The Baltimore Ravens were one play away from reaching the postseason in 2017. All they needed to do was stop Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals on 4th-and-12 with under a minute to go in Week 17.
Instead, Cincinnati broke Baltimore's heart while simultaneously sending Buffalo and Bills fans everywhere into a frenzy with a dramatic game-winning touchdown.
Now that the dust has settled and the offseason is set to begin, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti spoke with the media about a variety of topics, including John Harbaugh's tenuous place as head coach.
After telling reporters that long-time general manager Ozzie Newsome will step down from that position following the 2018 season, Bisciotti admitted that he thought about relieving Harbaugh of his coaching duties.
From ESPN's Jamison Hensley:
“It was certainly a consideration, but not one that I was inclined to make this year,” Bisciotti said at Friday's annual “State of the Ravens” news conference.
As Hensley notes, the Ravens have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Bisciotti isn't shy about the fact that his patience is running short, but he's not going to place an ultimatum on Harbaugh to make the postseason in 2018.
“He's under as much pressure than probably he's ever been in his life, and I expect him to keep his chin up and take his positivity and his talents and make the most of the season,” Bisciotti said. “I may as well replace him now if I tell him to make the playoffs or you're out of town next year. That's not the way we run business here.”
Bisciotti went on to say that he's proud of how the team and Harbaugh bounced back from a tough stretch in the middle of the schedule, but at the end of the day, it was too little, too late.
Prior to the season, Harbaugh received a one-year extension that keeps him under contract through the 2019 season.