(Omar Whistle/Warriors playing)…………………………………………………………………………………
Bragging Rights Sports Presents:
A Maryland Culture Production
“In 1996, they arrived in Baltimore away from an angry Dawg Pound. They have been criticized by many people outside of their city ever since their inception. Despite 2 championships and many Hall of Famers they get little respect. They get called names such as Murderer, Running Back, Hypocrite, Overrated, Soft, and others. But even if they are disrespected more than any team in the NFL the goal is still the same. Win the Lombardi Trophy. No one outside of the 410 cares about them, yet they work harder every single day. These boys have a swagger, and like to be pushed no matter what. We as Marylanders call them…………………………….”
CHARM CITY BEASTS
The Unrivaled Themed Story of the Baltimore Ravens
(It’s Never Pretty, It’s Never Perfect, BUT IT IS US!)
(XXXV, XLVII)
(BIG TRUZZ)
(THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM)
Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Mark Andrews, Justin Tucker, Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Roquan Smith, Calais Campbell, Patrick Queen, JK Dobbins, John Harbaugh, Eric DeCosta, Greg Roman, Mike Macdonald, Sashi Brown, Steve Bisciotti, Edgar, Allan, with Poe, and the Salty Marylander/Narrator Michael Hession.
Location: Paycor Stadium Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
Season 3 Episode 18: Shipwrecked (SOS Ravens)
WHAT TIME IS IT!? GAME TIME! WHAT TIME IS IT!? GAME TIME! ANY DOGS IN THE HOUSE!? WOO WOO WOO! WOO! ANY DOGS IN THE HOUSE!? WOO WOO WOO! WOO!
Marylander: What if they told you this was your last football game? What if they told you this was the last time you would wear this uniform? Who would you play? How would you seize this moment? The opportunity is there for the taking, we gotta go get it! Narrator: That’s right buddy, this is it. The moment is there for us. The future is ours for the taking, we must capitalize on it. Poe: Whistling (THIS IS OUR DAY!) Edgar/Allan: Whistling (BRING IT BUNGLES!) Narrator: Guys, I love the enthusiasm! (DJ Scratch) Anyways let’s get to the basics. Coming off consecutive losses to division rivals including one last week in the dress rehearsal in Cincinnati, the Boys in Purple must encounter probably the most crucial game in the John Harbaugh era. The wonders of Cap Hell and uncertainty around Planet LJ and GoldMine Andrews are creeping up. Lamar himself quieted most of the drama this week by saying he did have a legitimate Grade 2 Sprain in his PCL. And it’s still swelling. I’m with him on this. I’ve had a couple of friends over the years that have had this injury, and they said it takes months to heal. At least he admitted the truth among the trolls on the internet. However, this didn’t stop this from becoming the main topic in sports media throughout the country. Which certainly didn’t sit well with Boy Wonder Johnny Harbaugh. Harbs, doing the best he can to tune out the noise, was asked about LJ over and over and over, and finally at one point in his mind he was like. “That’s enough!” I don’t blame him. He wants his guys focused on the field rather than what’s going on with Lamar, especially come playoff time. And on top of this, Roquan Smith was awarded the biggest extension for any linebacker in league history. He will be getting $20M per year for the next 5 years. Honestly, the Ravens had to get this done. It’s too bad it took them this long to do this because Roquan wanted the deal done by Christmas. But for a player of his quality which is something that Baltimore hasn’t had at the Middle Linebacker spot since the GOAT himself Ray Lewis, you have to pay him.
