Former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher says that the Ravens need a mental reset and to keep things fun while they’re losing.
Fisher’s 2002 Titans team finished atop the AFC South at 11-5 and reached the AFC championship game after starting the season 1-4. The Titans won their second game right before a Week 7 bye, at which point he sat down with the team and explained to his players it was time for a fresh start.
“I told them I had just gotten a team memo and something had gone wrong with the first part of the schedule, and they’re starting the season all over,” Fisher said on Glenn Clark Radio Oct. 17. “You see where I’m getting at. Forget it. We’ve got 11 games left, we’ll start the season over and we’ll just get on a roll and we’ll go.”
Right after giving the team this inspiration to turn over a new leaf, Fisher revealed he had plenty of beer for everyone. This sort of culture where the players and coaches can be this friendly with each other even when times are tough is what makes comebacks like what the Titans achieved possible.
“I did fill the laundry hampers with beer,” Fisher said. “After I was done with the meeting I pulled the sheets off and said, ‘Anybody want to sit around and drink some beer with me and the coaches, come on,’ and everybody stayed there for a few hours.”
Fisher doesn’t precisely know what is causing the Ravens to hit the kind of slump they haven’t seen since 2015, but he knows improving team culture can only bring positives to their game.
“You have to create an environment where, on Mondays, everybody needs to be told to slow down when they’re driving into the facility, because they can’t wait to get there, win or lose, because they’re looking forward to coming to work,” Fisher said.
Anything coaches can do to make things a little more fun during practice or game day goes a long way, according to Fisher, especially during a losing streak. Fisher knows Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and his staff are doing everything they can to promote a healthy culture in the locker room.
Fisher shifted the focus onto the pride and joy of the Baltimore Ravens, quarterback Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP suffered a hamstring injury at Kansas City in Week 4. Jackson returned to practice for the first time since then on Oct. 22. The Ravens have struggled to score points without Jackson on the field.
“I think the biggest thing first and foremost with the Ravens is how’s Lamar?” Fisher asked. “… When’s he coming back? That gives us a chance. What can we do between now and then?”
Jackson’s status is still up in the air for the Ravens’ game against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 26. Fisher says winning against the Bears could potentially propel the Ravens out of this rough start to the 2025 season.
“Everybody needs to figure out a way to be just a little bit better. Is there a weakness in your game that you can turn into a strength?” Fisher said.
For more from Fisher, listen to the full interview here:
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