Ravens waste no time twisting the dagger into the Chargers' heart after loss

A lot of things went wrong for the LA Chargers in the team's Wild Card Round loss to the New England Patriots. The defensive effort from Jesse Minter's unit was not one of them.

Sure, the defense wasn't perfect and had some slip-ups over the course of the game. But those slip ups were a result of the offense doing absolutely nothing and forcing the defense to eventually cave under the pressure. It was a successful night for the Chargers' defense against a Patriots offense that averaged over 30 points per game in its last 14 games leading up to Sunday.

Unfortunately, the lone bright spot of the Chargers' playoff loss is one that will likely fade quickly. Minter is one of the hottest names in the head coaching market and on Monday morning, the team he is linked to the most decided to twist the dagger in the Chargers' heart.

Ravens officially interview Chargers DC Jesse Minter

Baltimore jumped up the list of likely landing spots for Minter after firing John Harbaugh this past week. Minter got his start with the Ravens under Harbaugh before joining Jim's staff at the University of Michigan. The front office knows what Minter brings to the table.

Minter would provide cultural stability that would prevent the Ravens from rocking the boat too much moving forward. Yes, they needed change from Harbaugh, but they also are still a team with a Super Bowl ceiling. They don't need a complete teardown; they just need an adjustment.

Theoretically, Minter is the perfect guy for that adjustment. He can bring a similar culture while also maximizing the defensive side of the ball, something that slipped as years went on under Harbaugh's watch. It also frees up the Ravens to bring in whoever they want as the offensive coordinator, which is a key factor with Lamar Jackson.

There isn't a bona fide offensive genius on the coaching market this year like there was with Ben Johnson last year. Instead, the Ravens would either need to hope to land a big name coming off a head coaching job, like Mike McDaniel, or find the next coaching wunderkind from a respected NFL staff.

Hiring a defensive-minded head coach who knows the culture gives the Ravens an easy runway to find the offensive coordinator they are looking for. They essentially can replicate what the Seattle Seahawks did after former Ravens coordinator Mike McDonald left Baltimore.

For Minter, the Ravens are probably the best job available. Not only is he familiar with the organization and front office, but they have one of the five best quarterbacks in the league with a real chance at competing for a Super Bowl next year. That's far more intriguing than joining a project in Las Vegas or New York.

There was some optimism that Minter could pull a Ben Johnson and wait one more year to see his tenure out with the Chargers before taking a job next year. With the Ravens' job available and Baltimore clearly interested, that hope is firmly out the window.