May 19, 2025 • 45 mins
Team insiders Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing go through the Ravens' 2025 schedule to talk about the biggest matchups and storylines for each game.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome into the Lounge presented by DraftKings. I'm Ryan Mink
here with Garrett Downing, and we are going to take
a game by game look at the Ravens twenty twenty
five schedule and give you our thoughts on each of
those matchups, maybe some predictions along the way. And Garrett,
it's an exciting schedule. It's a tough schedule, but that hey,
(00:24):
that's the exciting part. It's challenging, and certainly the challenges
begin week one, going up to Buffalo for a rematch, yeah,
of the divisional playoff loss.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, I mean, I think when you look at this
and we're going to go game by game here. As
you mentioned, we gave our snap judgments last week when
the schedule first dropped and looking at a big picture,
but we want to dive into it just in a
little bit more detail. And you start with a game
in Buffalo. It's going to be tabbed all week as
a revenge game, and we're all.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Smith ditting back down from that, you know. And it
went on with Rich Eisen on the NFL Network immediately
after the schedule came out and said, yeah, yeah, we're
looking for some revenge in this game. And so it
started early.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Rokwand does not back down for much.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
No, No, he does not. You know, it's always one
of those things like, oh, can you can you get
revenge in a regular season game? Right? Like this doesn't
change the playoff game. Uh right, but it's certainly that
bad taste that's lingered in your mouth all off season.
It helps, it helps kind of clear that it's.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
It's always interesting like some I honestly think player to player,
it varies greatly in terms of how they like use
that as motivation or internalize it, and it just is
different for each guy. Like some guys say like this
is last year, last years, last year. I don't care.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I'm sure we'll hear a lot of that. In the
week leading up to that Bill's game. We'll hear a
lot of like that's that's ancient history. Not thinking about that.
I haven't thought about that in months. You know, this
isn't revenge. It's the regular season game. It's a new season, fresh, late,
clean slate, gotta gotta start off, want to know. Yeah,
And then other guys like Rokwan will be like, no,
I want to get those guys back.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, I know again, and I think it depends on
the guy. And like, my honest take on it is
that like I do think there's it serves as a
little bit of motivation, but it also like I don't
know that it really like scratches the itch of revenge
that you're looking for and so but beyond like the
revenge angle of it, which is going to be massive. Honestly,
(02:17):
it's it's just as very similar to what we saw
last year where the Ravens opened the season against the
team who ended their season in the playoffs in a
heartbreaking playoff loss, and so we can run a lot
of those stories back. And it's also going to be
big because like, even though it's the first game of
the season, you got a long way to go. This
is absolutely one of those games that you could end
up looking back on at the end of the regular
(02:38):
season and saying, well, look, these two teams faced off
in Week one. This team won. That's the reason that
they are the They have the better seed in the playoffs,
that's the reason this team has the home field advantage
of the playoffs. Like, I think that both of these
teams are going to be playoff contenders, and this could
potentially alter the scales in the in the A see
(03:00):
playoff picture like when it's all said and done, and
so starting that way is as big.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
I think that. I like that this game is in
September for the Ravens. You know, I think that had
it not been snowing last year in the playoffs, the
Ravens would have had a better chance to win. They
do they win if it's not snowing. I don't know.
I can't say it's a complete hypothetical, but I think
the Ravens would have had a better chance. And you know,
(03:29):
maybe they don't have as many turnovers and they don't
you know, Mark Andrews doesn't drop. Mark Andrews said his
gloves were soaking wet on that two point conversion, right,
If he has dry gloves on that, he might have
caught that, right. And we're talking about overtime or whatever.
And so I like that this game is in September.
I mean, all you have to do is look back
to last year when the Ravens and Bills played in September,
(03:50):
and the Ravens won thirty five to ten. Now, that
certainly doesn't guarantee you're going to get the same result
this time around, but I think that there's no denying
that Josh Allen and the Bills have a little magic
when it's really cold and snowing. How many Josh Allen
highlights happen that have happened in the snow and so
I kind of like starting its September in Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, I think that there's merit to that. Now. Of course,
you you could end up seeing them in a snow
game later that you're just like, yeah, yeah, well we're
talking about the regular season schedule and so so yeah,
I think that, like I just like like this was
gonna be a game, like you're gonna circle it on
the calendar whenever it happens this year, Like that was
(04:32):
gonna be. We all sue this is going to be
one of those games that like is a primetime or
a naturally televised game, it's going to be a big game.
And so like just get out of the way, just
start right out of the gates, start hot, and start
with a bang. And I think that like it's it's
exciting in that way.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
The Ravens are traditionally played very well in their season
openers under John Harbaugh. They have you know, it was
a narrow loss in Kansas City last year. So your
recency bias is like eh, but like you go back,
Ravens have been a pretty darn good Week one team.
They're just generally speaking, a very good team when with
extra rest. Yeah, coming off buys, they're really good. And
(05:08):
so this is the longest buy. Yeah, you know, first
game of the season, they usually play well.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, I think that they have. They do a really
good job of basically building towards that that Week one game,
and that'll be.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
An extra time the game, all those things.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
All that is part of it. So then Week two,
it's the Cleveland Browns coming to town, and and I
think this the talking point for this game. It's going
to be the Joe Flacker comes back to Baltimore game,
assuming he's the starting quarterback in Cleveland, which at this
point I think is a fair assumption, and especially this
early in the season for the Browns, I think that
Joe is probably going to be the starter there, and
(05:41):
so this would be the Flacco Flacco revenge game, if
you want to call it that. But it's the return
to Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Is their revenge?
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I don't know. I don't think there's just a return return.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
I mean, the lot of Ravens fans still have a
special place in their heart Joe Flacco.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah, and so this will be Joe's first time back
at Edmonton Bak Stadium and playing on going to the visitors'
locker room and wearing the away uniform, and and.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Did Joe have any sizzling soundbites the week leading out
to that one?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
No, Well, you know what he's gonna sayh you know,
I don't.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Know, it'll be weird.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Yeah, he's I don't think he's gonna be sitting there
talking like getting it, giving any bullets and boar material.
And also like a lot it's not it's this is
different when we just talked about like the Bills game
in terms of like, like it's been so long since
Joe played here. Now, I think that like this place
always holds a special place in his heart when Super
Bowl here and all that stuff, and he played here
for a long time, but like it's it's been seven years,
(06:38):
and so like I think that he's still got good
relationships with plenty of people in this building. But like
it's not as it's not as fresh of course as
like playing here the year after you were here. It's
a little bit different. But like it will definitely mean
something to him to come back into that stadium and
and look, when he was on the Browns, guy.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Who probably will go in the Ring of Honor one day,
Like his name will probably be up there. So yeah,
which is kind of crazy.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
When when Joe was the quarterback of the Browns two
years ago, like he got that team to the playoffs
and they were he had that offense playing at a
super high level. Then he went to the Colts last year,
didn't Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
There were a lot of people back then when he
was hot with the Browns that said, I don't want
to I don't want a piece of Joe right now. Yeah,
I don't want to playoff Joe.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, and he didn't play well in that game against
It's actually not but like he had that offense playing
at a really high level. I think he's a really
good quarterback in that system that they run in Cleveland,
and so I think, like from an actual schematics standpoint,
there's there's some challenges there. But that's gonna be the
whole talking point in the conversation that week.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Yeah. Well, the other big talking point will be dependent
upon what happens in Week one. If the Ravens fall
in Buffalo, then the big talking point will be you
can't let a repeat of last year happened. Yeah, the
Ravens lost in Kansas City, came back and lost their
home opener to a team that everybody thought they should
be in, the Las Vegas Raiders. And now you're zero
and two, and it's like, oh my gosh, it feels,
(08:01):
you know, on the outside, like the sky is falling,
you know. And so if the Ravens are looking at
you know, an zero to one start, then that will
be the point is like, you got to come back
and beat the Browns at home and the truth be told. Yeah,
the Browns are still you know, I think most people
consider in rebuilding mode. You know, if Joe's the starting quarterback,
(08:22):
certainly that's not your long term quarterback in the future.
But the Browns are always a tough out, that is
always a physical Last year, Yeah, completely.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Split with the Browns last season.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Exactly lost in Cleveland, get them at home, but it's
just never it's just never a cakewalk, no matter who's
playing quarterback for the Browns or what.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yeah, I agree with all of that. Next game, Monday
Night Football against the Lions. Now, at home. I know.
So the Ravens have played plenty of Monday night football
games in the John Harball era, right, they played twenty
three Monday night football games in the John Harriball era.
This will only be the fit's played at M ANDT
(09:02):
Bank Stadium, and so it's great to have a Monday
night football game at home. The last time they had
it was that unforgettable game against the Colts back in
twenty twenty one, the comeback game. The two point conversions
late in that game, like that was an insane comeback.
It's one of Lamar's best late game comebacks when you
look at it in totality. And so anyway, you get
the Monday night football game against the Lions, they're gonna
(09:23):
be Look, they were one of the best teams in
football last year. These offenses, these are two high powered offenses,
and it has all the makings of like just an exciting,
exciting national TV game.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Yeah, I mean, M ANDT Bank Stadium is going to
be electric. This is going to be one of those
games where it's just similar similar honestly to the Bills game,
primetime Bills game in Week four last year at home
was just electric. One of those games you want, you
absolutely want a ticket to that game. Yeah, that's gonna
be this Monday night football game against the Lions. I
(09:57):
mean it's these are two teams that probably when the
Super Bowl predictions come out early, you know, before the
season starts, you're probably gonna see some Ravens Lions predictions
in there. And just also just two hard nosed teams
that play the game physically and also at the same
(10:18):
time have some premier offensive playmakers that draw in viewers.
