NFL analyst addresses if Ravens HC John Harbaugh is on hot seat

One of the biggest surprises of Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season involved the Baltimore Ravens dropping to 0-2 on the campaign via a 26-23 home loss to a rebuilding Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) side.

For an article published on Tuesday, ESPN analyst Ben Solak was asked by a reader if Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh is on the hot seat in the closing days of summer.

"Harbaugh's seat is cool as a cucumber," Solak responded. "I remember when he was on the hot seat at the end of the Joe Flacco era, and then the Ravens got Lamar Jackson (in the 2018 draft) and rejuvenated the team. The Ravens had a contending team last season and lost a tough one to the (Kansas City Chiefs) in the AFC Championship Game. ...They had a huge talent drain along the offensive line and on the defensive coaching staff. An early-season step back is not surprising."

Specifically, Sporting News' Scott Davis noted in July how the Ravens had to fill three starter roles on their offensive line this past offseason. Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald left the Ravens last winter to become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

Solak mentioned that the Ravens have "a handful of legit star players," including a two-time regular-season Most Valuable Player Award winner in Jackson, who shouldn't let the club completely collapse this season. With that said, Baltimore plays at the 1-1 Dallas Cowboys this Sunday before the Ravens host the Buffalo Bills (2-0) the following weekend. That's a rough pair of games for any club.

According to the New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy , only two of the 32 teams that started a season with 0-2 records since 2020 have qualified for postseason tournaments. Additionally, Harbaugh has yet to guide a Jackson-led Ravens team to a single Super Bowl appearance.

As of late Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Ravens as one-point road favorites against the Cowboys. Harbaugh's seat may be as "cool as a cucumber" heading into that game, but questions about his long-term future could hover over the organization if Baltimore falls to 0-3 at AT&T Stadium.

After all, few guessed at this time last year that the Tennessee Titans would fire head coach Mike Vrabel in January 2024.