Any skits for the playoffs Raven Brothers? (SOS playing) Oh boy you’re playing Just Dance 2 again. Lovely. Marylander: Although this time I want to win. Narrator: Well the tough part for you Salty Marylander is that Poe is now fully healthy so I bet he won’t be limited like last time. Poe: Whistling (I’m ready to make a statement! Allan, I want my revenge!) Allan: Whistling (PROVE IT BRO!) Narrator: So Edgar looks like he’s being slept on. Edgar: Whistling (Yeah, I’m like Snoop Huntley, DON’T SLEEP ON ME!) Narrator: Ok, ok, I like the energy for this week’s game. It looks like this will be a fun match. (3 MINUTES LATER!) Ladies and Gentlemen, Allan has finally been defeated! Poe: Whistling (Lets get it! My drumstick is no longer broken!) Allan: Whistling (Poe you got lucky!) Poe: Whistling (No, I just aced the last stretch) Narrator: Good point Poe, I thought Edgar and the Salty Marylander had efforts too. You all did great. Raven Brothers: Whistling (Thanks buddy)
Narrator: With that being said, the Salty Marylander has something cooked up for this week. He’s decided to do a live stream for this game. Are you ready? Marylander: How could I not be? I have wanted to do this since the series began. Narrator: Love the energy. With that all being taken into consideration, the Boys in Purple would face a familiar foe in the 1st Round of the playoffs. The Bungles. One week after JaMarr Chase accused Roquan Smith of being a naughty bad boy (When the Bengals employed Taylor Mays and Vontaze Burfict during the mid 2010s), the Ravens would get their chance at revenge. But once again they’d have to do this without Lamar. Luckily Snoop Huntley made his return, albeit not 100%. But still having a solid backup option even if things aren’t going well is ok. The start of this game would feature Baltimore having their fate tested. Could the defense take down the opponent they had prepped for all season? Early on the chess match between Joe Burrow and Mike Man would be a good one. Cincinnati went on a 14 play drive to start the game, but they only managed a field goal. Right away, the Ravens would try to take advantage. They moved the ball past midfield. But Huntley’s bad shoulder would betray him. Marylander: “Huntley in the shotgun, Hill goes in motion to his right, he looks to throw, he fires it to the outside, and it’s Intercepted! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT HUNTLEY! YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO THROW IT TO THE SIDE OF A BARN! (Lamar doesn’t miss that pass, what can you do) WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!” Narrator: This enraged reaction from the Salty Marylander sums up the Ravens opening drive. Wouldn’t you guess it Cincinnati took advantage of it. (Thank Marcus Peters punching one of their lineman in the butt for 10 free yards) They attacked 6 points on the board in a hurry. It would have been 7 if Evan McPherson didn’t miss the extra point. (You still think he’s better than JT, Bungles fans?)
From that moment on, the Roman Empire with his job on the line, had to find a way to expose a one time assistant of Boy Wonders. Even if they failed to catch Eli Apple on one play, it was still good enough to get deep into Bengal territory. Then on 3rd and Goal, JK Dobbins efforts on that drive would be rewarded. Marylander: “Huntley looking to throw, he’s gonna throw it out to the flat, it is caught by JK Dobbins, and he will get to the 1 yard line, AND IN! TOUCHDOWN RAVENS! JK DOBBINS! Catches it on the right side, and goes into the endzone!” Narrator: All of a sudden this was a ball game again. Like most AFC North showdowns the intensity was at a fever pitch. How can this get crazier? Marylander: “Burrow is in the shotgun, the Ravens are coming again, he’s gonna have to roll to his right, he throws it out to Hayden Hurst, Hurst has it at the 40 yard line gets his way to the 45, and he’s decked to the ground, IT’S A FUMBLE! IT’S A FUMBLE! It’s on the ground, and it’s picked up!” Poe: Whistling (Please be in our hands) Edgar: Whistling (Hurst has butterfingers) Allan: Whistling (It’s ours!) Marylander: “Yes, YES! (Hamilton Theme playing) LETS GO BABY! THE RAVENS HAVE THE BALL! YES! Yes!” Narrator: That’s a momentum shifter alright. Hayden Hurst, the former Raven, was robbed by Kyle Hamilton like a thief in the night. This key mistake by Cincy allowed Baltimore to kick a field goal right before the half to go into the locker room with a one point lead. (Imagine saying that leading up to the game) And they’ll get the ball to start the half. However Lou Anarumu did make some adjustments. In the 2nd Half JK had little room to run. That was the key for the Bengals to get momentum back. Then came a play that gave every Ravens fan PTSD of Big Ben. Marylander: “Burrow is gonna throw it, no he’s gonna get trapped, oh god Roquan you gotta, YOU HAD HIM ROQUAN! YOU HAD THIS MAN AND YOU LET HIM! CRUD!” Narrator: That was a killer. Because the Bengals would take advantage of it, and get the lead back in no time. And they’ll get Marcus Peters to commit another huge penalty on the 2 point conversion thank you very much.
