained incredibly healthy over his first three seasons in the NFL, the Ravens battled a number of injuries under Harbaugh. Quarterback Lamar Jackson has missed at least a game in nearly every season since taking over as the team’s starter and is often battling injuries during the week. The team also lost Pro Bowler Nnamdi Madubuike for most of the season. In previous seasons, the team battled significant injuries, losing cornerback Marcus Peters for the entire 2021 season. Standout Marlon Humphrey has also missed time here and there due to injuries.
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Flowers said he spoke to new Ravens coach Jesse Minter about the team’s practice plans. Minter said the team would get its work in, but implied things would be lighter with him in town.
During the Harbaugh and Jackson era, the Ravens have consistently contended for Super Bowls. While the team has come close to winning it all, it has more often suffered premature playoff exits.
Following Flowers’ comments, it’s possible the team was simply too burned out by that point in the season to give their best effort. Perhaps a lighter practice schedule under Minter is the thing that finally pushes Jackson and the Ravens back to their Super Bowl winning ways.
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