Report: Jerry Rosburg, Ravens fail to reach deal for him to join coaching staff

A report on Monday indicated that the Ravens would add Jerry Rosburg to John Harbaugh’s coaching staff in a game management role, but the deal reportedly hit a snag before getting finalized.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the two sides were unable to come to a final agreement on a deal for his return to Baltimore. Rosburg had been the team’s special teams coordinator from 2008 until he announced his retirement in March 2019.

Rosburg’s retirement ended when he joined the Broncos coaching staff in 2022 after first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett made a number of game management errors. Rosburg assisted on that front and then took over as the interim head coach when Hackett was fired after 15 games.

Rosburg was back out of the league in 2023 and he may be staying out now that the Baltimore return appears to be off the table.

Roquan Smith on Zach Orr’s promotion to coordinator: I know it’s going to be great for us

Shortly after Mike Macdonald departed Baltimore to become the Seahawks’ head coach, the Ravens promoted Zach Orr from inside linebackers coach to defensive coordinator.

Orr, 31, started coaching with the Ravens in 2017 once his playing career with Baltimore ended due to injury after just three seasons. He was the Jaguars’ outside linebackers coach in 2021 but came back to the Ravens in 2022 to be the club’s inside linebackers coach.

That means Orr has spent plenty of time around linebacker Roquan Smith over the last two seasons. In a statement released by the team, Smith expressed his excitement for Orr to take over as DC.

“I have an immense amount of respect for ‘ZO’ and the way he goes about work, day-in and day-out,” Smith said. “While it’s unfortunate that his career was cut short due to an injury, I feel like he carries that passion over to the game of football and coaching. You don’t know which day will be your last, so you have to give everything you have while you have it; I see he lives by that.

“Yes, I’m extremely happy for him. He brings passion on the field, off the field and in the meeting room, as well as his football IQ and the ability to relate to players. He’s very young and has been in the game recently, so I think overall, it’s a really good fit for our defense. Everyone around the building respects him; it’s not just because of what he says, but because of his actions and the way he goes about things. I think it’s going to be great for our defense, and I’m fired up with him leading the charge. I know his mentality is very similar to mine, so I’m stoked. I just know it’s going to be great for us.”

With Orr as his position coach, Smith led the Ravens with 158 total tackles in 2023. He had five tackles for loss, five QB hits, 1.5 sacks, eight passes defensed, an interception, and a forced fumble.

2023 49ers join 2021 Chiefs as only teams to be favored in 20 games

A recent social media post from the 49ers suggesting that they got to the Super Bowl “against all odds” was mocked by many football fans who pointed out that the odds were not against the 49ers at all this year: They’ve been favored in every single game, from Week One through Super Bowl LVIII. In 20 games they’ve been favored 20 times.

In fact, only one other NFL team has ever been favored in 20 games: The 2021 Chiefs.

Of course, for most of NFL history it was impossible to play 20 games in a season so it was also impossible to be favored in 20 games. With the current 17-game season and playoff bye for the No. 1 seed, the No. 1 seeds play 20 games if they reach the Super Bowl. That’s what the 49ers have done, and the Super Bowl is their 20th game as favorites.

The 2021 Chiefs didn’t have a playoff bye, but they were favored in all 17 regular-season games and all three playoff games, including the AFC Championship Game, which they lost to the Bengals.

The last time the 49ers were underdogs was in last year’s NFC Championship Game, when they lost to the Eagles.