Down by 7, the Ravens were in trouble again. But for the first time in weeks, the passing game showed signs of life. On the opening play of the drive, Dobbins took a short pass, and raced 27 yards to the 46 of B-More. 4 plays later, Snoop would go for the jugular. Marylander: “2nd and 10, Huntley goes to throw, pump fakes, he throws it deep down the sideline, he’s got a man, Caught by DeMarcus Robinson! HE’S IN TOUCHDOWN! (Where the hell was this all year?) DeMarcus Robinson, on a perfect pass from Tyler Huntley! And the Ravens are an extra point away from tying it up!” Narrator: Tie game again. In a game no one thought would be close was now even again with plenty of time left in this contest. Now the question was, which of these elite defenses would step up and make the big play to turn the game. So far it’s the Boys in Purple. They forced a 3 and out right away, as Burrow’s 50/50 ball for Tee Higgins was broken up by Peters at the last second. Oh my goodness, the Ravens have a chance to pull off the upset. I thought that this would never happen, but hey go for it. When they regained the ball, the Ravens faced a huge 3rd Down on their own 38. By all logic, Roman would normally run the ball and get the easy 1st Down. Instead he had Huntley take a chance down the field. And they would complete a crucial pass to Mark Andrews. Great, there’s just one problem. CRACK! Marylander: “Oh no, Oh no, that’s Morgan Moses. Oh No!” Narrator: Moses going out for the rest of the series would turn out to be the kiss of death. Not because of his value but because of who came in for him. Marylander: “Oh No, Now we gotta rely on that bum Patrick Mekari again! Just Lovely!” Narrator: For those that don’t know this, Mekari has been a liability especially in big games despite his versatility. (The 2 recent playoff losses are evidence)
But at the moment, it’s an afterthought. Why? Because the Ravens are on the doorstep of the lead. They got it down to the 1 yard line thanks to a great run by Huntley. Poe: Whistling (SNOOOOOOOOOOOP!) Narrator: Even with Snoop’s heroics, the Ravens would be stalled out on 2 straight plays. As long as they don’t crap the bed they’re good. (Benny Hill Theme playing) Marylander: “Please don’t do this to me again Ravens, Huntley QB sneak, over the top, oh he fumbled, OH MY GOD! It’s going to be a touchdown the other way. WHAT IS HAPPENING! (Um, did they not learn from 2018 against Cleveland in Week 17?) Oh Andrews is going to get him, Oh nuh! This is OH PLEASE!” Narrator: Any last hope of the call being reversed was gone when replay clearly showed that Huntley fumbled the ball at the one yard line. Marylander: “He was freaking short. UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!” Allan: Whistling (Tell me why this is coming up again, I thought we were done with this) IT’S SO BAD ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY! YOU WANNA KNOW WHY BECAUSE GOD UGH! AND ALL YOUR STUPID NONSENSE YOU WORTHLESS ROOKS! YOU HAD 3 CRACKS TO GET IT IN FROM THE GOALLINE! AND YOU ABSOLUTELY CRAPPED THE BED! (Who was supposed to block Sam Hubbard? PATRICK BLEEPING MEKARI!) Narrator: This bizarre 14 point swing has given the Bengals the lead, but there is still 10 minutes to play. It felt like the game was over but it was not. Not with the way the Ravens defense was playing, despite the offense being contained after the fumble, they must overcome massive REFBALL being in favor of the pretty boy from the Queen City. With that being said, Roman, Huntley, and the entire Ravens offense has a chance to redeem themselves once and for all. With 3 minutes to play with the ball at midfield, the opportunity is there for them. After stalling out on the first 3 downs, they converted a 4th and 1 with Huntley running a QB Draw.
