OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- When talking NFL Coach of the Year, the conversation will center on Doug Marrone turning around the Jacksonville Jaguars, Mike Zimmer leading the Minnesota Vikings to the top of the NFC despite the injuries at quarterback and Sean McVay immediately changing the culture with the Los Angeles Rams.

John Harbaugh? He likely won't get mentioned, per usual. He's surprisingly never received one vote for the award. But that shouldn't take away from one of his finest coaching performances in Baltimore, even if it's not widely recognized.

Harbaugh kept his players disciplined and focused throughout all of the significant injuries and unexpected retirements. When the Baltimore Ravens stumbled to a 4-5 start, Harbaugh became the guiding force in the team winning five of its next six games.

"He stuck in there and made sure we didn’t get a case of the 'F--- its,'" linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "He did a great job of being a head coach like, 'Look, we dropped this one, we dropped that one, but this is still possible.'"

There were several instances when it didn't look like the postseason was going to be possible for Baltimore. In the offseason, the Ravens lost their leading tackler, linebacker Zachary Orr, to retirement and their leading pass-catcher, tight end Dennis Pitta, to a career-ending hip injury. During the regular season, Baltimore lost its best offensive lineman, guard Marshal Yanda, and best defensive player at the time, cornerback Jimmy Smith, to season-ending injuries. If that weren't enough, quarterback Joe Flacco didn't take a snap in training camp or the preseason because of a lower back injury. His first practice was eight days before the season opener.

All of this drama came at a time when the Ravens had missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, and the perception was Harbaugh's seat was getting hotter.

After a rough start -- which included getting blown out in London by the Jaguars and losing at home to the lowly Chicago Bears -- Harbaugh righted the course by making sure the Ravens played smartly. The Ravens lead the NFL in turnover differential (plus-17) and could set the team record for fewest penalties in a season, both of which are indicators of a well-coached team.

Now, the Ravens are 9-6 and in control of their playoff fate entering the final game of the regular season. If Baltimore beats Cincinnati on Sunday, it clinches the No. 5 seed and would play at Kansas City in the wild-card round.

"Coach Harbs, a lot of credit goes to him to keeping us focused, hungry, driven and motivated," safety Eric Weddle said. "A lot of times, teams can go the opposite direction if they don't have a guy leading the way."

This season only solidifies Harbaugh's track record in Baltimore. This is his seventh winning season in 10 years as coach. He's had one losing season in a decade at the helm. Since he took over as coach in 2008, the Ravens have won 104 games. Only the Patriots, Steelers and Packers have won more. That’s Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin and Mike McCarthy.

Harbaugh received a contract extension that runs through the 2019 season. He has positioned himself for a longer commitment, especially if the Ravens reach the postseason.

With such a big game looming, Harbaugh didn't want to talk about the impact of the coaching staff on this year's team.

"It’s not time for reflection," he said. "It’s time for action. We need to go win the game."