Could Harbaugh become a master of this era?
That question remains subjective, something time itself will have to answer.
But whether Harbaugh was a formidable leader—a ruthless hero of his generation—there was no doubt.
His decisiveness and boldness earned even Bill Belichick's admiration and commanded respect.
The proof was right before everyone's eyes:
Harbaugh had gambled—and won.
Home victory over the Cincinnati Bengals: avenging a Week 2 defeat.
Home victory over the Oakland Raiders: no slip-ups against a struggling team.
Road victory over the Atlanta Falcons: two desperate teams in a slugfest, and Baltimore prevailed.
Since the bye week: three straight wins.
Suddenly, their record rose to 7–5.
The Ravens were right back in playoff contention.
"I'm back!"—echoed the sentiment.
Just as important as the wins themselves was the emergence of rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson—a revelation, a whirlwind of talent that took the league by storm.
Jackson was… a work in progress.
Rough mechanics, questionable reads, inconsistent accuracy—his college flaws were exposed and magnified at the NFL level, making him an easy target for critics.
In just three games, he'd thrown four interceptions against defenses far from elite.
Passing was clearly his weakness.
But running the ball?
Jackson was electric.
Not just raw athleticism—his instincts and timing were sublime.
He had a knack for finding seams and exploding through them.
In his first start: 117 rushing yards—a Ravens franchise record for a quarterback.
Over three games: averaging 87.7 rushing yards per game.
Better than most running backs.
Debate erupted leaguewide.
This wasn't 2011 anymore.
Back then, the "dual-threat" quarterback was all the rage—the league dazzled by athletic passers who could run wild.
But since then, injuries had tempered that excitement.
The mystique of the running quarterback faded.
Teams became wary of spending franchise QB money on players who couldn't throw consistently.
Jackson himself slid in the draft—despite dominating college football and dazzling as a Heisman winner, he nearly fell out of Round 1.
Baltimore's situation was unique, though.
Harbaugh had no choice but to gamble—Jackson was their emergency option.
Now Jackson's emergence was undeniable.
The Ravens were winning again—three straight.
Pittsburgh led at 7–4–1.
Baltimore trailed just behind at 7–5.
Every remaining game could swing the playoff race.
For Baltimore, there was no room for error—they needed 120% effort and had to keep winning.
And so the stage was set for Week 14.
The Ravens would travel to face the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.
The narrative caught fire immediately.
On one side: Baltimore fighting for its playoff life.
On the other: Kansas City defending its title, determined to lock up the #1 seed and home-field advantage, given that their two losses so far had both come on the road.
And as if that wasn't enough spice:
After last year's clash with the Eagles, Reid was now facing another of his protégés—a reunion with high stakes.
Harbaugh played nice in pregame interviews:
"No doubt about it—this will be the toughest game of our season. We will have to fight, and fight hard, for even the slightest chance to win."
Clearly, Harbaugh wasn't afraid to brush aside Pittsburgh—a not-so-subtle swipe at a hated rival.
But that wasn't what reporters wanted.
They waited, then pounced:
"Rumor has it the Ravens intended to draft Lance last year but were beaten to the punch by Reid. Can you comment?
And what do you think of Lance compared to your current running backs—and compared to Lamar Jackson?
After all, Lance defeated Jackson in college—both in games and in the Heisman race."
That was the real headline.
Harbaugh hadn't seen this coming—but thinking about it, it wasn't all that surprising.
"Looks like we've got a mole in our meeting rooms. I'll have to clean house later."
In truth, Harbaugh had repeatedly praised Lance while watching Chiefs film.
Now, the secret was out.
"Of course I admire Lance," he admitted bluntly.
"If Coach Reid were willing to trade him, we'd welcome Lance with open arms."
A classic Harbaugh move—when cornered, attack directly and steal the spotlight.
"Clearly Coach Reid saw Lance's potential faster and acted more decisively than I did—and the results speak for themselves."
"Not just Lance, but Mahomes too.
These two second-year players have grown and evolved before our eyes.
Stopping them will be a huge challenge—and I think everyone can agree on that."
"Honestly, I realize now that I was too young and too cautious.
There's still so much I need to learn from Coach Reid."
"Ah—but at least it's nice to feel young again after so many years in the league."
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