Mike Preston: Ravens fans have high expectations. They should.

BALTIMORE — The Ravens changed head coaches, but the expectations remain high.

This isn’t just a command from owner Steve Bisciotti, but also from the fans.

“In Baltimore, expectations for the Ravens are always high, especially since [quarterback Lamar Jackson] has been in the league,” said Dr. Ari Elman with Maryland Oncology Hematology. “The goal and expectation each year is to win the Super Bowl. I think Coach Minter is the type of person who will embrace that challenge rather than shy away from it.”

Jesse Minter, 43, is the rookie coach who replaced John Harbaugh, who was fired last January after 18 seasons with Baltimore. Bisciotti decided it was time to go in another direction, and he was right because the team needed a new voice.

But that didn’t change the expectations.

“The Ravens have filled some holes that they had last year with the draft and through free agency,” said Mark Crilly, president of Ravens Roost No. 7 in Hagerstown. “If these new additions play as expected and they have no major injuries, I expect this team to win the division and at least two playoff games. On paper, they should win the Super Bowl, but I thought that last year too. They always play down to their opponent. That needs to stop, but [12 wins] should do it.”

Some might consider Ravens fans to be spoiled, and to some degree, that is true. The Ravens have won two Super Bowl titles since they moved here for the start of the 1996 season, but the city also has an NFL legacy. The old Colts played in “The Greatest Game Ever Played” against the New York Giants in 1958, suffered the biggest upset in league history by losing to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III and then beat Dallas two years later in Super Bowl V.

But the legacy isn’t just about winning. It’s about a city stuck between the major markets of Washington and Philadelphia, and overshadowed by New York. Regardless, Baltimore keeps winning because of its blue-collar and gritty history.

Does Baltimore have an identity crisis? Hell no, but the city likes to fight.

“The Ravens have built a culture where winning is the expectation, not the exception,” Elman said. “That culture shouldn’t change simply because there is a new coaching staff. A new staff and a new draft class also bring an opportunity to put their own stamp on the team. I’m excited to see how Minter develops the young players, builds on the strengths of the existing roster, and establishes the identity of this team.

“I don’t think Ravens fans should lower their expectations just because there are changes at the top. We can be realistic about the challenges of a new coaching staff while still expecting this team to compete at a very high level. To me, those two things aren’t contradictory. The expectation should be to contend for a championship, while giving a new coach and his staff a fair opportunity to prove they can get the team there.”

Minter isn’t going anywhere soon, even if the Ravens finish near .500. It’s not Bisciotti’s style. He hired the coach, even though the Ravens had more head coaching prospects to interview, because he didn’t want to lose Minter. That speaks for itself.

Then there is the Harbaugh factor. People can criticize him for a lot of things, such as his clock management and usage of challenge flags, but he had a regular-season record of 180-113, won 12 playoff games, claimed six AFC North titles and won Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers.

Minter has a tough act to follow.

“The Ravens are built on leadership, and this season even with a rookie coach we have veterans on this team who have experience in being in the playoffs and knowing what it takes to get there, so I’m expecting to at least be in the running for a spot in the playoffs,” said Chenira Smith, 32, an outreach coordinator for the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology. “If I’m being really honest, looking at our division, we should be competing for a 1 or 2 seed. We lost a lot of talent with Harbaugh taking players to NY, but we retained enough to be competitive. The Ravens need a true leader in the locker room, and if the right person steps up, I expect us to be a contender this year. ”

The Ravens seem to have made the right moves. After failing to lure defensive end Maxx Crosby away from the Las Vegas Raiders, the team did sign the second-best pass rusher available, Trey Hendrickson. To bolster play at both guard positions, the Ravens signed veteran John Simpson and added Penn State’s Vega Ioane in the first round. Ioane, though, will struggle early, and is Simpson ready for prime-time after being the league’s most-penalized offensive lineman a year ago?

Then there is rookie receiver Ja’Kobi Lane. He has played well throughout training camp, but will he hit the proverbial wall in the last couple of games during the 2026 regular season?

Then, what about the defense?

A year ago, the Ravens ranked No. 24 overall in the league and had one of the worst pass defenses at No. 30, allowing 247.9 yards a game. Maybe that improves with Hendrickson, or possibly Nnamdi Madubuike or Calais Campbell, or Minter calling the defensive plays.

During his time in Baltimore, Harbaugh surrendered 10 double-digit leads in the fourth quarter and 17 second-half double-digit leads.

“For starters, at this moment, the best I see is 11-6,” said Miah Barnes, retired, who lives in Harford County. “I’m hoping Minter gets them better by having them play disciplined for all four quarters. If he can, 13-4 is very possible, but Jacksonville, Houston and the Bills are my concerns.”

The Ravens are not much different than a lot of teams. Most of them, except those in Cleveland or other NFL wastelands such as Tennessee or New York, enter the season dreaming of chasing a Super Bowl title. San Francisco, Green Bay, Kansas City and Denver are some of the most storied franchises in the NFL.

Then there is Baltimore, where expectations are high again despite a rookie coach.

“I’m hoping the new coaching brings about a much better season of staying competitive through all four quarters of the game,” Kimberly Trautwein, of Bel Air, said.

Elman likes the challenge.

“As for Coach Minter, I think it’s completely appropriate to have high expectations while also recognizing that he is a first-time NFL head coach and that building a team and establishing a new culture takes time,” Elman said. “Nobody should expect perfection, especially early on. But I do think there’s something to be said for setting the bar high. High expectations can bring out the best in people, and they give players and coaches something meaningful to strive toward.”

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