Do I hear a sound in the distance? HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY! Just as they had done for most of the season, the High End Talent must save the Boys in Purple from humiliation once again! You may ask yourself why they went into a huddle with the clock inside of a minute. That answer is simple. Harbaugh didn’t want to give Burrow the ball back. Yes in the aftermath it was a bad decision but at the time it made sense. Knowing the NFL, if the Ravens score too early, they would have found a way to rig it in favor of Cincy. But even then REFBALL must screw over Baltimore again. “Holding, Offense #70.” I knew that call was coming out right after Justice Hill just gained 10 yards. If that doesn’t happen the Ravens have it 1st and Goal from the 7 with 30 seconds left. Instead it’s now 2nd and 20. Basically in Hail Mary Territory, Baltimore could do little. Now they need help from above as they say. The season comes down to a 4th and 20. Please something has to happen. Marylander: “Here’s the snap, he’s gonna look to throw, he backs up, he throws a heave to the endzone, it’s gonna be up for grabs, and it’s going to be, (DRAMATIC MUSIC!) OH, NO ITS DROPPED INCOMPLETE! NO! PROCHE YOU HAD IT! YOU THE BALL IN YOUR HANDS AND YOU JUST DROPPED IT! (That would have been a really tough catch anyway. Too bad) NO!” PAUSE.
Narrator: How many times is this going to happen? The Ravens lose in either the last game of the regular season in heartbreaking fashion either by an infamous play, or the officials jobbing them. Almost every year that is not named 2000 and 2012. People will tell this cast that we have a problem with our reactions, we’re like THIS IS WHAT THE RAVENS DO TO YOU! But to be fair the fact that this game came down to a Hail Mary is insane on its own rights. Baltimore on paper should have been blown right out the front door and right into the Ohio River. But that never happened. It comes to show you that a team with coaching experience in the playoff that has nothing to lose can work wonders. Even in defeat, the results are better than expectations. That may be good but from the way this year was looked at, this was an insane letdown of a season. Losing in the 1st Round was not what they had on their bucket list at the beginning of the season. I get the injuries from last year that carried over but gosh this is brutal. Don’t give me excuses that Lamar was injured and that his top playmakers were also not 100%. The Ravens did this to themselves. Did you see how they were playing after the Bye Week? A team that went all in at the trade deadline completely squandered a division title and deep playoff run for the taking, and let the insufferable Bengals fans lorde over them for another year. (Please don’t tell me Cleveland is about to hop on board next year) This team had Super Bowl ambitions. Really, the fans once again have a reason to make excuses. This is the same crap that put them in trouble during the Billick Era, the offense getting exposed and the defense being left out to dry despite their efforts. They are literally falling into the same traps. Salty Marylander, do you want your ax? Marylander: Sure. PAUSE.
Lamar Jackson. In my opinion he is the Ravens version of Adam Jones. Beloved by the fans in Baltimore, despite anger management issues on Social Media, (He comes from the Antonio Brown clan, THAT’S ALARMING ON ITS OWN!) and being despised by the talking heads at ESPN. Jackson is an incredible talent. That itself can’t be debated. But there are a few things that we need to consider. I don’t blame him for playing out his 5th year option, he wanted to pull a Joe Flacco in 2012 and win a Super Bowl. Too bad he got struck down by the Football Gods. Which leads to the question, can he stay healthy long term? When LJ is healthy, he is a difference maker. Not in terms of stats, but in terms of his win-loss record. Although he still has his doubters. Many say that he was holding out at the end of the season due to injury. If that were the case that would have been public the minute it was put on Social Media. That was a legitimate Grade 2 PCL Sprain and he couldn’t put any weight on it. Call me crazy but Haloti Ngata had the same injury during their Super Bowl year in 2012 and missed 8 games because of it. The question now is what do you do with him this offseason? Do you trade him or give him the biggest extension in team history. Considering how much his teammates want him back, and how much of an input he’ll have on the offense during the offseason, there’s a good chance he’s staying long term. Dolphins, Falcons, and Jets fans keep dreaming of him playing for you guys, but he’s not coming to those teams because Bisciotti doesn’t want to lose credibility. It sucks from a cap standpoint but hey what can you do? PAUSE.
