Mike Macdonald’s defense in Baltimore has him rising as a possible head coaching candidate

The question was like an opponent’s playcall on a key third down. It was tricky to answer, but Mike Macdonald was ready for it — and prepared to respond.

Baltimore’s defensive coordinator was asked this week how he handles being mentioned as a possible head-coaching candidate after this season.

“I thought you guys would probably ask about this at some point,” Macdonald said Thursday. “When we started our staff at the beginning of last year, we said we were all in all together. We wanted to do it together as a staff and be a collaboration, and so to have that opportunity to have your name come up like that, it’s really a reflection of our coaches and our staff together.”

Although the whole staff deserves credit, it’s the 36-year-old Macdonald whose star is rising at the moment, especially after his defense intercepted five passes in a 33-19 victory over a dynamic San Francisco offense on Monday night. Now the Ravens face another massive challenge this weekend when they host Miami in a game that could decide the top seed in the AFC. The Dolphins have the NFL’s top-ranked offense.

It wasn’t long ago Macdonald was a linebackers coach with Baltimore in 2020. His path since then has been full of success. He left Ravens coach John Harbaugh to become a defensive coordinator for his brother, Jim Harbaugh, at Michigan in 2021. The Wolverines won their first Big Ten title since 2004, and then Macdonald returned to the pros to become a coordinator in Baltimore.

Since trading for linebacker Roquan Smith in the middle of last season, the Ravens’ defense has been elite. Baltimore made the playoffs last season despite an injury to quarterback Lamar Jackson, and now the Ravens (12-3) have the NFL’s best record thanks in large part to Macdonald’s unit.

“I just think he’s a wizard,” Smith said. “He more so finds out what teams struggle with, (what) a team’s weakness is and our strength and being able to make those into a game plan situation.”

There’s a noticeable contrast…

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Publish date : 2023-12-30 20:57:20

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