When you’re in an expectations pressure cooker as a fanbase, every win just feels like a sigh of relief, and every loss feels like a cataclysm. Tonight’s loss feels especially bad.
I’ve long thought that’s mostly just emotional experience of a fan, but I have a hard time believing it hasn’t seeped into the organizational culture at this point. Too often, the players and coaches looked frustrated, and like they didn’t want to be out there.
Worse is when they get into high leverage situations and adopt the 1,000 yard stare we all have in the stadiums, or on our couches. This moment in particular felt like a boiling point where all of those frustrations and anxieties poured out of a player who you count on to deliver in the critical moment.
Things may turn out differently in the long term this season, but right now it seems like there’s an intangible problem with this team. When they get into high leverage moments, it really feels like they don’t believe in themselves, and are waiting for the other shoe to drop.
It’s a far cry from what made me such a long time believer in John Harbaugh, and it makes me wonder how much longer of a leash he has.