When I saw that JK Dobbins wasn’t getting enough carries in his mind I thought he was being a nuisance. He actually had a point. When this man is healthy, he may be the most underrated go-to back in the game. His stats in the 2nd Half of the season prove it. But even then he’s not satisfied. I know he’ll whine about the fact that he only had 10 carries in the playoff game but there’s a reason why. Did you see him in short yardage situations against Pittsburgh in Week 17? The way the Steelers defense defended him in those situations was evidence. Plus Gus Edwards is a better short yardage player to begin with. He did have a couple nice plays. I’ll give him that. Don’t worry JK, you’ll have a new OC next year, and he’ll hopefully unlock both your and Gus’ full potentials. Just keep your head up high. PAUSE.
A couple weeks ago I thought to myself, what a down year Mark Andrews has had. Now thinking back on it I disagree. Yes he was injured at midseason, and was limited down the stretch, but from a leadership standpoint, he’s a nice player to have on board. The way he mentored Isaiah Likely this season was huge. They may have the next Sharpe-Coates combo if things go according to plan. Not only that, but he told the truth to the media when they were speculating why Lamar didn’t have his deal done by the start of the season. His explanation was that he has little down time because of his work ethic. And honestly I believe that. Mark, keep up the good work, and make sure you and the rest of the offense convince your boy to return next season. I expect big things, don’t let me down. PAUSE.
Sammy Watkins. Why the hell did they bring him back? I know Devin Duvernay and Rashod Bateman were on IR but seriously? Besides one long catch against the Falcons all he’ll be remembered for is throwing Lamar under the bus. Sammy, Sammy. You can say his injury was contract related and not serious, but when that comes out of the mouth of one of the most injury prone receivers of this generation you might need to rethink your thoughts. Let me put it to you this way. HE WAS CLEARLY INJURED! He was still limping in the training room while in rehab. Marlon Humphrey and Mark Andrews told you the truth and you know it. This may have been his last shot on an NFL roster. Too many injuries, and his abilities have declined. This is what we call karma everyone. PAUSE.
Why is Patrick Mekari still on the roster? WHY! I get he is one of their more versatile Offensive Linemen who shows flashes of brilliance but there is one major flaw. Whenever the Ravens need to win a big game especially one an elimination game he craps the bed! Look at how they got eliminated the last four years. If there is one player that was the scapegoat in any of those games it was Mekari. 2019 against the Titans, he gave up 3 sacks to Jeffery Simmons, and was run over on numerous occasions. (When Justin Tucker’s first attempt was blocked) 2020 against Buffalo technically wasn’t his fault with the bad snaps, but he still didn’t manage to do his part in run blocking. 2021 against Von Miller and TJ Watt in the last two weeks of the season, he gave up a combined 5 sacks. And the piece de resistance. You wanna know who was responsible for blocking Sam Hubbard on the play where he returned a fumble for a TD on the 1 yard line. PATRICK BLEEPING MEKARI! He’s down there with Lee Evans, Billy Cundiff, and Kyle Boller in Ravens infamy. That’s how I view him. Do the right thing and cut him in the offseason Johnny.
I may be the only one that hasn’t called for John Harbaugh’s head. That’s because I know the one major rule of this organization since its inception. It’s that they don’t fire head coaches. They either retire like Ted Marchibroda did after 1998, or have their contracts expire like Brian Billick did after 2007. (Billick did end his tenure on a 9 game losing streak) I know he isn’t an X’s and O’s guy, but Harbaugh is still the right man for this job. Look at what he’s done. 10 playoff appearances in 15 years, including 5 AFC Championship Game berths, a Super Bowl ring in 2012, 4 division titles, and only 2 losing seasons. And in all but one of those years they’ve been in the playoff hunt or have clinched a spot on the last day of the season. That’s consistency right there. Heck, the only reason they even had a chance to beat Cincinnati was because of Harb’s playoff experience. Yes he’s only won 3 playoff games in 10 years, something that would get most coaches fired, but like their rivals in Pittsburgh they have owners that don’t like changing coaches. Johnny please don’t listen to the Social Media trolls, do what’s best for this team and keep the contending window alive. (“At this stage of my coaching career, a rebuild doesn’t exist -Harbaugh) PAUSE.