You know, Jamier Gibbs, Jameson Williams, and Ross Saint Brown
obviously Jared Goffict quarterback. You know, they they have a
lot of talent and a lot of speed, and so
do the Ravens. Yeah and so yeah, I think the
Ravens again, to my point about Week one, Ravens typically
(10:41):
play pretty darn good football on prime time Monday night
football at home. I like it.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
The other thing I like, from a kind of an
exis and O standpoint in this game is playing the
Lions early in the year. The Lions are replacing both
their coordinators, Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordinators now the head
coach of the New York Jets, Ben Johnson, their offensive
cornat now the head coach of the Chicago Bears. So
they've got two new coordinators, a lot of turnover on
that coaching staff with this, which is really challenging, especially
early in the season, and so I do like that
(11:09):
the Ravens get them.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Ear Touchinson status for the beginning of the.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Well, he should be back, but I think that that's
going to be a question that there was stig to
talk of him coming back if they made it to
the Super Bowl last year. Obviously they didn't make it
and he didn't make his way back. But the expectation
is that he should be back on the field, of course,
but you know, we got a long way to go
between now and then. But that's that's something to monitor,
just his recovery. All right. Week four, I mean, kind
(11:34):
of keep the conversation going here. The Ravens go to
Kansas City, Big time game four twenty five. I'm sure
will be the Tony Romo, Jim Nance Crew, the CBS game,
and a lot of the things that we talked about
with the Bills game at the top. I think you
could say the same things for the Chiefs. Chiefs are
going to be one of those teams. Obviously, that's right
in the mix of the AFC playoff picture. Ravens has
(11:56):
struggled against the Chiefs. They've had they've not had success
against Kansas City.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Particularly era Lamar Jackson's Z three erahead The Ravens haven't
won in Kansas City since twenty twelve.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
It's been a long time, and the Chiefs have been
a team that have have had the Ravens number pretty
much over the last five six years. And so this
will be just like I talked about with the Bills
being a game that you look back on and say, man,
that was really significant in deciding how things played out
in the AFC. I think that is absolutely the case
(12:28):
here as well.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah, there's no point blank, there's no doubt that the
Ravens want to be the number one seed in the
AFC first round playoff by playoffs run through Baltimore. That's
and they're good enough to do that one hundred percent
there and so those games Bills, Chiefs, you know, every
game counts the same, but when it comes down to it,
(12:49):
I think there's a high likelihood, but it's a little bit. Yeah,
by season's end, those are the teams we're going to
be talking about in that mix.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Sounds obvious here, but like it counts a little bit
more when you're considering that you have a chance to
knock that back and move yourself forward exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
And then you it often comes down to tie breakers
and that sort of thing. So like those games will
in part decide what the first regular season goal was
win the division. That's going to come later in the
regular season. We're going to get to that conversation. Early
in the season, it's like set yourself up well to
potentially be that number one seed in the playoffs. So
(13:23):
that's kind of what the early season schedule is, getting
off on the right foot, getting the starting hot, and
setting yourself up to for your bigger, bigger goals.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
On paper, the Bills, the Chiefs, and the Ravens are
your top three teams in the AFC. That's just the
way you look at it from a just on paper
standpoint at this point of the year. When you got
those matchups, you got two of them in the first
four weeks, and so well, I guess like the Ravens
have both those matchups like in the first four weeks there,
and so this is a chance to put yourself in
(13:51):
a really good position doesn't guarantee anything, but it's much
better to be at pole position there than trying to
climb your way out of a hole. And then on
see it continues there with the Texans coming to town
in Week five. They're another team that's made the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Pa'st two years last two years.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Really good division last season, yep, really good quarterback in CJ. Stroud,
a lot of playmakers on that team. So it's like
they're right there. They're gonna be right there in that
conversation as well. They haven't had the playoff success yet,
but like they're a really good team and they're on
the rise, and so.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Yeah, I think that the difference here is it's kind
of the opposite of the Chiefs, right. The Chiefs have
had the Ravens number. The Ravens have had the Texans
number the past couple of years. You know, I mean
thumped them down at their place on Christmas Day last year,
just a blowout, and then beat them twice the year
before that wants to open the season and then once
in the playoffs. So CJ. Stroud is facing the same
(14:48):
narrative that Lamar Jackson faces against the Chiefs. Yeah, U
zero and three against the Ravens and haven't played well.
I mean C. J. Stroud did not have a very
good game on Christmas last year.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Yeah, well nobody had thirty one to two. Yeah, nobody
really had exactly.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
But I think they haven't scored a touchdown.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah, he's not played great, so and so yeah, I
think that that's a fair connection there.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Yeah, But at the same time, I don't don't let
that fact overshadow the fact that the Texans are a
really good team. Just like if the Chiefs look at
the Ravens and say, oh, we we beat them all
the time. Yeah, all right, yeah, we're going to get
you at some point, we're gonna get you. And so
like the Texans are a good team too.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Yeah. Well then Week six just to the hits keep
on coming here in terms of the and this is
something we talked about, like the first six games are
a tough stretch for the Ravens open the year. It's
top heavy schedule in that sense, you have the LA
Rams come in to town. I will say it's a
difficult assignment West Coast team LA West C East for
a one o'clock game. Now, we always talk about that
(15:54):
and I do think that it's a hard assignment, but
like the Rams do that all the time, So it's
not like this is the only time they're ever going
to do this. It happens all the time when they
come East. And Sean McVay is one of the best
coaches in football. Matthew Stafford is a Super Bowl winning quarterback.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
They've got them trying to remember the Tylan Wallace walk
off punt return touchdown happened in daylight? Yeah, I can't
remember if that was one o'clock o'clock. Yeah, so yeah,
so they were awfully close to pulling it off.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Then, Yeah, they've played. They've played some really, like the
Ravens have had some some tight games against the Rams
in recent years in Baltimore. They had that one against
Tyland Wallace. They also had the game with Odell Beckham
on the other side when he caught the game winner
at the end of the game the Rams won, And
so like the Rams are a tough out they I
(16:42):
think that, like they're a team, they're just a really
good team. They're really well coached. They've got a really
hard to stop offense.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
But even that, as a veteran, really great veteran quarterback.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Yeah, that game, that game is gonna be That game
is gonna be tough.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I mean he usually gets banged up, like you getting
the Merlin season, usually before Matthew Stafford gets banged up
during the course of the year. I feel like that
guy's always fighting through stuff, fighting through some kind of
upper body injury late in the year. But he's he
got them week six. He's still fresh and air quotes.
Yeah for a veteran. And then you know Puka Nakua.
You know they're running game. Yeah, they're they're a tough team. Yeah.
(17:19):
And their defense is really good. They have some very
good pass rushers. I mean, look, they were really close
to not They were the closest teams knocking off the
Eagles and preventing them from winning Super Bowl last year.
They almost did it in the snow at in Philly. Ye,
So like that team. You talk about the Lions being
a Super Bowl contender, I put the Rams right in
that category. Also.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
I agree with that, And like the Beast two years,
the Rams have been a team that, like late in
the year, they really get hot, they come on strong.
They're the kind of classic no one wants to see
the team in the playoffs team, and so I think
that they're a pretty similar category. I'm with you to
the Lions there, and it's gonna be a tough out
for the Ravens. So I think as you look at
that that first six game stretch, like if you were
(18:00):
able to come out of that at four and two,
I think that you feel like you're in a really
good position. Yeah, I would agree with that, all right,
So it's the bye week. Then in week seven, so
this is a bye week for us here, we're gonna
take a quick break by a minute, Yeah, by a minute.
We'll come back and break down the rest of this thing.
You're listening to Lounge podcast where you're coming to you
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(18:21):
sports betting partner of the Baltimore Ravens Draft Kings Sports Book.
The Crown is yours. So in Week eight, the Ravens
are staying at home. It's the Chicago Bears coming to
town for a one o'clock game, and this one, honestly, like,
it's hard for me to know exactly what this game
is going to look like because I think the Bears
are like one of the big question marks in the
NFL this year. New head coach and Ben Johnson. He
(18:42):
was the offensive coordinator in Detroit, as I mentioned, put
up a ton of points with that offense in Detroit.
Really innovative coordinator in offensive mind, and so like, how
does this team evolve with him as the head coach?
How does it evolve with Caleb Williams the quarterback in
year two, got a ton of weapons around him. So like,
I think I think that the Bears have a potential
to be one of those teams that takes a big,
(19:04):
big jump in Kata Williams second season, But at this
on the flip side, like we haven't seen it yet.
So it's just tough. Honestly, it's tough for me to know, like,
is this going to be a game that is like, oh,
this is two of the most exciting offenses in football
here with Ben Johnson for the Bears and Kayla Williams,
Or is it going to be a game where like
the Bears are coming into it at two and five
(19:24):
and you're like, Okay, this is a game you win.
I don't know which way it's gonna go.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Yeah, yeah, I completely agree. I think the Bears have
made a number of offseason additions. You know, they certainly
improved their offensive line, which was their weakness last year.
Got traded for Joe Toney of the Chiefs, and also
Drew Doloman the center, you know, picked up Grady Jared
defense tackle. Like they've added They've been one of the
more active teams this offseason, and so yeah, I mean,
(19:50):
could could they be? You know, there's been these games
over the years for the Ravens where they are facing
like an undefeated like the Lions from two years ago,
where the Lions came to Mt. Bank Stadium kind of
at this point in October undefeated, and you're saying, whoa, Okay,
this is a big game, right, Could the Bears be
in that position? Possible?
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Yeah, I think it's I think it's possible. Like they're
one of the biggest, hard, hard to predict teams in
my mind when I look at around the NFL, and
so that's what makes it tough to know what this
game is going to hold. But I think it has
all the makings potentially of a really exciting game.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
And you know, again, I like the Ravens coming off
of bye Yeah. Yeah, I think that that certainly plays
in their favor to have the extra rest that week.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
So then the Ravens after it's coming off a week
of extra rest and they're our short rest Thursday night,
they're going down to Miami playing the Dolphins. Dolphins are
another team that's kind of a question mark in my mind,
Like when they're when they've got everybody healthy and playing.
That offense is really good. Tough to stop Tua when
he's out there on the field, and Tyreek Hill and
(20:54):
Jalen Waddle like they've got speed that that really nobody
in the NFL can match. And so.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
They're running backs.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
The running back is really good. Their offense can be great,
but they've also had a lot of injuries and they
struggled last year. So like, what is that team gonna
be this year? I think that is hard to say.
I think that like, short week on the road is
always tough. That's just generally speaking, You're getting on a
plane three days after you just played a game. I
think that's tough. I'm sure there's gonna be playing Lamar
(21:25):
Jackson fans in that.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
I mean, I think that anytime Lamar goes to Miami,
I always like our chances, you know, just warm weather back,
you know, in his home state. I think that I
generally like that. Of course it hasn't always worked out. Well.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
That's an errony on that Thursday night game a few
years ago exactly. It's a Thursday revisit. The highlights of
that are the low lights for the Ravens.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, will be replayed on that because it was a
rough Thursday night in Miami that that night where the
Dolphins won twenty two to ten. I was back in
twenty twenty one. But I think Lamar Jackson is a
better quarterback than he was that just you know, the
storyline of that game was the Dolphins just blitz the
living snot out of the Ravens, just time and time
again with cover zero blitzes. The Ravens have spent a
(22:09):
lot of time since then on cover zero blitzes, and
Lamar Jackson had a historically good season against the blitz
last season. I think I saw stat that he was
like the only quarterback ever, like he had the highest
like he was in plus territory, Like he was better
against the blitz and cover zero than he was when
he wasn't under pressure. And so I think I like
(22:33):
the Ravens chances, all.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Right, So then the Ravens go Week ten. They're going
to Minnesota, not a team they see very often. And
similarly as I just talked about like the team gonna be,
they were really really good last.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Year fourteen and three.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Last year early playoff exit, which was disappointing for them
the way they ended the season after how well they played.
