Continuity may save the current Ravens regime

The Baltimore Ravens recently wrapped a second consecutive season of disappointment thanks to them missing the postseason yet again.

Following the end of 2016, many Ravens fans were calling for the jobs of coaches in every different position, including the head coaching spot. These restless fans were again disappointed when black Monday passed and invariably Dean Pees, Marty Morninwheg, or John Harbaugh were still employed within the ranks of the franchise.

While it was a combination of surprising and downright mind boggling decisions to see some of these coaches still with a job, there is reason to think that owner Steve Bisciotti may be onto something with his continuity-first approach. This is despite the fact that Morninwheg’s pass happy attack and Pees’ sit back and prevent defense late in games both grated on the fan base, and many of Harbaugh’s inexplicable antics wore on the Ravens flock as well.

It is more than understandable to be frustrated if you are a fan of this franchise; this was one of the more difficult years in recent memory for many reasons, with a chief one being that this team seemed to have potential. However, it is the potential we saw this past season that may be reason to think that sticking with the current regime might be the correct move.

After a dumpster fire of a 5-11 2015 season, the fact that the Ravens were right on the brink of the playoffs in 2016 has to be seen as a good sign. A good example to look at is the rival Pittsburgh Steelers who found themselves in a similar position just a few years ago.

After making the Super Bowl in 2010 and qualifying for the playoffs in 2011, the Steelers failed to make the playoffs for two straight years. There were rumblings at the time about the job security of head coach Mike Tomlin as well as the health of the relationship between offensive coordinator Todd Haley and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Instead of giving into media and fan pressure, the franchise stuck to its tradition of continunity and kept their key pieces in place. 2016 marks the 3rd consecutive year that Pittsburgh has made the playoffs. They stands as evidence why the Ravens should stick to their model of patience.

If 2017 doesn't yield the results that Bisciotti is looking for, then next year may be the time to reevaluate. Until then however, it may not be wise to move on from a Super Bowl winning head coach and the staff that he deems up to snuff.

Hopefully for Harbaugh’s sake, the results will present themselves sooner rather than later.