I officially have nothing.
BSL founder, Chris Stoner dropped a thread on the message board this morning entitled “Embrace the Ugly“.
How apropos.
In our sports fandom, we have endless discussions/arguments over stats, metrics, analytics, coaching decisions, play calls, strategies and performances. There are seemingly endless articles, TV shows and podcasts dedicated to coverage of the NFL. We like to think we have a good grasp on what will happen next, based on what we read, see and here
Enter the 2021 Baltimore Ravens to flip every narrative on its head and make fools of us all.
A crazy stat has been making the rounds on social media and it bears repeating. Entering last night’s game, since the AFL-NFL merger, no team had ever won game in which they had (1) at least 4 turnovers (2) less than 325 yards of total offense (3) and scored less than 17 points. Is there any surprise that the 2021 Baltimore Ravens are the first team to win a game under those circumstances?
We’ve seen devastating injuries happen again and again, the disappearance of a once feared running game, defensive breakdowns at the worst possible times and some ugly losses. For all of the disappointing and baffling things, there’s been plenty of incredible to juxtapose it. We’ve seen numerous 2nd half comebacks to erase double digit deficits, overtime wins, an NFL record breaking FG at the buzzer and a game winning drive by our backup quarterback on the road.
Then, there was what we watched on Sunday night.
That performance was far more befitting of the offensively challenged, defensive centric Baltimore Ravens of the early 2000s. On full display was a cacophony of turnovers and an inability to finish drives. There were also hard hits and head scratching officiating sprinkled in for good measure. Including the first 1 hop TD in NFL history, but I digress.
In the game’s waning moments, the offense couldn’t quite put it away and the defense was sent back out to make one more stand. In days gone by, Ravens fans would’ve been incredibly comfortable in that situation but alas, these are not Ray Lewis and Ed Reed’s Ravens. When it comes to the 2021 defense, we’ve seen mixed results at best in crunch time. I would venture a guess to say that many Ravens fans were on edge when the Browns took the field with 70 seconds left and needing a touchdown to win.
Instead of an ill timed coverage breakdown or a series of missed tackles, Wink’s warriors turned back the clock and registered a quick 4 and out to slam the door on Mayfield and company.
In a season unlike any other, where the wacky and weird has become commonplace, where no team can separate themselves from the pack, with 6 games to go, the Baltimore Ravens are sitting atop the AFC.
All I keep hearing in my head is Harbaugh’s oft repeated quote from 2012, “It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t perfect but it was us.”
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.