Big change of quarterbacks. Sam Darnold was a quarterback last year.
He's now in Seattle. In comes JJ McCarthy, who the
Vikings took as a top ten pick but then missed
his entire rookie season with a kne injury. What is
he yep, nobody knows.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
He's essentially he'll be essentially a rookie with whatever half
a season of games experienced under his belt. We know
the Ravens history against rookie quarterbacks is very good.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeh.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
JJ McCarthy is in the air quotes a rookie, So
you know, for that reason, I like the Ravens chances there.
But US Bank Stadium is also one of the loudest
stadiums in the league. That place can get cranked up,
and that the Vikings are just a good they're just
a good team. Talk about another coach like just solid team,
(23:43):
like just winners.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
It's the Vikings and they've got premier weapons and Justin
Jefferson and Jordan Addison, so like they've got premier offensive weapons.
And then Kevin O'Connell I think is I think he's
one of the best coaches in the league, and so
like playing there in. I think a lot of that
comes down to the quarterback, like what what does what
does that offense look like with JJ McCarthy, And we'll
(24:05):
get a sense of that over the course of the
first nine weeks of the season, but that's kind of
the main question there. I think that that's a game
that the Ravens a paper, probably should win, but it's
hard to know what the Vikings are going to be
that similar to what we talked about with the Bears,
like could this be a team? Could this be a
game where you got like a seven and two team
(24:27):
versus you know, two seven to two teams coming again
play each other. I think that's possible.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Who wears purple? That's the question?
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Oh, just all purple. Everyone's interesting, everybody's everyone's in purple.
That's gonna get we go we go with the color,
we go with purple helmets, game, the color the purple rising,
just all purple, all right? Then Week eleven, yep, Ravens
are going on the road to Cleveland four twenty five game. Look,
last year the Ravens were as we talked, we talked
about the Browns earlier. But like last year, the Ravens
were much better team than the Browns. But they went
(24:56):
and talked about the tough out Browns beat them in
Cleveland last year Ravens had That was a game of
dropped interceptions and it just was a painful game, one
that the Ravens should have won, but they didn't win.
And so it'll be I'll be curious, like at this point,
is still Joe Who's the starting quarterback? Of course they
have two rookies Dylan Gabriel from Oregon, and they should
(25:18):
or Sanders who is the quarterback? We'll see, yep. But
like I think that this is a game if if
if the Ravens are going to be the kind of
team that you and I both think that they're going
to be, which is one of the best teams in
the league, then this is probably a game that the
Ravens should win.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
I mean, if you're looking at the two games stretch
on the season, Uh, this is probably the easiest in
air quotes. I always have prefasit in No game in
the NFL is easy. But these are gonna the Ravens
are gonna be the biggest favorites in those two back
to back weeks at Browns back home versus Jets. Right,
that should be two and zero, and which sets you
(25:57):
up gets you in good position for what we'll at
that point be of a tough five, six game finish. Yeah, right,
So like you, I think you gotta as tough as this.
It's always tough to win in Cleveland. Like, that's a
game that the Ravens should win.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
And also you're looking at that week nine, ten, eleven,
those are three straight road games at Dolphins, at Vikings,
at Browns.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
All right, so now you'll have some sore bodies. It's
a three game road stretch, and so guys will be
eager to be home. They'll be tired of traveling at
this point. But I think that those are all three
games that are certainly winnable games for the Ravens, and
the Ravens have never won three straight road games in
franchise history. Now, it's also not super coming. They don't
(26:40):
have a ton of them go on three game road trips.
But uh, I think this could be the year.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
All right, there you go. So you mentioned the Jets
in week twelve, and I agree with you, like you
should look at those two games against the Browns and
the Jets and feel good about your chances to win
those two. And then a week thirteen it's against the
Bengals Thanksgiving Night. This is also right past the Jets.
Oh you kind of covered it, Jet just to call
real fast? Do you have more than you want to
(27:07):
say about that game?
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Oh? I mean just you know Justin Fields, right, he's
their new quarterback, Like there's another quarterback that hey could
if it really clicks for Justin Fields. That game has
a little bit of a different temperature, right, new head
coach there and Aaron Klynn. You know, how how quickly
does it come together as they're obviously kind of in
rebuild mode there?
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Yeah. And then so then it's Thanksgiving against the Bengals,
and this is like you mentioned the Lions and the
excitement around that game for Monday night football. To me,
the Thanksgiving Night game against the Bengals. Is that's the
one that catches my attention probably the most on the
entire schedule, even more so for Lills for like list excitement,
just excitement, like what's my favorite game on the schedule?
(27:49):
Thanks Heeming Thanksgiving night at Mt BAK Stadium. We've seen
this twice before. Ravens won both of those games forty
nine Ers and twenty eleven the Steelers. In twenty thirteen,
they get it at home and it's against the Bengals.
Like Ravens have played some more quee games against the
Bengals at night in recent years, and that atmosphere is
going to be awesome. And this is our first time
(28:09):
seeing the Bengals. This is where the division, like we
talked about setting the table in the conference, well now
the division comes into focus here in week thirteen because
that's a lot of division opponents to me.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
The division race starts on Thanksgiving, yep, that is when
it starts.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
And so the Bengals are I mentioned off the top,
like the Bills, the Ravens and the Chiefs are probably
the top three teams in the division on paper, on
the conference on paper, the Bengals are right there as well, and.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
They were a team that was very hot at the
end of last season that a lot of people were saying,
don't let the Bengals into the playoffs because they're playing
pretty darn good ball. Joe Burrow obviously in that offense,
and that was their off season priority. Keep this high
octane offense together. Yep. Resign both Jamar Chase and t Higgins.
And when you have that trio of Burrow, Higgins and Chase,
(29:03):
they're gonna put up some points.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, I think the most games. And their defenses and
there's questions about their defense, largely because of the Trey
Hendrickson situation.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Was not a particularly good defense.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
It was it was the defense was not good last year.
But now the best player on the defense, who had
the most sacks in the league is saying, I'm not playing.
Let's like a new contract. Now. Look, we see these
contract things like we see these contract things every even
he even said it last week when he talked to
the media. Basically the question was is this relationship reparable?
And he's like, yeah, look what happened with Miles Garrett.
Miles Garrett was saying he wanted out of Cleveland and
(29:35):
trade me, and then a few weeks later, he's happy
and how can everybody at the press conference like these things.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Are saying I never wanted to be anything but in
Cleveland exactly.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
It's like a lot of things happened, these contract negotiations,
so like I think that that probably gets worked out
between now and then, but like, yeah, this is the
Bengals are going to be right there. And when you
look at their recent history, they have been a team
it's actually struggled earlier in seasons and then they've come
down the stretch red hot. So the Ravens are getting
(30:05):
them twice in the last five weeks six weeks of
the season, which is which is difficult if they follow
their pass trajectory, it's not when you want to see him.
And I think that that had that game has Like
I just think it's going to be awesome. I think
the atmosphere is going to be awesome, and it's two
of the best quarterbacks in football. I'm pumped for that one.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Well, two games last year were absolute spectacles. Ravens won
forty one to thirty eight in overtime in the first
game in Cincinnati and Lamar Jackson, you know, stiff arm
on Sam Hover leaping touchdown pass. And then the second
game at Empty Bank Stadium and the Ravens won thirty
five to thirty four, and the Bengals attempted a two
(30:47):
point conversion to try to win the game at the
very end and it was stopped. So talk about high drama.
I mean, goodness, gracious, it doesn't get any better than
Ravens Bengals when.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
These two teams play each other, and like when they've
played each other in recent years, like it's been exciting.
There's been a lot of drama, and there's been a
lot on the line, and it's particularly binscwed offense heavy,
like these shootouts they've been, they've been shootouts. Now you
don't like, I think the Ravens defense is going to
be better than it was in those games in particular
where they that was kind of the tipping point for
(31:18):
this defense last year to say, like, okay, we need
to adjust some things because you can't be giving up
two hundred yards and three touchdowns to Jamar Chase like
that just can't happen. So that was kind of the
tipping point last year. So I don't expect to see that.
But the Bengals have been a team that's put up
some points against the Ravens.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Yeah, the Bengals are part of the reason why Malachi
starks this year. Yeah, quite frankly, right, Like, let's go
get a ball hawk that can go over the top
and try to stop some of these bombs to Jamar Chase.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
And so you know, he's one guy that pops into
my head when I think about these matchups and how
big a difference does he make interception game for the rookie.
Certainly possible. Certainly possible. So it should be a good get.
And honestly, like there's a stretch there where it felt
like Bengals Ravens was the rivalry in the AFC North
(32:05):
more than Ravens Steelers that way. Still, I think it's
on level footing. Yeah, Now, I mean I think certainly
the Steelers is heated up the past year two kind
of you know, you got PQ on that side now
played the playoffs, you're playing in the playoffs last year.
I mean last year it was it was hot. But
like Bengals Ravens has felt they have been at each
(32:28):
other's throats the past number of years.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Yeah, I think that, like you have from a rivalry standpoint,
you need to play important games against each other in
order to have a great rivalry, and so you had
that last year with both teams. And but I just
think that like this this thing with the Bengals, like
those games I get. I mean, I guess you could
say the same thing about the Steelers, where both the
games always come down to the wire and there's you know,
(32:51):
some animosity there. But I just feel like there's there's
this like the circle the calendar thing when it comes
to the Ravens and the Bengals. They don't like each
other and they've had some like kind of knock them knockout,
drag up. What's the phrase there, knockout, drag out games between.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
The two teams. Asking about fraz Yeah, you'll.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Screw it up.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
I'm the worst guy.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Knocked down, drag out, whatever it is. But yeah, like
I just think I Bengals Ravens has become elevated in
my mind, and I if I were ranking on right now,
I might put Bengals Ravens ahead of it. I know
that that sounds blasphemous to a lot of Ravens fans,
but I think that it might be a little bit
ahead right now.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Yep. Now they're knock on your door, punch out game.
I think that's what I was looking for. Yeah, that's it,
that's it. That's definitely it.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
So then you got the next one, which is the
next day, we're talking about rivalry game Steelers. Okay, so
first welcome to the season, Raven Steelers here Week fourteen
is the first time they praised each other. And this
one's in Baltimore one o'clock game. And I think that,
like there's questions about I mean, as it stands right now,
(33:58):
we don't know who the quarterback is for Steelers. A
lot of people think it's gonna be Aaron Rodgers. That
could be the case. Don't know yet. But to be
to be honest, like the Steelers are gonna be, I
just think the Steelers is gonna be a team.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
They're gonna be the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
They're gonna be right around. It's gonna be what we've
seen for the last fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Like Steelers.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
They're gonna be a team that's right around ten wins,
gonna be really well coached, They're gonna be hard to beat.
