This isn’t a rare occurrence for the Baltimore Ravens, but nonetheless it came as a surprise Monday morning that the team had told so-called quarterback guru Marc Trestman to get the hell out of dodge. The Ravens announced that as Trestman was asked to vacate the premises he would be replaced by quarterbacks coach Marty Mornhinweg as offensive coordinator.
We replaced Marc Trestman as our offensive coordinator with Marty Mornhinweg.
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 10, 2016
Usually when a coordinator, on offense or defense, is fired in season the team is complete disarray and the head coach is battling to keep his job. This shouldn’t be the case with the Raven’s John Harbaugh as he’s surely built up enough goodwill in Baltimore, along with the winningest stretch in franchise history and a Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The Ravens are 3-2 and have no reason to be in a panic mode, so this decision is likely one Harbaugh feels would just make the team better. He’s done it before. In 2012 Harbaugh fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and replaced him with Jim Caldwell. The move propelled the Ravens to a Super Bowl championship.
I remember being surprised in 2015 that the #Raiders hired Bill Musgrave as OC over Marc Trestman. Turns out, they choose… wisely.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 10, 2016
“My obligations are to the team, the organization and the fans to be the very best team we can be,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “Today we find ourselves one game of the division and conference lead after experiencing two tough losses at home. We will work to be better in every aspect of our football team. Our expectations are high, and we look forward to fulfilling them.”
The firing likely ends the NFL journey of Trestman, who was hired out of the CFL in 2013 to be head coach of the Chicago Bears and resurrect Jay Cutler’s career. Trestman lasted just two seasons and was shitcanned in 2014 when the Bears hired John Fox.
This is the second time Marc Trestman has been replaced by Marty Mornhinweg (see #49ers, 1996 and 1997). https://t.co/QDr9fqNbHr
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) October 10, 2016
Trestman did a have a long history as a playcaller in the NFL. He was the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns from 1988-1989, the San Francisco 49ers from 1995-1996, the Arizona Cardinals from 1998-2000 and the Oakland Raiders from 2001-2003. There were a lot of successful offensives there an one AFC Champion. The fact that he couldn’t seem to get the job done in his second go-round in the league probably means the modern game has just passed him by.
Mornhinweg is a natural hire at the position. He was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers from 1997-2000 during the Steve Young – Jeff Garcia overlap years. His success there got him a shot at a head coaching job with the Detroit Lions where he spent two years before heading back to the assistant ranks. A successful stint as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles was followed up by a two-year stop over as playcaller for the New York Jets before Rex Ryan and his staff got the hook.
If Breshad Perriman's left foot comes down in bounds, Marc Trestman still has his job. Not a strong grip on it, but he has it. Fickle game.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 10, 2016
With Mornhinweg calling plays, the Ravens won’t have any significant changes in the playbook. He and Trestman are both from the Bill Walsh West Coast school. What Harbaugh hopes to get from Mornhinweg is more clutch decisions in crunch time and more points on the board. Baltimore’s two losses have both come after the offense got bogged down in the fourth quarter against teams they should have run off the field.
The Ravens’ offense is ranked No. 23 in the league in points scored and total yards. Their 35.5 percent conversion rate on third downs is No. 24 and a surefire way to lose games and miss the playoffs.
“I appreciate and respect the efforts and contributions Marc has made to the team since his arrival,” Harbaugh said. “Marc is a good person and an excellent football coach.”
No more Marc Trestman? But who will call the fullback flat pass to start every drive now? #Ravens
— Mike Tanier (@MikeTanier) October 10, 2016
Trestman’s performance for the Ravens would refute that. Baltimore’s offense under Trestman only scored 21 or more points eight times in 21 games. They averaged right under 19 points per game.
Gary Kubiak hospitalized
The guy Trestman replaced with the Ravens, Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, had a couple of setbacks yesterday. First, his team picked up its first loss of the season to the Atlanta Falcons, then Kubiak had to go to the hospital with a “complex migraine condition.” He was released Monday morning.
https://twitter.com/MikeKlis/status/785517166237855746
The condition was serious enough that Kubiak was taken by an ambulance from the stadium. The Broncos can’t seem to keep their story straight either. They’ve also called what Kubiak experienced “flu-like symptoms.”
This isn’t the first time Kubiak has been struck down while coaching. Back in 2014 he had a mini stroke while with the Houston Texans.