The Roman Empire. All I can say is that the 2019 Divisional Round loss to Tennessee broke him. To me that’s a clear conclusion to the end of his tenure with the Ravens. Think about it. G-Ro at the time was one of the top candidates for several head coaching jobs across the NFL. The way he used Lamar Jackson in his MVP season was a thing to behold. Once that game happened, the wheels fell off and he never recovered from it. You could see it based on the offensive production over the past three seasons. In his defense we never saw how good that unit could be in 2021 and 22 because of injuries. To me Roman is like what Matt Cavanaugh and Cam Cameron were during the 2000s. Good OCs for the short term but after a while their schemes get outdated and they get exposed badly. (The same thing happened to him in San Francisco and Buffalo as well) Don’t worry Greg, just like Wink Martindale you’ll get a needed change of scenery, another coordinator job, and another mobile QB to work with. Although I will say if it weren’t for Roman’s play calling at the end of Super Bowl XLVII the Ravens may not have a 2nd ring. (In reality that was all Ray Lewis. He wasn’t going to let the Niners score) I’ll give him a pass for that. PAUSE.
No coordinator since Marvin Lewis and Rex Ryan has made me more pleased than Mike Macdonald. Yes I’m being biased because I have a job acquaintance with his wife Stephanie, but still. Most coordinators coming from college have a rough transition at the NFL level. For Mike Man that was not the case. Yes they had the collapse against Miami but that’s because they were playing two rookie corners against the two fastest players in football. Beginning from that first game against Cincinnati it became known that his return to Baltimore would be an instant success. Replacing Wink Martindale was not an easy task, and I will say he might be better than Martindale ever was. Considering that they now have the formula to defeat an offense like the one the Bengals have with Joe Burrow, his future is bright in Charm City. With most of the defense entering their primes, the sky’s the limit for Macdonald. Mike, I’m proud of you. PAUSE.
Steve Saunders, well I mean the injuries have gone down I guess. It doesn’t state the fact that he once again was given shade by players outside the organization. Remember that Derek Wolfe rant where he claimed that Saunders ruined his prime and forced him to retire. That’s not a good look on his resume. I will say, the fact that the Ravens had to change their conditioning program and the way they practice because of how he treated injured players is disgusting. I would say that he should get out of here, but he has one more year left. He wasn’t as bad as last year, but hey Harbs needs to have some of his friends on board I guess. Thank goodness only one player needs surgery in the offseason instead of the 13 that they had last year. But he’s probably the big reason why free agents don’t want to come here. Is this Tom Coughlin as an executive in Jacksonville again? PAUSE.
Slowly but surely Eric DeCosta is on his way to having consistently good drafts and free agents signings. This year may have been the best year he’s had as GM. Think about it. He fleeced the Cardinals and Bears so badly that both of them are picking in the Top 3 in the 2023 NFL Draft. Think about it. Getting a generational talent in Roquan Smith from the Bears gave this team that game changing MLB that they haven’t had since Ray Lewis. The return they got in the Marquise Brown Trade has been a major bang. Both Tyler Linderbaum and Jordan Stout were named to the All Rookie Team. And both are future Pro Bowlers. He for sure executed his goals going into the season. They needed help on the O-Line, the backend of the Secondary, depth at Tight End, and depth on the D-Line. They got all of those goals accomplished alright. Now his goals for 2023 are simple. Lock up Lamar, get another receiver in the draft, and replace Marcus Peters, and Calais Campbell in free agency. It sounds easy, but the task will be hard. Good luck. PAUSE.