They're gonna have a good defense, they're gonna be able
to run the ball like that's that's their identity, that's
who they are, and so they'll be a tough and
that'll probably be a twenty to seventeen game.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
Right, you want to talk about more physical football, that's
what I mean. Mike Tomlin went on NFL Network during
the draft and said, yeah, we got all these big,
physical guys. That's everybody who we drafted, all because the
Ravens ran us over in the playoffs last year and
down the stretch and just bully balled us. Basically, Derek
Henry ran all over us. Yeah, so we got all
(34:53):
these big guys. That's gonna be a slug fest at
M and T Banks Stadium on December seventh and Steelers,
And quite honestly, you have back to back home games
against your two AFC biggest AFC North rivals. Let's go. Yeah,
that's that's when it's at you. You got to defend
that these are home turf games. Defend the home turf
(35:14):
because you're coming off the three game road streak, and
then you have three at home and two against your rivals.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Yep. But and then it's and then it's the Bengals again. Right, Hey, Hey,
didn't we just see these guys old dayshaw VOUI here,
can we just play back the segment that I talked
about the rivalry between these two teams, Like, I think, honestly,
between you play the Bengals in Week thirteen, the Thanksgiving
night game, then you go on the road to play
them in Week fifteen one o'clock game of Cincinnati, you're
(35:39):
probably looking most likely at a split there. Of course,
you want to win both of them, but I think
if you split those games, that's not a terrible outcome. Sure, yeah,
I went to Okay, of course you wanted that. You
want you want to win every single game. But as
you look at you, don't you remember the seventeen I
know he did the Doves game. He says seventeen to zero,
and that would be great. But I think that like,
as you look that, I mean, if you came out
(36:01):
of that stretch of Bengal Steelers bangles and you're two
and one, I think that you're feeling pretty good about.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Pretty good result against two other good teams.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Yep. Then it's Week sixteen and it's the Patriots coming
to town. This is the final regular season home game
for the Ravens one o'clock against the Patriots. Look, they
were a team that struggled last year, had a high
draft pick, and they certainty with them. They got a
new coach like Rabel. I think that, like we saw
it in Tennessee, we know the identity of a Mike
(36:29):
Rabel coached team. They're tough, they're physical. It's kind of
the same stuff we just talked about with the Steelers.
Like those teams remind me of each other. Now. Rabel
always had Dereck Henry in the backfield, which was nice.
They could turn in hand the ball to the big game.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
We figured out that makes a week difference.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Yeah, he's pretty good to have it having your back
pocket there.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
But when Drake May, I think this game, I think
about Drake May. Okay, you know I thought he played
pretty well as a rookie yes year. Yeah, and came
on and finished the season pretty pretty strong. What's he
look like now? Essentially, he'll have almost two seasons under
his belt because it's so late in the season, and
so how good is he? And I think that the
(37:12):
I think the Patriots will be a better team than
they were last year when they were one of the
NFL's worst teams. I mean, they went four and thirteen
last year, and so they obviously upgraded their offensive line,
went out and got the top Well Campbell exactly top
ls left tackle in the draft. And so and they
(37:32):
got Stefan Diggs, and they've made some other pretty shrewd moves.
They went and got the Eagles defensive lineman who was
a big problem last year, Milton Williams. And so I
think that they're a team that's gonna be better. How
much better, I don't know. I think that a lot
of the narrative probably coming off of Bengals Steelers Bengals
(37:52):
will be like, all right, you can't have a letdown
at home against the Patriots. That can't happen late in
the season. I mean, goodness, gracious, the Ravens are going
to be breaking the thick of every game in December
has huge stakes probably for you know, is that a
game where you can lock up a playoff spot could
be possible? Now are you're battling for the number one
(38:12):
seed in the conference. You know, there, I'm not too
worried about that. They're gonna have plenty to play for,
plenty at stake in that game.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Yeah, it's and it's one that like, as we're sitting
here in May breaking this thing down. You'd expect the
Ravens to be heavily favored in that game. And so
those games late in the season is where you need
to take care of business. Yeah, Week seventeen is against
the Green Bay Packers. Don't know the day or time yet,
but it's going to be in Green Bay in late December,
meaning it's going to be cold and there could potentially
(38:41):
be snow. That's always a possibility. I'll be there, you will,
and you just have to you if you're going though,
you have to agree that you're standing outside.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
And No, that's the other thing with that draft pick
that maybe people don't really realize. And if you don't
know what I'm talking about, go back and listen to
the last episode where we had our travel draft, which
the emails are pouring in my favor.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Actually not, they're.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
Not pouring in. We put it. We put it out
to a poll within our department. I got absolutely trounced. Look,
you had a pretty good showing. I'll give it to you.
You want rock feite scissors and that was a big
one for you. But what people don't realize is, like
we send the press box I'm gonna have hot cocoa, right, Like, yeah,
if I'm part of our broadcasting kind of crew and
I have to have a camera on my shoulder and
(39:26):
be outside the entire game, different calculation.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
Yeah. I love I love how you always talk about like, oh,
I'm a football guy, blah blah blah, and now you're like,
I'm gonna be sitting in the press box with my
hot coco.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
I mean, guy, Like, I want the best games now.
I also picked a preseason game before I picked that Penguins,
so you know, mistakes were made. Mistakes were made, okay,
but this one was not a mistake picking lambeau Field
Green Bay. Like, that's gonna be That's gonna be a
cool game.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
It is gonna be a cool game. And like I
think most football fans, again we don't know the day
or time yet, but I it's gonna part of the
reason there's the NFL wants to have flexibility in terms
of when they schedule that thing. Bait to put it.
If you think that both those teams are going to
be as good as they could be, you're gonna want
that game in like a premier time.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Slide Hackers who are eleven and six last year, certainly
one of the hottest teams in the league.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Like, if both these teams are fighting for like one
of the top spots in their conference, this is going
to be a big time national TV game. And then
they'll get the snow machine out there and make sure
that like the visuals are awesome for it. So I
think that this game is going to be really cool.
It's gonna be tough out for the Ravens. That's that's
a really hard assignment to go there in that environment
and win.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Now, this has Derrick Henry game written all over it.
To me, this is I think that it's kind of
poetic that the Ravens signed Derrick Henry to a contract
extension on the same day that a schedule comes out
that has you going to all these cold weather environments
on the road at Sincy, at Lambeau, at Pittsburgh, Yeah,
(40:58):
down the stretch, and we're like, I just signed here
for two more years too. Like, it's kind of poetic.
And I think that Derrick Henry finished last season on
an absolute rampage down the stretch four hundred plus rushing
yards in the last three regular season games. I think
(41:18):
that to me, hand the ball off Derrick Henry well
against the NFC opponent's.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Yeah, well, if King Henry's rolling in week seventeen, just
just keep them rolling downhill in week eighteen when the
Ravens go on the road against the Steelers. Obviously, he
played great in that playoff game against the Steelers, as
we already talked about. Uh well, just I think that
sounds good. Four hundred rushing yards from him in the
last three regular season games. Just do that again and
keep it rolling against the Steelers in week eighteen.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
I thought you're gonna say, last two games, that'd be
pretty sweet.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
Okay, yeah, sure, last two Yeah, four hundreds a game,
that's not bad either. But I think keep it going
against the Steelers and trying to control that one.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
I mean that game could have everything on the line,
or it could have nothing on the right, like it's
always that way. It's in week eighteen when you're the
team is that's as good as the Ravens and so yeah,
that could be an absolute epic game, potentially in Pittsburgh
with Heinz. Well, it's not acture now, yeah, act sure,
just absolutely rocking and you know the towels are waving
(42:20):
and then for the division for a playoff spot exactly.
They're playing the song and all that stuff like could
be could be epic, Yeah, it.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
Could be that. Or it could be a game where
you have it all locked up, you have it all
locked up, you just onto that, or you're playing for
top seed.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
Certainly you know you could have the division. Heck, the
Ravens could be back to back to back champions AFC
North champions by that point, who knows, or you're battling
for that. No team, as a reminder, has ever won
three straight AFC North crowns. The Ravens are vying for that,
and it's gonna happen from Thanksgiving through as we're talking
about week eighteen. That's what it's going to be decided.
Speaker 2 (42:55):
Yep. So I can't wait. Man, this is I like
the schedule. I do as I've thought about it, Like,
I I think that like I think there's a lot
to like there's some marquee games in here, there's some
weird stuff with three home, three row, three home, but like, overall,
I think that this is a I think it's a
fair schedule. I think that it's one that like the
Ravens have a lot of primetime action, Like I know,
(43:20):
not maybe as much at first blush, but I could
easily see both that Packers and if the Steelers game
has a lot of line being a marquee game. I
just think that I like the schedule and it's not easy.
It's a hard schedule, but it's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
So I think when you and I sat down and
did our actual dubs game, I know I did dubbed
game in the seventeen and zero, and hey, maybe maybe
that comes to fruition, but I think you're looking kind
of worst case scenario, not worst case, but eleven and
six is kind of like when we went through and
we're like, all right's call that a split between Bengals,
(43:56):
like we were talking about before, you know, call that
a split maybe with the Steeler or whatever, Right, Like
do you beat both the Bills and the Chiefs? Right?
Maybe split those games? Some of those things like eleven
and six seems to be kind of the number, But
I think like there's very good reason to believe that
it could be much better than that. Yeah, you know,
I think that thirteen and four is certainly you know,
(44:18):
can you get up into the fourteen and three territory?
Like you're if you're in the fourteen and three territory
with this difficult of a schedule, unless the three both
three of your losses include Bills and Chiefs, you're probably
the number one seed. Yeah, right, yes, and so like
I kind of look in that fourteen to in three
to eleven and six territory.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
Yeah, I think that's probably when you consider the fact
that the Ravens have been a team that's been in
the playoffs consistently, They've been one of the best teams
in the league, you think that eleven is kind of
eleven almost the floor. It feels that way.
Speaker 1 (44:51):
If Lamar Jackson is healthy all season long, I can't
see the Ravens winning fewer than eleven games. Yeah, on
the schedule.
Speaker 2 (44:57):
They're that quid of a team, and I think that they're.
Speaker 1 (44:59):
Got best player in the league. Right when you're Lamar
Jackson's under center, I feel really good about what you have.
