From Risk to Reward: How the Harbaughs Made History

Bold moves by both Harbaughs have led their teams to the Super Bowl

In a football league rooted in conservatism, bold moves stand out like a sore thumb.

Remember years ago when Bill Belichick declined to punt on fourth and short from the Patriots own end zone against the Colts only to have his attempt to ice the game with a first down go down in a blaze, followed plays later by the inevitable Peyton Manning touchdown? Every expert dissected the idiocy of the play, wondering what would possess Belichick to go for the first down, one that would amplify the Colts' chances of winning.

No one speaks of this move if it works, so why the unequal treatment of coverage for these bold moves succeeding vs. failing miserably? The NFL, like many other sports and areas of life, is grounded in low-risk propositions that go along with the status quo.

In situations like Belichick's, about 30-31 other coaches would have punted in that scenario, even if that meant giving the ball to Peyton Manning with a minute and a half left. Even if it means bypassing the chance to actually win the game with one more first down. Time will never tell if Peyton scores from 70-75 yards out on that drive, but what time does tell is that coaches will always lean to being ultra-conservative, even if the risk that is taken is so small and the reward is so big (see John Fox's handling of the offense in the Broncos' last two drives of regulation - a first down in the second-to-last drive seals the game, but Fox decided to run it on 3rd-and-7; on the second drive, Fox told Peyton to take a knee despite the Broncos having plenty of time and timeouts to spare to get into field goal range).

Playing Harbaughs

Which brings me to my subject...or should I say, subjects: the Harbaugh Brothers.

Each man made a calculated risk in the middle of a solid regular season showing that many coaches would not dare make, for fear of losing their jobs if the move goes wrong.

The first bold move was made by younger brother Jim, who decided to start Colin Kaepernick following an Alex Smith concussion. Smith was coming off of one of his finest stretches of his career before the concussion, leading the Niners to a 6-2-1 record in his starts. So when he was cleared to play, Smith was surprised to learn that he lost his job to the talented former Nevada Wolfpack slinger. At first, Jim said he was just playing the hot hand, but the hot hand turned into the only hand - the right hand of Kaep.

The second bold move was made by John. This may have been even bolder than Kaepernick, if only for the timing of it as it relates to the postseason. With three games to go, John made the toughest decision he has ever made as coach - firing offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and promoting their QB coach Jim Caldwell to play-calling duties. At the time, the Ravens were in the process of a major downslide, which ended with them losing four out of their last five games. Still, at the time of the firing, the Ravens were well on their way to the playoffs and a division crown.

The move shocked Flacco and company. However, it has paid its dividends in the form of a much-improved running game: going from 108 yards/game with Cameron calling plays to averaging 155 in the six games with Caldwell.

Bold is Beautiful

Both moves were dissected heavily when made, but there's no questioning how effective both moves were. For how many people were critiquing the moves when they were made, you don't hear many people saying "I was wrong; Harbaugh was right." Yet you know if San Fran failed early in the playoffs or Baltimore didn't advance as far as they did, the talking heads wouldn't be able to stop talking about how right they were.

Fortunately for the Harbaughs, in a league that critiques bold moves, it's those very bold moves made by the boldest of coaches that has these teams in the position they are in. It's one of the many reasons why New England has succeeded as long as they have with Belichick. While others are playing "not to lose", these gents are playing to win the damn game.

Let's hope that some day, one day, these risky maneuvers, whether made on the field or off of it, are applauded and not lauded. Each coach still alive for the Super Bowl crown can attest to the rewards that their risks have led to.