Ravens coach's defining moment at hand

Harbaugh has work to do with vulnerable, error-prone team

Head coaches are defined by certain times throughout their NFL careers, and the Ravens' John Harbaugh has reached that moment.

The Ravens have lost two straight. They have an offense suffering from growing pains with no identity, and their best offensive player didn't catch a pass Sunday. A defense long considered to be one of the best every year has become vulnerable, and the Ravens are drawing nearly eight penalties a game, a sign of an undisciplined team.

We're going to find out a lot about Harbaugh in the next couple of weeks because he never faced this kind of adversity a year ago, his rookie season.

Harbaugh has been impressive since Day 1, preaching team chemistry and staying on message. He made a bold move by taking away one of the lockers of star player Ray Lewis soon after he was hired and by putting together one of the best coaching staffs in the league.

He found his quarterback in Joe Flacco last season and put his signature on the team when he benched running back Willis McGahee and cut cornerback Chris McAlister during the offseason. But that was all part of a great run in 2008 when the Ravens advanced to the AFC championship game before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

What about 2009?

The Ravens (3-2) were impressive in defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers and Cleveland Browns, but we knew the true test was going to be in the next three weeks. That time has come in losses to the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals, and the Ravens play at the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

And now, there are a lot of questions about whether the Ravens were ever as good as some of those power rankings suggested, or are they just a second-tier team behind the top franchises in the AFC, which include Pittsburgh, New England and the Indianapolis Colts?

"Forget about it. Move on, and prepare for the next game," Derrick Mason said after the Ravens' 17-14 home loss to the Bengals on Sunday, which was more lopsided than the score indicated. "Ain't no need to dwell on it. You dwell on it and you'll find yourself in the same situation the following week. ... You've got to ... move forward."

That's Harbaugh's job, and he's got work to do. Offensively, the Ravens don't know whether they are a running team or a passing team. They want Flacco to grow as a quarterback but not to the point where some of their weaknesses are exposed.

The Bengals played a lot of cover-2 and took Mason out of the game by bracketing him. McGahee, one of the team's top running backs, had one carry for minus-2 yards and was not a factor in the game for the second straight week.

Good teams don't allow other teams to dictate what they can or can't do, but the Bengals did what they wanted on their terms. They took away the Ravens' vertical threats and allowed only short passes. The Ravens did exactly as commanded. No Mason. No McGahee. End of game.

On the other side, the city is in an uproar about what has happened to the Ravens' defense. The team has a history of playing great defense, but with the exception of Cleveland, all teams have posted impressive passing numbers against the Ravens.

The Ravens' secondary was expected to be weak, but this has become ridiculous. Shutdown corner? How about somebody who can cover anybody period?

The Ravens can't get a sufficient pass rush, and they might want to look at their philosophy, especially on the defensive line. The Ravens have always signed tackles to be run stoppers and keep opposing linemen off middle linebacker Ray Lewis.

In New York, the Giants drafted defensive linemen who were good athletes, players who can also rush the quarterback, which is why New York can get pressure with its front four. The Ravens don't have any good, consistent pass rushers except end/outside linebacker Terrell Suggs.

On Sunday, the Bengals didn't just pass for 261 yards, they also took away some of the Ravens' pride as Cedric Benson rushed for 120 yards on 27 carries.

Carson Palmer "did a great job of finding the open guys, and we didn't get enough pressure," defensive lineman Haloti Ngata said. "As a defensive line, we definitely have to get better at that."

But where do the Ravens turn for help? Trades are very unusual in the NFL, and this isn't major league baseball, where you might find a prospect in the minor leagues.

Opposing teams watch film. The Ravens' weaknesses have been and will continue to be exposed unless there are modifications.

And then there is the penalty problem. The Ravens are losing about 68 yards a game, and that can't happen against good teams like the Patriots and Steelers.

Harbaugh has work to do. He has to interact with his coordinators and get everyone in sync. Maybe he has to request the Ravens play more 3-4 than 4-3 to get more pressure, or call for more downhill running plays.

The Ravens still have a lot of good teams with good quarterbacks to face this season. There is direction needed and decisions need to be made that Harbaugh didn't have to worry about last year when he was in his honeymoon period. The honeymoon is over. Welcome to the NFL, where head coaches are defined by tough times.