You have number one offense from last year, Todd Monk
in year three, probably only going to get better. Got
Derek Henry just resigned them. Have the outside weapons you
got Mark, you got your tight ends coming back, have
a better offensive line. Offensively, you're stacked you have stars
all over this defense from front to back. It's gotten better,
(45:22):
Zach or year two, you got this coaching staff as
spectacular and the continuity that you have there. Look, the
Ravens are loaded. They're a really good team. So I
think we're gonna have a lot of fun this season.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
Yeah, I'm on board with that. So as always, you
can email us at the lounge at Ravens dot NFL
dot net. Thank you so much for listening and we
will be back with you again soon
Welcome into the Lounge presented by DraftKings. I'm Ryan Mink
here with Garrett Downing, and we are going to take
a game by game look at the Ravens twenty twenty
five schedule and give you our thoughts on each of
those matchups, maybe some predictions along the way. And Garrett,
it's an exciting schedule. It's a tough schedule, but that hey,
(00:24):
that's the exciting part. It's challenging, and certainly the challenges
begin week one, going up to Buffalo for a rematch, yeah,
of the divisional playoff loss.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, I mean, I think when you look at this
and we're going to go game by game here. As
you mentioned, we gave our snap judgments last week when
the schedule first dropped and looking at a big picture,
but we want to dive into it just in a
little bit more detail. And you start with a game
in Buffalo. It's going to be tabbed all week as
a revenge game, and we're all.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Smith ditting back down from that, you know. And it
went on with Rich Eisen on the NFL Network immediately
after the schedule came out and said, yeah, yeah, we're
looking for some revenge in this game. And so it
started early.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Rokwand does not back down for much.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
No, No, he does not. You know, it's always one
of those things like, oh, can you can you get
revenge in a regular season game? Right? Like this doesn't
change the playoff game. Uh right, but it's certainly that
bad taste that's lingered in your mouth all off season.
It helps, it helps kind of clear that it's.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
It's always interesting like some I honestly think player to player,
it varies greatly in terms of how they like use
that as motivation or internalize it, and it just is
different for each guy. Like some guys say like this
is last year, last years, last year. I don't care.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I'm sure we'll hear a lot of that. In the
week leading up to that Bill's game. We'll hear a
lot of like that's that's ancient history. Not thinking about that.
I haven't thought about that in months. You know, this
isn't revenge. It's the regular season game. It's a new season, fresh, late,
clean slate, gotta gotta start off, want to know. Yeah,
And then other guys like Rokwan will be like, no,
I want to get those guys back.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, I know again, and I think it depends on
the guy. And like, my honest take on it is
that like I do think there's it serves as a
little bit of motivation, but it also like I don't
know that it really like scratches the itch of revenge
that you're looking for and so but beyond like the
revenge angle of it, which is going to be massive. Honestly,
(02:17):
it's it's just as very similar to what we saw
last year where the Ravens opened the season against the
team who ended their season in the playoffs in a
heartbreaking playoff loss, and so we can run a lot
of those stories back. And it's also going to be
big because like, even though it's the first game of
the season, you got a long way to go. This
is absolutely one of those games that you could end
up looking back on at the end of the regular
(02:38):
season and saying, well, look, these two teams faced off
in Week one. This team won. That's the reason that
they are the They have the better seed in the playoffs,
that's the reason this team has the home field advantage
of the playoffs. Like, I think that both of these
teams are going to be playoff contenders, and this could
potentially alter the scales in the in the A see
(03:00):
playoff picture like when it's all said and done, and
so starting that way is as big.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
I think that. I like that this game is in
September for the Ravens. You know, I think that had
it not been snowing last year in the playoffs, the
Ravens would have had a better chance to win. They
do they win if it's not snowing. I don't know.
I can't say it's a complete hypothetical, but I think
the Ravens would have had a better chance. And you know,
(03:29):
maybe they don't have as many turnovers and they don't
you know, Mark Andrews doesn't drop. Mark Andrews said his
gloves were soaking wet on that two point conversion, right,
If he has dry gloves on that, he might have
caught that, right. And we're talking about overtime or whatever.
And so I like that this game is in September.
I mean, all you have to do is look back
to last year when the Ravens and Bills played in September,
(03:50):
and the Ravens won thirty five to ten. Now, that
certainly doesn't guarantee you're going to get the same result
this time around, but I think that there's no denying
that Josh Allen and the Bills have a little magic
when it's really cold and snowing. How many Josh Allen
highlights happen that have happened in the snow and so
I kind of like starting its September in Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, I think that there's merit to that. Now. Of course,
you you could end up seeing them in a snow
game later that you're just like, yeah, yeah, well we're
talking about the regular season schedule and so so yeah,
I think that, like I just like like this was
gonna be a game, like you're gonna circle it on
the calendar whenever it happens this year, Like that was
(04:32):
gonna be. We all sue this is going to be
one of those games that like is a primetime or
a naturally televised game, it's going to be a big game.
And so like just get out of the way, just
start right out of the gates, start hot, and start
with a bang. And I think that like it's it's
exciting in that way.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
The Ravens are traditionally played very well in their season
openers under John Harbaugh. They have you know, it was
a narrow loss in Kansas City last year. So your
recency bias is like eh, but like you go back,
Ravens have been a pretty darn good Week one team.
They're just generally speaking, a very good team when with
extra rest. Yeah, coming off buys, they're really good. And
(05:08):
so this is the longest buy. Yeah, you know, first
game of the season, they usually play well.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, I think that they have. They do a really
good job of basically building towards that that Week one game,
and that'll be.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
An extra time the game, all those things.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
All that is part of it. So then Week two,
it's the Cleveland Browns coming to town, and and I
think this the talking point for this game. It's going
to be the Joe Flacker comes back to Baltimore game,
assuming he's the starting quarterback in Cleveland, which at this
point I think is a fair assumption, and especially this
early in the season for the Browns, I think that
Joe is probably going to be the starter there, and
(05:41):
so this would be the Flacco Flacco revenge game, if
you want to call it that. But it's the return
to Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Is their revenge?
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I don't know. I don't think there's just a return return.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
I mean, the lot of Ravens fans still have a
special place in their heart Joe Flacco.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah, and so this will be Joe's first time back
at Edmonton Bak Stadium and playing on going to the visitors'
locker room and wearing the away uniform, and and.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Did Joe have any sizzling soundbites the week leading out
to that one?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
No, Well, you know what he's gonna sayh you know,
I don't.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Know, it'll be weird.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Yeah, he's I don't think he's gonna be sitting there
talking like getting it, giving any bullets and boar material.
And also like a lot it's not it's this is
different when we just talked about like the Bills game
in terms of like, like it's been so long since
Joe played here. Now, I think that like this place
always holds a special place in his heart when Super
Bowl here and all that stuff, and he played here
for a long time, but like it's it's been seven years,
(06:38):
and so like I think that he's still got good
relationships with plenty of people in this building. But like
it's not as it's not as fresh of course as
like playing here the year after you were here. It's
a little bit different. But like it will definitely mean
something to him to come back into that stadium and
and look, when he was on the Browns, guy.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Who probably will go in the Ring of Honor one day,
Like his name will probably be up there. So yeah,
which is kind of crazy.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
When when Joe was the quarterback of the Browns two
years ago, like he got that team to the playoffs
and they were he had that offense playing at a
super high level. Then he went to the Colts last year,
didn't Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
There were a lot of people back then when he
was hot with the Browns that said, I don't want
to I don't want a piece of Joe right now. Yeah,
I don't want to playoff Joe.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, and he didn't play well in that game against
It's actually not but like he had that offense playing
at a really high level. I think he's a really
good quarterback in that system that they run in Cleveland,
and so I think, like from an actual schematics standpoint,
there's there's some challenges there. But that's gonna be the
whole talking point in the conversation that week.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Yeah. Well, the other big talking point will be dependent
upon what happens in Week one. If the Ravens fall
in Buffalo, then the big talking point will be you
can't let a repeat of last year happened. Yeah, the
Ravens lost in Kansas City, came back and lost their
home opener to a team that everybody thought they should
be in, the Las Vegas Raiders. And now you're zero
and two, and it's like, oh my gosh, it feels,
(08:01):
you know, on the outside, like the sky is falling,
you know. And so if the Ravens are looking at
you know, an zero to one start, then that will
be the point is like, you got to come back
and beat the Browns at home and the truth be told. Yeah,
the Browns are still you know, I think most people
consider in rebuilding mode. You know, if Joe's the starting quarterback,
(08:22):
certainly that's not your long term quarterback in the future.
But the Browns are always a tough out, that is
always a physical Last year, Yeah, completely.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Split with the Browns last season.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Exactly lost in Cleveland, get them at home, but it's
just never it's just never a cakewalk, no matter who's
playing quarterback for the Browns or what.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yeah, I agree with all of that. Next game, Monday
Night Football against the Lions. Now, at home. I know.
So the Ravens have played plenty of Monday night football
games in the John Harball era, right, they played twenty
three Monday night football games in the John Harriball era.
This will only be the fit's played at M ANDT
(09:02):
Bank Stadium, and so it's great to have a Monday
night football game at home. The last time they had
it was that unforgettable game against the Colts back in
twenty twenty one, the comeback game. The two point conversions
late in that game, like that was an insane comeback.
It's one of Lamar's best late game comebacks when you
look at it in totality. And so anyway, you get
the Monday night football game against the Lions, they're gonna
(09:23):
be Look, they were one of the best teams in
football last year. These offenses, these are two high powered offenses,
and it has all the makings of like just an exciting,
exciting national TV game.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Yeah, I mean, M ANDT Bank Stadium is going to
be electric. This is going to be one of those
games where it's just similar similar honestly to the Bills game,
primetime Bills game in Week four last year at home
was just electric. One of those games you want, you
absolutely want a ticket to that game. Yeah, that's gonna
be this Monday night football game against the Lions. I
(09:57):
mean it's these are two teams that probably when the
Super Bowl predictions come out early, you know, before the
season starts, you're probably gonna see some Ravens Lions predictions
in there. And just also just two hard nosed teams
that play the game physically and also at the same
(10:18):
time have some premier offensive playmakers that draw in viewers.