I remember a lot of people being skeptical about Sashi Brown taking over as team president. Considering his time with both the Browns and Wizards you’d think it was a mistake. The difference between those 2 teams and the Ravens is that Steve Bisciotti is a better owner than Jimmy Haslam and the Monumental Sports Company. We also need to consider that he drafted Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb, Baker Mayfield, Denzel Ward, David Njoku, and a few others when he was in Cleveland. He’s the only reason why the Browns are even relevant. (And he’s been out of there for 4 years) Look at his first year. The way he and EDC managed that draft was legendary. Look at the key players they got. Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, David Ojabo, Travis Jones, Jordan Stout, and Isaiah Likely. 3 if not 4 of them are going to be future All Pros, plus Jones and Likely are quality backups with high upside. Considering that he had to replace a legend in Dick Cass, and to have that success right away is huge. Considering how many negative comments he got in his previous two stops, I bet he can breathe a sigh of relief. PAUSE.
Now we get to the big topic. The one that everyone has been wondering. If you’ve followed this team it’s easy to identify. Why haven’t the Ravens gotten a top tier WR? First of all this is a run first team, and especially during Roman’s reign no one was going to sign there just to block. Look at the 2021 Free Agent Class. There were big time receivers on that market. Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, Kenny Golladay, JuJu Smith-Schuster, TY Hilton, and a few others. The Ravens only got Sammy Watkins out of all those options because they did not want to have their production go down. (Baltimore offered more money to Godwin, Golladay, and JuJu than the Bucs, Giants and Steelers did) Heck it doesn’t end there. That whole trend began in 2004 when Terrell Owens rejected a deal with the Ravens for a deal in Philadelphia where he got less money. The reasoning was because he didn’t want to play with Kyle Boller, and in Matt Cavanaugh’s run heavy offense. Second of all, they’re all “Give Me the Damn Ball” type players. That personality doesn’t suit well in the Ravens locker room. Which is why they traded Marquise Brown to Arizona. Finally the circumstances in Baltimore City. A, it’s a small market to begin with and not many endorsements are in the city. (Which is why they lost the Bobby Wagner sweepstakes to the Rams) B, there are certain areas in the city that are an absolute nightmare to navigate because of high crime rates. (I would go into more detail, but I’d get in trouble for that) And C, most of these players want to be in big market cities because they enjoy nightlife. And in Baltimore there aren’t that many places, plus even if there are some, it’s incredibly dangerous to go down there at night, especially if there’s high security. (That’s why Orioles games last year during the Pennant Race weren’t sold out despite their on field success) Lamar’s not the only one that dealt with this. Flacco dealt with this too, and I bet you any money that it drove Billick crazy while he was the coach here. PAUSE.
It’s time to face hard truths and I know the entire state of Ohio is cheering as I say this. The future is uncertain in Baltimore. As accomplished as they are, the Ravens may not win another championship with this core. It’s only a matter of time before they join the Steelers, Patriots, and Packers in Football Hell. I know it’s sacrilege as a Ravens fan to say this, but that time might be coming. Lamar’s future is uncertain, Harbaugh’s seat according to Social Media is only getting hotter, the pressure will be on to find a new Offensive Coordinator, The New Frontier of the AFC may be upon us especially if Cleveland manages to do something next season. And the draft capital is very slim. But in reality we know what’s going to happen. The Ravens will sign Lamar to a $225M contract over 5 years, they’ll replace Greg Roman with Harbs buddy in Frank Reich, they’ll luck into Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the draft, outbid the Patriots for Jonathan Jones, and maintain the Super Bowl window for another 5+ years. It may be the worst case scenario but hey that’s how life works, ON CHARM CITY BEASTS! Raven Brothers: Whistling (R-A-V-E-N-S RAVENS!) (What’s next for me, the Bucks losing to the Cavs in the 1st Round. Knowing how it’s been for me against Ohio teams this year, the answer is probably yes) PAUSE.
Bragging Rights Sports 