It’s probably a good thing Michael Strahan’s playing career in the NFL is long over.
John Harbaugh, now the head coach of the New York Giants, will soon take on his first training camp in his new role. It will be interesting to see what those practices look like.
Known for always having one of the toughest teams in the league, Harbaugh had his players practicing too hard in Baltimore. At least, that’s the way that Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers describes it. During an appearance on the “4th & Short” podcast hosted by former players Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette, Flowers had this to say:
“Bro we full pads all the time. However many practices in pads you can get, every single one. We’re doing one-on-ones in Week 17. Week 17, we’re doing one-on-ones, everybody out there, we’re tired, we’re still going. That’s why we had a lot of injuries because of how we practiced, how we went. The load was heavy.”
If you listen to his tone, it doesn’t sound like Flowers is trying to be critical of his former head coach. But he also throws in how new head coach, Jesse Minter, intends to handle things.
“He knows how we worked with Harbaugh. So, he’s like, ‘You’re going to get your work, but it’s going to be a little easier on your body. You’re going to be fresher for the game.’”
These are some interesting comments, as there always seems to be a fine line between going too light in practice and having players work too hard when the topics of overall performance during the season and conditioning are discussed.
How will John Harbaugh’s practice routine translate with Giants?
It’s hard to argue the success that Harbaugh has consistently had during his career. At the same time, his Ravens teams have dealt with major injuries at key positions and last season, star quarterback Lamar Jackson missed four games during the regular season. With Jaxson Dart getting banged up during his rookie season, largely due to his style of play, it’s fair to ask if some alterations need to be made on both sides.
That said, there is an argument to be made that the Giants need to get back to having that tough, physical persona as they did when they won Super Bowls under Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin. Both of those coaches were known for physical practices that created gritty, hard-working football teams.
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Getting ready to enter his 19th season as an NFL head coach, it’s not likely that Harbaugh will change his style, or give much credence to Flowers’ words.
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