They are two of the most commonly used words when discussing a team.
Culture and identity.
Changing the Giants’ culture off the field and identity on the field was always going to be one of the greatest challenges for John Harbaugh when he took over as head coach. He inherited a team whose culture was nonexistent and whose recent identity was of a perennial loser.
He conversely brought with him a longtime and sustained winning culture and identity with the Ravens. Already, some of it was noticeable in their Week 1 win over the Cowboys.
“I’d say it’s really his identity, his culture,” tight end Isaiah Likely told The Post after practice on Friday. “Obviously with the Ravens, he had been there for so long, it feels like it was the Ravens identity. But coach Harbaugh was always the head coach. I feel like he instilled the Ravens mantra and everything. So when he got over here, I guess you can quote-unquote say it was the Ravens mantra, but it’s coach Harbaugh’s culture.”
Four ex-Ravens followed Harbaugh to the Giants — Likely, fullback Pat Ricard, punter Jordan Stout and safety Ar’Darius Washington. They have turned the Meadowlands into a bit of a Ravens North.
And the Harbaugh Four have been spreading the Harbaugh Culture and the Harbaugh Identity.
“Trying to instill a winning atmosphere,” Likely said. “Obviously, the years prior that they’ve been having, it hasn’t been on the upper end or over .500. I was blessed enough to, my last year with the Ravens was the only year we didn’t make the playoffs. So knowing that big-time football starts in December-on. So just understanding, having everybody understand that if you want to be in those big games, you got to take the offseason serious, you got to take practice serious, even watching film.
“Just knowing that and just really getting into practices now where every little rep matters, whether it’s walkthrough, in the meeting room or when we’re out on the field.”
Likely was the breakout star in Week 1, hauling in eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Ricard has quickly emerged as a burgeoning fan favorite with his full-force, block-you-into-the-ground mentality that opened up lanes for running backs and allowed the Giants to impose themselves physically. He moved Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown out of the way like a ragdoll, clearing a wide-open path for Cam Skattebo to waltz into the end zone for the Giants’ first touchdown of the night, delivering about as good of a highlight as a fullback can.
Both were critical to the Giants dominating time-of-possession, so much so that the Cowboys had just two possessions in the second half. Four of Likely’s eight receptions were third-down conversions while Ricard’s blocking helped the Giants churn yardage and burn clock on the ground.
Dominating physically and controlling possessions were two Ravens staples. There is already a Ravens-esque — or, as Likely would point out, Harbaugh-esque — flavor to these Giants.
“The way the team was left when we came in here, it wasn’t great and for Harbs to be able to build what he built in the time he did is super special,” Stout, who was needed for just one punt as a result of that dominance, told The Post. “I’m just so happy that everyone’s seeing it. All those hard camp practices — it’s not that hard for us [specialists], let’s be honest, but hearing [the rest of the players], it’s not easy and seeing it pay off, that’s what we needed as a team. It’s so nice that it actually happened.”
There are clear similarities in how Harbaugh built the Ravens and how he’s trying to build the Giants.
Which means the messaging is expectedly similar.
“This is my 10th year now with him, so of course I’m going to hear a lot of similar things,” Ricard said. “But his messages are always really good, and I feel like for guys who haven’t heard it before, I feel like it’s really impactful. For me, maybe hearing it for the second, third, fifth, maybe tenth time, or whatever it is. It still hits my brain, but I’ve obviously heard some of the stuff. But guys have been locked into these meetings all year.”
The ex-Ravens impact now has a tangible result. The next step is for it to transform into a distinct Giants identity and Giants culture.
From a Ravens flavor to sustained Giants success.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