You know, Jamier Gibbs, Jameson Williams, and Ross Saint Brown
obviously Jared Goffict quarterback. You know, they they have a
lot of talent and a lot of speed, and so
do the Ravens. Yeah and so yeah, I think the
Ravens again, to my point about Week one, Ravens typically
(10:41):
play pretty darn good football on prime time Monday night
football at home. I like it.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
The other thing I like, from a kind of an
exis and O standpoint in this game is playing the
Lions early in the year. The Lions are replacing both
their coordinators, Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordinators now the head
coach of the New York Jets, Ben Johnson, their offensive
cornat now the head coach of the Chicago Bears. So
they've got two new coordinators, a lot of turnover on
that coaching staff with this, which is really challenging, especially
early in the season, and so I do like that
(11:09):
the Ravens get them.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Ear Touchinson status for the beginning of the.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Well, he should be back, but I think that that's
going to be a question that there was stig to
talk of him coming back if they made it to
the Super Bowl last year. Obviously they didn't make it
and he didn't make his way back. But the expectation
is that he should be back on the field, of course,
but you know, we got a long way to go
between now and then. But that's that's something to monitor,
just his recovery. All right. Week four, I mean, kind
(11:34):
of keep the conversation going here. The Ravens go to
Kansas City, Big time game four twenty five. I'm sure
will be the Tony Romo, Jim Nance Crew, the CBS game,
and a lot of the things that we talked about
with the Bills game at the top. I think you
could say the same things for the Chiefs. Chiefs are
going to be one of those teams. Obviously, that's right
in the mix of the AFC playoff picture. Ravens has
(11:56):
struggled against the Chiefs. They've had they've not had success
against Kansas City.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Particularly era Lamar Jackson's Z three erahead The Ravens haven't
won in Kansas City since twenty twelve.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
It's been a long time, and the Chiefs have been
a team that have have had the Ravens number pretty
much over the last five six years. And so this
will be just like I talked about with the Bills
being a game that you look back on and say, man,
that was really significant in deciding how things played out
in the AFC. I think that is absolutely the case
(12:28):
here as well.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah, there's no point blank, there's no doubt that the
Ravens want to be the number one seed in the
AFC first round playoff by playoffs run through Baltimore. That's
and they're good enough to do that one hundred percent
there and so those games Bills, Chiefs, you know, every
game counts the same, but when it comes down to it,
(12:49):
I think there's a high likelihood, but it's a little bit. Yeah,
by season's end, those are the teams we're going to
be talking about in that mix.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Sounds obvious here, but like it counts a little bit
more when you're considering that you have a chance to
knock that back and move yourself forward exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
And then you it often comes down to tie breakers
and that sort of thing. So like those games will
in part decide what the first regular season goal was
win the division. That's going to come later in the
regular season. We're going to get to that conversation. Early
in the season, it's like set yourself up well to
potentially be that number one seed in the playoffs. So
(13:23):
that's kind of what the early season schedule is, getting
off on the right foot, getting the starting hot, and
setting yourself up to for your bigger, bigger goals.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
On paper, the Bills, the Chiefs, and the Ravens are
your top three teams in the AFC. That's just the
way you look at it from a just on paper
standpoint at this point of the year. When you got
those matchups, you got two of them in the first
four weeks, and so well, I guess like the Ravens
have both those matchups like in the first four weeks there,
and so this is a chance to put yourself in
(13:51):
a really good position doesn't guarantee anything, but it's much
better to be at pole position there than trying to
climb your way out of a hole. And then on
see it continues there with the Texans coming to town
in Week five. They're another team that's made the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Pa'st two years last two years.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Really good division last season, yep, really good quarterback in CJ. Stroud,
a lot of playmakers on that team. So it's like
they're right there. They're gonna be right there in that
conversation as well. They haven't had the playoff success yet,
but like they're a really good team and they're on
the rise, and so.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Yeah, I think that the difference here is it's kind
of the opposite of the Chiefs, right. The Chiefs have
had the Ravens number. The Ravens have had the Texans
number the past couple of years. You know, I mean
thumped them down at their place on Christmas Day last year,
just a blowout, and then beat them twice the year
before that wants to open the season and then once
in the playoffs. So CJ. Stroud is facing the same
(14:48):
narrative that Lamar Jackson faces against the Chiefs. Yeah, U
zero and three against the Ravens and haven't played well.
I mean C. J. Stroud did not have a very
good game on Christmas last year.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Yeah, well nobody had thirty one to two. Yeah, nobody
really had exactly.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
But I think they haven't scored a touchdown.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah, he's not played great, so and so yeah, I
think that that's a fair connection there.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Yeah, But at the same time, I don't don't let
that fact overshadow the fact that the Texans are a
really good team. Just like if the Chiefs look at
the Ravens and say, oh, we we beat them all
the time. Yeah, all right, yeah, we're going to get
you at some point, we're gonna get you. And so
like the Texans are a good team too.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Yeah. Well then Week six just to the hits keep
on coming here in terms of the and this is
something we talked about, like the first six games are
a tough stretch for the Ravens open the year. It's
top heavy schedule in that sense, you have the LA
Rams come in to town. I will say it's a
difficult assignment West Coast team LA West C East for
a one o'clock game. Now, we always talk about that
(15:54):
and I do think that it's a hard assignment, but
like the Rams do that all the time, So it's
not like this is the only time they're ever going
to do this. It happens all the time when they
come East. And Sean McVay is one of the best
coaches in football. Matthew Stafford is a Super Bowl winning quarterback.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
They've got them trying to remember the Tylan Wallace walk
off punt return touchdown happened in daylight? Yeah, I can't
remember if that was one o'clock o'clock. Yeah, so yeah,
so they were awfully close to pulling it off.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Then, Yeah, they've played. They've played some really, like the
Ravens have had some some tight games against the Rams
in recent years in Baltimore. They had that one against
Tyland Wallace. They also had the game with Odell Beckham
on the other side when he caught the game winner
at the end of the game the Rams won, And
so like the Rams are a tough out they I
(16:42):
think that, like they're a team, they're just a really
good team. They're really well coached. They've got a really
hard to stop offense.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
But even that, as a veteran, really great veteran quarterback.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Yeah, that game, that game is gonna be That game
is gonna be tough.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I mean he usually gets banged up, like you getting
the Merlin season, usually before Matthew Stafford gets banged up
during the course of the year. I feel like that
guy's always fighting through stuff, fighting through some kind of
upper body injury late in the year. But he's he
got them week six. He's still fresh and air quotes.
Yeah for a veteran. And then you know Puka Nakua.
You know they're running game. Yeah, they're they're a tough team. Yeah.
(17:19):
And their defense is really good. They have some very
good pass rushers. I mean, look, they were really close
to not They were the closest teams knocking off the
Eagles and preventing them from winning Super Bowl last year.
They almost did it in the snow at in Philly. Ye,
So like that team. You talk about the Lions being
a Super Bowl contender, I put the Rams right in
that category. Also.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
I agree with that, And like the Beast two years,
the Rams have been a team that, like late in
the year, they really get hot, they come on strong.
They're the kind of classic no one wants to see
the team in the playoffs team, and so I think
that they're a pretty similar category. I'm with you to
the Lions there, and it's gonna be a tough out
for the Ravens. So I think as you look at
that that first six game stretch, like if you were
(18:00):
able to come out of that at four and two,
I think that you feel like you're in a really
good position. Yeah, I would agree with that, all right,
So it's the bye week. Then in week seven, so
this is a bye week for us here, we're gonna
take a quick break by a minute, Yeah, by a minute.
We'll come back and break down the rest of this thing.
You're listening to Lounge podcast where you're coming to you
from the Sea Geek Studio. We also want to mention
our partners with Draft Kings Sportsbook. They are an official
(18:21):
sports betting partner of the Baltimore Ravens Draft Kings Sports Book.
The Crown is yours. So in Week eight, the Ravens
are staying at home. It's the Chicago Bears coming to
town for a one o'clock game, and this one, honestly, like,
it's hard for me to know exactly what this game
is going to look like because I think the Bears
are like one of the big question marks in the
NFL this year. New head coach and Ben Johnson. He
(18:42):
was the offensive coordinator in Detroit, as I mentioned, put
up a ton of points with that offense in Detroit.
Really innovative coordinator in offensive mind, and so like, how
does this team evolve with him as the head coach?
How does it evolve with Caleb Williams the quarterback in
year two, got a ton of weapons around him. So like,
I think I think that the Bears have a potential
to be one of those teams that takes a big,
(19:04):
big jump in Kata Williams second season, But at this
on the flip side, like we haven't seen it yet.
So it's just tough. Honestly, it's tough for me to know, like,
is this going to be a game that is like, oh,
this is two of the most exciting offenses in football
here with Ben Johnson for the Bears and Kayla Williams,
Or is it going to be a game where like
the Bears are coming into it at two and five
(19:24):
and you're like, Okay, this is a game you win.
I don't know which way it's gonna go.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Yeah, yeah, I completely agree. I think the Bears have
made a number of offseason additions. You know, they certainly
improved their offensive line, which was their weakness last year.
Got traded for Joe Toney of the Chiefs, and also
Drew Doloman the center, you know, picked up Grady Jared
defense tackle. Like they've added They've been one of the
more active teams this offseason, and so yeah, I mean,
(19:50):
could could they be? You know, there's been these games
over the years for the Ravens where they are facing
like an undefeated like the Lions from two years ago,
where the Lions came to Mt. Bank Stadium kind of
at this point in October undefeated, and you're saying, whoa, Okay,
this is a big game, right, Could the Bears be
in that position? Possible?
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Yeah, I think it's I think it's possible. Like they're
one of the biggest, hard, hard to predict teams in
my mind when I look at around the NFL, and
so that's what makes it tough to know what this
game is going to hold. But I think it has
all the makings potentially of a really exciting game.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
And you know, again, I like the Ravens coming off
of bye Yeah. Yeah, I think that that certainly plays
in their favor to have the extra rest that week.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
So then the Ravens after it's coming off a week
of extra rest and they're our short rest Thursday night,
they're going down to Miami playing the Dolphins. Dolphins are
another team that's kind of a question mark in my mind,
Like when they're when they've got everybody healthy and playing.
That offense is really good. Tough to stop Tua when
he's out there on the field, and Tyreek Hill and
(20:54):
Jalen Waddle like they've got speed that that really nobody
in the NFL can match. And so.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
They're running backs.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
The running back is really good. Their offense can be great,
but they've also had a lot of injuries and they
struggled last year. So like, what is that team gonna
be this year? I think that is hard to say.
I think that like, short week on the road is
always tough. That's just generally speaking, You're getting on a
plane three days after you just played a game. I
think that's tough. I'm sure there's gonna be playing Lamar
(21:25):
Jackson fans in that.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
I mean, I think that anytime Lamar goes to Miami,
I always like our chances, you know, just warm weather back,
you know, in his home state. I think that I
generally like that. Of course it hasn't always worked out. Well.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
That's an errony on that Thursday night game a few
years ago exactly. It's a Thursday revisit. The highlights of
that are the low lights for the Ravens.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, will be replayed on that because it was a
rough Thursday night in Miami that that night where the
Dolphins won twenty two to ten. I was back in
twenty twenty one. But I think Lamar Jackson is a
better quarterback than he was that just you know, the
storyline of that game was the Dolphins just blitz the
living snot out of the Ravens, just time and time
again with cover zero blitzes. The Ravens have spent a
(22:09):
lot of time since then on cover zero blitzes, and
Lamar Jackson had a historically good season against the blitz
last season. I think I saw stat that he was
like the only quarterback ever, like he had the highest
like he was in plus territory, Like he was better
against the blitz and cover zero than he was when
he wasn't under pressure. And so I think I like
(22:33):
the Ravens chances, all.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Right, So then the Ravens go Week ten. They're going
to Minnesota, not a team they see very often. And
similarly as I just talked about like the team gonna be,
they were really really good last.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Year fourteen and three.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Last year early playoff exit, which was disappointing for them
the way they ended the season after how well they played.
