Loss to The Chiefs…Not a Big Deal!

What!? What do you mean losing doesn’t matter??

How can you call yourself a Ravens fan and think such a thing? Let alone say it out loud!

Because it doesn’t, and here’s why…

Yes, it would have been fantastic if Isaiah Likely’s piggies had been an inch further back. If they had been, Harbaugh would have gone for two, giving the Ravens a chance to win on the next play.

Call me an optimist, but they would’ve punched it in for the victory. I know the Raven’s fourth-down calls haven’t been spectacular in recent history, but that’s one more reason I believe it would have worked. The odds are that it has to work sometime, right?

With Lamar and Derrick Henry as two stalwart options to gain a measly two yards, they have as good a chance of converting a two-point conversion as any team in the NFL. Just give the ball to Henry and trust that he can fall forward and barrel it in–let the chips fall where they may.

We’ve seen what happens when you try to be too cute—just ask Pete Carroll and Marshawn Lynch.

So…what if they had won?

That also means nothing. Hear me out.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs still would have left the field with three rings, while Lamar and the current Ravens roster have none. There’s an entire season yet to play, but Jackson’s legacy is now inextricably tied to what he does in the postseason–until the day he hangs up his cleats.

The Ravens were sloppy, disjointed, and unprepared on defense. The many flags for illegal formation didn’t help, and while it’s open to interpretation who to blame, it seemed to be a collective effort by the refs, the players, and the coaching staff.

With all of that said, the Ravens still came within an inch of beating the new GOAT and the Chiefs at Arrowhead. Not to mention the Chiefs have new speed weapons that make them look even more dangerous than last season–when they won the damn Super Bowl!

Barring any unforeseen calamities, the Ravens will return to the postseason in January 2025. A healthy Lamar virtually guarantees an 11-win season, and that’s good enough to make the playoffs 99% of the time. His postseason struggles are well-documented, but there’s no arguing that he’s a regular-season juggernaut. He has two MVP trophies to prove it.

Even in defeat, the Ravens showed us enough to believe that Festivus Maximus will happen–and that’s no bold prediction. Recent history tells us it will.

Could the Ravens’ defeat Thursday night cost them a higher seed or home-field advantage during the playoffs? Of course. But when has that mattered in Raven’s history?

High seeds and home-field advantage have never produced rings, but playing on the road and flying under the radar have gotten them two. So, who the hell knows??

It seems strange, but the regular season just doesn’t feel that important. It hardly matters.

Just please, for the love of God, beat the Steelers! That may be the only hand-wringing I do all regular season.

[Related Article: Game 1 Was Not a Sight For Sore Eyes]

2 Responses

1. With how the Ravens approach the preseason, it is hard to get too high or low on games played in September. Our history has shown us that being a #1 seed hasn’t helped us at all. The key is with the current Oline ,can LJ make it to October or the playoffs.
2. I agree with you, for the most part. In the end, the OL has to improve for us to make a run at another superbowl. That being said, I have a lot of confidence in this franchise to make that happen. Coach has proven he will make adjustments to the roster if need be too. One year we had some pretty rough ILB play and we lost the first game of the season to the Cleveland Browns. Right after coach Harbaugh and EDC brought in McPhee and the ILB play drastically improved from where it was that first week. So, we have history and presidence that this club will get this OL whipped into shape. The next 2 or 3 games might be a bit sluggish but I believe we’ll hit our stride after that, establish an offensive identity and clean the miscommunication in the secondary. I am encouraged by the coaching I saw on the field. The team we have now is very young with a few playing their first NFL game ever and I felt really good about where we are. Once we iron out the few kinks we have I think this will be an exciting football team.
   If we can get Lamar some protection it would be nice to see him share the spotlight and turn his receiving crew into superstars before the playoffs. That way defenses will have to worry about the whole offense and not just focus on stopping Lamar. That falls in line with what coach Harbaugh said after saying Henry wasn’t brought here to tote the rock 30 times a game. Make every one of those guys into superstars and then Lamar can force defenses to pick their poison, how do you want us to beat you today kind of thing. Great article!

2 Responses

1. With how the Ravens approach the preseason, it is hard to get too high or low on games played in September. Our history has shown us that being a #1 seed hasn’t helped us at all. The key is with the current Oline ,can LJ make it to October or the playoffs.
2. I agree with you, for the most part. In the end, the OL has to improve for us to make a run at another superbowl. That being said, I have a lot of confidence in this franchise to make that happen. Coach has proven he will make adjustments to the roster if need be too. One year we had some pretty rough ILB play and we lost the first game of the season to the Cleveland Browns. Right after coach Harbaugh and EDC brought in McPhee and the ILB play drastically improved from where it was that first week. So, we have history and presidence that this club will get this OL whipped into shape. The next 2 or 3 games might be a bit sluggish but I believe we’ll hit our stride after that, establish an offensive identity and clean the miscommunication in the secondary. I am encouraged by the coaching I saw on the field. The team we have now is very young with a few playing their first NFL game ever and I felt really good about where we are. Once we iron out the few kinks we have I think this will be an exciting football team.
   If we can get Lamar some protection it would be nice to see him share the spotlight and turn his receiving crew into superstars before the playoffs. That way defenses will have to worry about the whole offense and not just focus on stopping Lamar. That falls in line with what coach Harbaugh said after saying Henry wasn’t brought here to tote the rock 30 times a game. Make every one of those guys into superstars and then Lamar can force defenses to pick their poison, how do you want us to beat you today kind of thing. Great article!