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          NFL Nation

          John Harbaugh ranked No. 9 in coach poll

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterAug 26, 2014, 12:15 PM ET
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              Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
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          The Baltimore Ravens' John Harbaugh is ranked as the NFL's No. 9 head coach in a recent pollInsider of 30 league insiders.

          Much like his quarterback, Joe Flacco, Harbaugh typically doesn't get enough credit for his body of work. Just like Flacco, Harbaugh can boast regular-season wins, playoff appearances and even a Super Bowl. But he often falls short of "the elite" status.

          "I think they might have the best organization in the NFL, or close to it," one executive told ESPN NFL Insider Mike Sando. "I do not know if John Harbaugh would have the same success elsewhere."

          Case in point: Harbaugh is ranked behind Mike Tomlin and his brother, Jim Harbaugh. John Harbaugh has a 71-37 (.657) career record with nine playoff wins and a Super Bowl championship. He has directed the Ravens to the playoffs in five seasons.

          Harbaugh's record is slightly better than Tomlin (76-44, .625). Where Harbaugh is superior is in the postseason. Tomlin hasn't taken the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs since 2011 (the infamous loss to Tim Tebow) and hasn't won a postseason game since capturing the Super Bowl in 2008.

          John Harbaugh's overall record isn't as stellar as Jim Harbaugh (41-14-1, .741). But John is 2-0 against his younger brother, including a win in the Super Bowl. That should count for something, right?

          It's debatable whether John Harbaugh deserves to be ranked among the top five head coaches in the NFL. But his track record -- especially the wins in the regular season and the accomplishments in the postseason -- suggests he should be higher than No. 9.