The New York Giants have a new head coach in John Harbaugh. Harbaugh comes to New York with a 62-39 regular-season record since 2020. When he coached the Baltimore Ravens, they were always in contention for the division title and Super Bowl. As great as this is, Ravens wideout Zay Flowers thinks his former head coach’s practice methods aren’t the best.
Why John Harbaugh Will Have To Adjust His Methods
On an episode of the “4th and South” podcast with Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette, Flowers said the team was doing 1-on-1s and full pads late in the season under Harbaugh’s coaching in Baltimore.
“Bro, we’re doing 1-on-1s in Week 17,” Flowers said. “Everybody out there, you’re tired, you’re still going. That was low-key why we had a lot of injuries, because of how we practiced, how we went, the load was heavy.”
Landry, one of the podcast’s co-hosts, played for the Cleveland Browns and faced the Ravens multiple times. He said that when playing against Baltimore, he noticed he got hit harder, which could be because the Ravens players were annoyed by how much they had to practice.
#Ravens WR Zay Flowers says under John Harbaugh they were always in full pads, doing 1-on-1s late in the season, and “it’s why we had a lot of injuries.”
Flowers says new HC Jesse Minter has assured him, “it’s going to be a little easier on your body.”
(🎥 @4thAndSouthPod) pic.twitter.com/PwpliUUjsG
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 17, 2026
Both Landry and Fournette emphasized the importance of staying ready and healthy during the regular season, as staying fresh is a huge factor in having success.
So, with Harbaugh’s new practice methods not being the most popular with Ravens players, could this translate to the Giants? Well, yes, and it could be even more of an issue in New York.
Unfortunately, some of the Giants’ young stars have already had injury issues. The player who got it the worst was wideout Malik Nabers. He played only 3 full games last season before suffering a torn ACL in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Additionally, quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo both had their phenomenal rookie seasons cut short by injuries.
Skattebo played in only 7 full games as his season was cut short by a devastating ankle injury that he suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8. For Dart, he played in 14 games and was in and out of the games as he was checked several times for concussions. Among all the players mentioned, Dart played the most games.
So Harbaugh might have to adjust his practice methods given the Giants’ stars’ injury history. His practices stem from his wanting the team to be tough and physical, but the Giants’ young stars are known for being tough.
Skattebo had some great power runs during his rookie season. Additionally, many commented on just how excited he was to get into the fray and run. Dart is also a mobile quarterback, so he had some physical runs as well.
When the Giants’ stars have played, they have been great. According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Dart got a C grade and ranked 18th, which is pretty good for a rookie.
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If Harbaugh were to make adjustments, that would be something different for a head coach entering his 19th season. However, some of the best coaches can make adjustments later in their careers.
Overall, the NFL is a changing league. Adapting to those changes helps teams and organizations achieve success. The Giants’ changing practice is just the most recent example of that.