Big change of quarterbacks. Sam Darnold was a quarterback last year.
He's now in Seattle. In comes JJ McCarthy, who the
Vikings took as a top ten pick but then missed
his entire rookie season with a kne injury. What is
he yep, nobody knows.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
He's essentially he'll be essentially a rookie with whatever half
a season of games experienced under his belt. We know
the Ravens history against rookie quarterbacks is very good.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeh.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
JJ McCarthy is in the air quotes a rookie, So
you know, for that reason, I like the Ravens chances there.
But US Bank Stadium is also one of the loudest
stadiums in the league. That place can get cranked up,
and that the Vikings are just a good they're just
a good team. Talk about another coach like just solid team,
(23:43):
like just winners.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
It's the Vikings and they've got premier weapons and Justin
Jefferson and Jordan Addison, so like they've got premier offensive weapons.
And then Kevin O'Connell I think is I think he's
one of the best coaches in the league, and so
like playing there in. I think a lot of that
comes down to the quarterback, like what what does what
does that offense look like with JJ McCarthy, And we'll
(24:05):
get a sense of that over the course of the
first nine weeks of the season, but that's kind of
the main question there. I think that that's a game
that the Ravens a paper, probably should win, but it's
hard to know what the Vikings are going to be
that similar to what we talked about with the Bears,
like could this be a team? Could this be a
game where you got like a seven and two team
(24:27):
versus you know, two seven to two teams coming again
play each other. I think that's possible.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Who wears purple? That's the question?
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Oh, just all purple. Everyone's interesting, everybody's everyone's in purple.
That's gonna get we go we go with the color,
we go with purple helmets, game, the color the purple rising,
just all purple, all right? Then Week eleven, yep, Ravens
are going on the road to Cleveland four twenty five game. Look,
last year the Ravens were as we talked, we talked
about the Browns earlier. But like last year, the Ravens
were much better team than the Browns. But they went
(24:56):
and talked about the tough out Browns beat them in
Cleveland last year Ravens had That was a game of
dropped interceptions and it just was a painful game, one
that the Ravens should have won, but they didn't win.
And so it'll be I'll be curious, like at this point,
is still Joe Who's the starting quarterback? Of course they
have two rookies Dylan Gabriel from Oregon, and they should
(25:18):
or Sanders who is the quarterback? We'll see, yep. But
like I think that this is a game if if
if the Ravens are going to be the kind of
team that you and I both think that they're going
to be, which is one of the best teams in
the league, then this is probably a game that the
Ravens should win.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
I mean, if you're looking at the two games stretch
on the season, Uh, this is probably the easiest in
air quotes. I always have prefasit in No game in
the NFL is easy. But these are gonna the Ravens
are gonna be the biggest favorites in those two back
to back weeks at Browns back home versus Jets. Right,
that should be two and zero, and which sets you
(25:57):
up gets you in good position for what we'll at
that point be of a tough five, six game finish. Yeah, right,
So like you, I think you gotta as tough as this.
It's always tough to win in Cleveland. Like, that's a
game that the Ravens should win.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
And also you're looking at that week nine, ten, eleven,
those are three straight road games at Dolphins, at Vikings,
at Browns.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
All right, so now you'll have some sore bodies. It's
a three game road stretch, and so guys will be
eager to be home. They'll be tired of traveling at
this point. But I think that those are all three
games that are certainly winnable games for the Ravens, and
the Ravens have never won three straight road games in
franchise history. Now, it's also not super coming. They don't
(26:40):
have a ton of them go on three game road trips.
But uh, I think this could be the year.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
All right, there you go. So you mentioned the Jets
in week twelve, and I agree with you, like you
should look at those two games against the Browns and
the Jets and feel good about your chances to win
those two. And then a week thirteen it's against the
Bengals Thanksgiving Night. This is also right past the Jets.
Oh you kind of covered it, Jet just to call
real fast? Do you have more than you want to
(27:07):
say about that game?
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Oh? I mean just you know Justin Fields, right, he's
their new quarterback, Like there's another quarterback that hey could
if it really clicks for Justin Fields. That game has
a little bit of a different temperature, right, new head
coach there and Aaron Klynn. You know, how how quickly
does it come together as they're obviously kind of in
rebuild mode there?
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Yeah. And then so then it's Thanksgiving against the Bengals,
and this is like you mentioned the Lions and the
excitement around that game for Monday night football. To me,
the Thanksgiving Night game against the Bengals. Is that's the
one that catches my attention probably the most on the
entire schedule, even more so for Lills for like list excitement,
just excitement, like what's my favorite game on the schedule?
(27:49):
Thanks Heeming Thanksgiving night at Mt BAK Stadium. We've seen
this twice before. Ravens won both of those games forty
nine Ers and twenty eleven the Steelers. In twenty thirteen,
they get it at home and it's against the Bengals.
Like Ravens have played some more quee games against the
Bengals at night in recent years, and that atmosphere is
going to be awesome. And this is our first time
(28:09):
seeing the Bengals. This is where the division, like we
talked about setting the table in the conference, well now
the division comes into focus here in week thirteen because
that's a lot of division opponents to me.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
The division race starts on Thanksgiving, yep, that is when
it starts.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
And so the Bengals are I mentioned off the top,
like the Bills, the Ravens and the Chiefs are probably
the top three teams in the division on paper, on
the conference on paper, the Bengals are right there as well, and.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
They were a team that was very hot at the
end of last season that a lot of people were saying,
don't let the Bengals into the playoffs because they're playing
pretty darn good ball. Joe Burrow obviously in that offense,
and that was their off season priority. Keep this high
octane offense together. Yep. Resign both Jamar Chase and t Higgins.
And when you have that trio of Burrow, Higgins and Chase,
(29:03):
they're gonna put up some points.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, I think the most games. And their defenses and
there's questions about their defense, largely because of the Trey
Hendrickson situation.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Was not a particularly good defense.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
It was it was the defense was not good last year.
But now the best player on the defense, who had
the most sacks in the league is saying, I'm not playing.
Let's like a new contract. Now. Look, we see these
contract things like we see these contract things every even
he even said it last week when he talked to
the media. Basically the question was is this relationship reparable?
And he's like, yeah, look what happened with Miles Garrett.
Miles Garrett was saying he wanted out of Cleveland and
(29:35):
trade me, and then a few weeks later, he's happy
and how can everybody at the press conference like these things.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Are saying I never wanted to be anything but in
Cleveland exactly.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
It's like a lot of things happened, these contract negotiations,
so like I think that that probably gets worked out
between now and then, but like, yeah, this is the
Bengals are going to be right there. And when you
look at their recent history, they have been a team
it's actually struggled earlier in seasons and then they've come
down the stretch red hot. So the Ravens are getting
(30:05):
them twice in the last five weeks six weeks of
the season, which is which is difficult if they follow
their pass trajectory, it's not when you want to see him.
And I think that that had that game has Like
I just think it's going to be awesome. I think
the atmosphere is going to be awesome, and it's two
of the best quarterbacks in football. I'm pumped for that one.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Well, two games last year were absolute spectacles. Ravens won
forty one to thirty eight in overtime in the first
game in Cincinnati and Lamar Jackson, you know, stiff arm
on Sam Hover leaping touchdown pass. And then the second
game at Empty Bank Stadium and the Ravens won thirty
five to thirty four, and the Bengals attempted a two
(30:47):
point conversion to try to win the game at the
very end and it was stopped. So talk about high drama.
I mean, goodness, gracious, it doesn't get any better than
Ravens Bengals when.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
These two teams play each other, and like when they've
played each other in recent years, like it's been exciting.
There's been a lot of drama, and there's been a
lot on the line, and it's particularly binscwed offense heavy,
like these shootouts they've been, they've been shootouts. Now you
don't like, I think the Ravens defense is going to
be better than it was in those games in particular
where they that was kind of the tipping point for
(31:18):
this defense last year to say, like, okay, we need
to adjust some things because you can't be giving up
two hundred yards and three touchdowns to Jamar Chase like
that just can't happen. So that was kind of the
tipping point last year. So I don't expect to see that.
But the Bengals have been a team that's put up
some points against the Ravens.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Yeah, the Bengals are part of the reason why Malachi
starks this year. Yeah, quite frankly, right, Like, let's go
get a ball hawk that can go over the top
and try to stop some of these bombs to Jamar Chase.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
And so you know, he's one guy that pops into
my head when I think about these matchups and how
big a difference does he make interception game for the rookie.
Certainly possible. Certainly possible. So it should be a good get.
And honestly, like there's a stretch there where it felt
like Bengals Ravens was the rivalry in the AFC North
(32:05):
more than Ravens Steelers that way. Still, I think it's
on level footing. Yeah, Now, I mean I think certainly
the Steelers is heated up the past year two kind
of you know, you got PQ on that side now
played the playoffs, you're playing in the playoffs last year.
I mean last year it was it was hot. But
like Bengals Ravens has felt they have been at each
(32:28):
other's throats the past number of years.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Yeah, I think that, like you have from a rivalry standpoint,
you need to play important games against each other in
order to have a great rivalry, and so you had
that last year with both teams. And but I just
think that like this this thing with the Bengals, like
those games I get. I mean, I guess you could
say the same thing about the Steelers, where both the
games always come down to the wire and there's you know,
(32:51):
some animosity there. But I just feel like there's there's
this like the circle the calendar thing when it comes
to the Ravens and the Bengals. They don't like each
other and they've had some like kind of knock them knockout,
drag up. What's the phrase there, knockout, drag out games between.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
The two teams. Asking about fraz Yeah, you'll.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Screw it up.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
I'm the worst guy.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Knocked down, drag out, whatever it is. But yeah, like
I just think I Bengals Ravens has become elevated in
my mind, and I if I were ranking on right now,
I might put Bengals Ravens ahead of it. I know
that that sounds blasphemous to a lot of Ravens fans,
but I think that it might be a little bit
ahead right now.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Yep. Now they're knock on your door, punch out game.
I think that's what I was looking for. Yeah, that's it,
that's it. That's definitely it.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
So then you got the next one, which is the
next day, we're talking about rivalry game Steelers. Okay, so
first welcome to the season, Raven Steelers here Week fourteen
is the first time they praised each other. And this
one's in Baltimore one o'clock game. And I think that,
like there's questions about I mean, as it stands right now,
(33:58):
we don't know who the quarterback is for Steelers. A
lot of people think it's gonna be Aaron Rodgers. That
could be the case. Don't know yet. But to be
to be honest, like the Steelers are gonna be, I
just think the Steelers is gonna be a team.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
They're gonna be the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
They're gonna be right around. It's gonna be what we've
seen for the last fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Like Steelers.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
They're gonna be a team that's right around ten wins,
gonna be really well coached, They're gonna be hard to beat.
