Football fans can rejoice as, mercifully, the preseason has come to a conclusion. From a local perspective, Coach Harbaugh was much more judicious in his deployment of players and he did everything he could to protect his starters. Many of the Ravens brightest stars acted as a glorified cheerleaders and the strategy paid off. With the exception of Travis Jones’ knee sprain, Baltimore has managed to avoid major, season altering injuries so far this summer. Hopefully, I’m not pulling a Pat Summerall-esque jinx, as there will be workouts between now and the season opener on September 11th but I’m confident that the football gods will take care of us. With that said, as we move closer to the regular season, there’s a few things that I wanted throw out there…..
- With Saturday’s victory over the Commanders in the preseason finale, the Ravens extended their weird, mostly meaningless, preseason game winning streak to 23. I know there’s value for the coaches, from getting to evaluate players in game situations, to sharpening some things up prior to the start of the regular season but for the most part, the preseason games are a bit of a slog. However, I wanted to put some real life perspective on this unique streak that the Ravens have compiled. When the streak began back in 2016, my daughter was about to start 3rd grade…..now she’s on the cusp of being a freshman in high school. Again, this streak doesn’t really mean much in the grand scheme of things but to not lose a preseason game for that long is a wild anomaly. With all of the variables in the course of a preseason game, you have to give credit to Harbaugh, his staff and the front office for finding football players and coaching them up to effectively perform in these circumstances. Even though the wins themselves don’t count for much, through those wins, there is a foundation laid for the regular season and expectations that are set by the coaching staff. Whomever puts on a Ravens uniform is going to play hard and that’s something that has become a given in the John Harbaugh era. Say what you want about Harbaugh’s shortcomings but his teams has always gone all out and never quit on him. That attitude starts in the spring, continues throughout the summer and into the regular season, year after year.
- I may have to eat a little crow on the Demarcus Robinson signing. With the caveat that it was a preseason game and the opposing defense was mostly 2nd and 3rd string guys, it was still encouraging to see a wide receiver make some big plays. In the wake of the Hollywood Brown trade during the draft, there has been concern over where downfield, outside the numbers chunk plays would come from; perhaps the Ravens have found a vertical option. Time will tell.
- With the news of Tyus Bowser heading to the PUP list, the Ravens are going to be short at outside linebacker/edge rusher for at least the first month of the season. The question for Baltimore is if they believe they can weather the storm until Bowser (and hopefully, Ojabo) can return or if they need to seek additional help from outside the organization. There are some veteran names still floating around without team; Jason Pierre-Paul, who worked out for the Ravens earlier in the off-season, Ryan Kerrigan, Jamie Collins and 2 time former Raven, Pernell McPhee. If I were a betting man, I would say the Ravens will eschew any additions and hope to hold down the fort until internal reinforcements arrive. Second year man Odafe Oweh looks poised for a breakout season, returning veterans Justin Houston and Calais Campbell will also provide some pass rush presence. Also, former Falcon (and 1 game with the Ravens in 2014), Steven Means has been impressive this summer, showing a high motor and being a dogged pursuer of the football, could provide an unexpected boost to the pass rush. No matter what plays out, new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald will be tested early in the season to find creative ways to pressure the quarterback. Let’s hope he’s up to the task.
- There’s been a ton of ink spilled on this topic but it’s still the proverbial elephant in the room, the status of a Lamar Jackson extension. I don’t know if there’s been a contract negotiation in recent years that’s been kept this secretive but I suppose that Lamar not having an agent is biggest reason behind the lack of information or leaks, if you will. No matter the reason, that lack of news, along with what appears to be no tangible progress towards an extension for Jackson are disconcerting for Ravens fans. Furthermore, Lamar Jackson’s self-imposed deadline for contract talks is drawing ever closer. Granted, the Ravens have options to retain Jackson, even if a long term deal cannot be reached, as he could receive the franchise tag for the 2023 season. However, the drama and consternation that can result from the use of the franchise tag, especially on a high profile, overwhelmingly popular and generational talent like Lamar Jackson is something that I can only assume the Ravens would like to avoid at all costs. Bottom line, the clock is ticking.
We’re now a little less than 2 weeks away from the season opener at Met Life Stadium and an unexpected reunion with an old friend under the opposing center. In the meantime, Ravens fans will wait with bated breath for likes of Dobbins, Stanley, Humphrey, Peters, et al, to take the field in a game that matters.
Jamie has been a Baltimore sports fan since he can remember. He grew up in Gwynn Oak and currently resides in Hampstead with his wife and 2 kids. He graduated from UMBC with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He’s currently employed at Verizon Communications in Hunt Valley.