They're gonna have a good defense, they're gonna be able
to run the ball like that's that's their identity, that's
who they are, and so they'll be a tough and
that'll probably be a twenty to seventeen game.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
Right, you want to talk about more physical football, that's
what I mean. Mike Tomlin went on NFL Network during
the draft and said, yeah, we got all these big,
physical guys. That's everybody who we drafted, all because the
Ravens ran us over in the playoffs last year and
down the stretch and just bully balled us. Basically, Derek
Henry ran all over us. Yeah, so we got all
(34:53):
these big guys. That's gonna be a slug fest at
M and T Banks Stadium on December seventh and Steelers,
And quite honestly, you have back to back home games
against your two AFC biggest AFC North rivals. Let's go. Yeah,
that's that's when it's at you. You got to defend
that these are home turf games. Defend the home turf
(35:14):
because you're coming off the three game road streak, and
then you have three at home and two against your rivals.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Yep. But and then it's and then it's the Bengals again. Right, Hey, Hey,
didn't we just see these guys old dayshaw VOUI here,
can we just play back the segment that I talked
about the rivalry between these two teams, Like, I think, honestly,
between you play the Bengals in Week thirteen, the Thanksgiving
night game, then you go on the road to play
them in Week fifteen one o'clock game of Cincinnati, you're
(35:39):
probably looking most likely at a split there. Of course,
you want to win both of them, but I think
if you split those games, that's not a terrible outcome. Sure, yeah,
I went to Okay, of course you wanted that. You
want you want to win every single game. But as
you look at you, don't you remember the seventeen I
know he did the Doves game. He says seventeen to zero,
and that would be great. But I think that like,
as you look that, I mean, if you came out
(36:01):
of that stretch of Bengal Steelers bangles and you're two
and one, I think that you're feeling pretty good about.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Pretty good result against two other good teams.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Yep. Then it's Week sixteen and it's the Patriots coming
to town. This is the final regular season home game
for the Ravens one o'clock against the Patriots. Look, they
were a team that struggled last year, had a high
draft pick, and they certainty with them. They got a
new coach like Rabel. I think that, like we saw
it in Tennessee, we know the identity of a Mike
(36:29):
Rabel coached team. They're tough, they're physical. It's kind of
the same stuff we just talked about with the Steelers.
Like those teams remind me of each other. Now. Rabel
always had Dereck Henry in the backfield, which was nice.
They could turn in hand the ball to the big game.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
We figured out that makes a week difference.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Yeah, he's pretty good to have it having your back
pocket there.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
But when Drake May, I think this game, I think
about Drake May. Okay, you know I thought he played
pretty well as a rookie yes year. Yeah, and came
on and finished the season pretty pretty strong. What's he
look like now? Essentially, he'll have almost two seasons under
his belt because it's so late in the season, and
so how good is he? And I think that the
(37:12):
I think the Patriots will be a better team than
they were last year when they were one of the
NFL's worst teams. I mean, they went four and thirteen
last year, and so they obviously upgraded their offensive line,
went out and got the top Well Campbell exactly top
ls left tackle in the draft. And so and they
(37:32):
got Stefan Diggs, and they've made some other pretty shrewd moves.
They went and got the Eagles defensive lineman who was
a big problem last year, Milton Williams. And so I
think that they're a team that's gonna be better. How
much better, I don't know. I think that a lot
of the narrative probably coming off of Bengals Steelers Bengals
(37:52):
will be like, all right, you can't have a letdown
at home against the Patriots. That can't happen late in
the season. I mean, goodness, gracious, the Ravens are going
to be breaking the thick of every game in December
has huge stakes probably for you know, is that a
game where you can lock up a playoff spot could
be possible? Now are you're battling for the number one
(38:12):
seed in the conference. You know, there, I'm not too
worried about that. They're gonna have plenty to play for,
plenty at stake in that game.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Yeah, it's and it's one that like, as we're sitting
here in May breaking this thing down. You'd expect the
Ravens to be heavily favored in that game. And so
those games late in the season is where you need
to take care of business. Yeah, Week seventeen is against
the Green Bay Packers. Don't know the day or time yet,
but it's going to be in Green Bay in late December,
meaning it's going to be cold and there could potentially
(38:41):
be snow. That's always a possibility. I'll be there, you will,
and you just have to you if you're going though,
you have to agree that you're standing outside.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
And No, that's the other thing with that draft pick
that maybe people don't really realize. And if you don't
know what I'm talking about, go back and listen to
the last episode where we had our travel draft, which
the emails are pouring in my favor.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Actually not, they're.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
Not pouring in. We put it. We put it out
to a poll within our department. I got absolutely trounced. Look,
you had a pretty good showing. I'll give it to you.
You want rock feite scissors and that was a big
one for you. But what people don't realize is, like
we send the press box I'm gonna have hot cocoa, right, Like, yeah,
if I'm part of our broadcasting kind of crew and
I have to have a camera on my shoulder and
(39:26):
be outside the entire game, different calculation.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
Yeah. I love I love how you always talk about like, oh,
I'm a football guy, blah blah blah, and now you're like,
I'm gonna be sitting in the press box with my
hot coco.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
I mean, guy, Like, I want the best games now.
I also picked a preseason game before I picked that Penguins,
so you know, mistakes were made. Mistakes were made, okay,
but this one was not a mistake picking lambeau Field
Green Bay. Like, that's gonna be That's gonna be a
cool game.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
It is gonna be a cool game. And like I
think most football fans, again we don't know the day
or time yet, but I it's gonna part of the
reason there's the NFL wants to have flexibility in terms
of when they schedule that thing. Bait to put it.
If you think that both those teams are going to
be as good as they could be, you're gonna want
that game in like a premier time.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Slide Hackers who are eleven and six last year, certainly
one of the hottest teams in the league.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Like, if both these teams are fighting for like one
of the top spots in their conference, this is going
to be a big time national TV game. And then
they'll get the snow machine out there and make sure
that like the visuals are awesome for it. So I
think that this game is going to be really cool.
It's gonna be tough out for the Ravens. That's that's
a really hard assignment to go there in that environment
and win.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Now, this has Derrick Henry game written all over it.
To me, this is I think that it's kind of
poetic that the Ravens signed Derrick Henry to a contract
extension on the same day that a schedule comes out
that has you going to all these cold weather environments
on the road at Sincy, at Lambeau, at Pittsburgh, Yeah,
(40:58):
down the stretch, and we're like, I just signed here
for two more years too. Like, it's kind of poetic.
And I think that Derrick Henry finished last season on
an absolute rampage down the stretch four hundred plus rushing
yards in the last three regular season games. I think
(41:18):
that to me, hand the ball off Derrick Henry well
against the NFC opponent's.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Yeah, well, if King Henry's rolling in week seventeen, just
just keep them rolling downhill in week eighteen when the
Ravens go on the road against the Steelers. Obviously, he
played great in that playoff game against the Steelers, as
we already talked about. Uh well, just I think that
sounds good. Four hundred rushing yards from him in the
last three regular season games. Just do that again and
keep it rolling against the Steelers in week eighteen.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
I thought you're gonna say, last two games, that'd be
pretty sweet.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
Okay, yeah, sure, last two Yeah, four hundreds a game,
that's not bad either. But I think keep it going
against the Steelers and trying to control that one.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
I mean that game could have everything on the line,
or it could have nothing on the right, like it's
always that way. It's in week eighteen when you're the
team is that's as good as the Ravens and so yeah,
that could be an absolute epic game, potentially in Pittsburgh
with Heinz. Well, it's not acture now, yeah, act sure,
just absolutely rocking and you know the towels are waving
(42:20):
and then for the division for a playoff spot exactly.
They're playing the song and all that stuff like could
be could be epic, Yeah, it.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
Could be that. Or it could be a game where
you have it all locked up, you have it all
locked up, you just onto that, or you're playing for
top seed.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
Certainly you know you could have the division. Heck, the
Ravens could be back to back to back champions AFC
North champions by that point, who knows, or you're battling
for that. No team, as a reminder, has ever won
three straight AFC North crowns. The Ravens are vying for that,
and it's gonna happen from Thanksgiving through as we're talking
about week eighteen. That's what it's going to be decided.
Speaker 2 (42:55):
Yep. So I can't wait. Man, this is I like
the schedule. I do as I've thought about it, Like,
I I think that like I think there's a lot
to like there's some marquee games in here, there's some
weird stuff with three home, three row, three home, but like, overall,
I think that this is a I think it's a
fair schedule. I think that it's one that like the
Ravens have a lot of primetime action, Like I know,
(43:20):
not maybe as much at first blush, but I could
easily see both that Packers and if the Steelers game
has a lot of line being a marquee game. I
just think that I like the schedule and it's not easy.
It's a hard schedule, but it's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
So I think when you and I sat down and
did our actual dubs game, I know I did dubbed
game in the seventeen and zero, and hey, maybe maybe
that comes to fruition, but I think you're looking kind
of worst case scenario, not worst case, but eleven and
six is kind of like when we went through and
we're like, all right's call that a split between Bengals,
(43:56):
like we were talking about before, you know, call that
a split maybe with the Steeler or whatever, Right, Like
do you beat both the Bills and the Chiefs? Right?
Maybe split those games? Some of those things like eleven
and six seems to be kind of the number, But
I think like there's very good reason to believe that
it could be much better than that. Yeah, you know,
I think that thirteen and four is certainly you know,
(44:18):
can you get up into the fourteen and three territory?
Like you're if you're in the fourteen and three territory
with this difficult of a schedule, unless the three both
three of your losses include Bills and Chiefs, you're probably
the number one seed. Yeah, right, yes, and so like
I kind of look in that fourteen to in three
to eleven and six territory.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
Yeah, I think that's probably when you consider the fact
that the Ravens have been a team that's been in
the playoffs consistently, They've been one of the best teams
in the league, you think that eleven is kind of
eleven almost the floor. It feels that way.
Speaker 1 (44:51):
If Lamar Jackson is healthy all season long, I can't
see the Ravens winning fewer than eleven games. Yeah, on
the schedule.
Speaker 2 (44:57):
They're that quid of a team, and I think that they're.
Speaker 1 (44:59):
Got best player in the league. Right when you're Lamar
Jackson's under center, I feel really good about what you have.
You have number one offense from last year, Todd Monk
in year three, probably only going to get better. Got
Derek Henry just resigned them. Have the outside weapons you
got Mark, you got your tight ends coming back, have
a better offensive line. Offensively, you're stacked you have stars
all over this defense from front to back. It's gotten better,
(45:22):
Zach or year two, you got this coaching staff as
spectacular and the continuity that you have there. Look, the
Ravens are loaded. They're a really good team. So I
think we're gonna have a lot of fun this season.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
Yeah, I'm on board with that. So as always, you
can email us at the lounge at Ravens dot NFL
dot net. Thank you so much for listening and we
will be back with you again soon
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