November 27, 2025 • 11 mins
Jonas Shaffer covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Banner. He joined us on ESPN1530.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the RNL Carriers pregame sports Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
We are presented today by your Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Toyota dealers. We are just about two hours away from kickoff.
The opening kickoff brought to you by a door and
window company. They sell the best and service. The rest
are thanks to Bill and Adam Weber for their continued
support of the Bengals all these many years. Bengals and Ravens. Tonight,
let's go to Baltimore. Jonah Schaeffer covers the Baltimore Ravens
(00:25):
for the Baltimore Banner. You can get that publication at
Baltimore Banner dot com. This was a team that defensively
early in the season was a disaster. They have been
anything but the last five games. What's changed.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I think it helps to not have to face Josh
Allen Homes, Matthew Stafford. It's truly been a generational run
of terrible quarterbacks. I've gone up against Dylan Gabriel, Sir Sanders,
you know, toa wasn't great. Jamie McCarthy is obviously one
of the worst quarterbacks in recent memories. So that has
(00:59):
been a nice starter kit for this defense. And then
just that they're playing better. You know, they they traded
for a Lope Gillman in week six. They're you know,
all their analytical numbers since then have been basically.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Top five or top five in ep A, top five.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
And success rate they trained for Dredimont Jones at the
trade deadline. Their past rush has has definitely improved in
recent weeks, and they just have kind of knocked out
some of the bone headed plays that they were really
really dealing with earlier in the season. And of course
they were also kind of banged up to start the year,
you know, ro Quand Smith and miss some time, Martin
(01:32):
Humphrey missed some time. It's still TVD if Colin Hamilton
is actually going to be able to play in this
game on Thursday night. But in the same way that
last year's Ravens defense really had a mid season turnaround,
that this this year's defense rebably had kind of like
a quarter or you know, third season mark turnaround where
that they had just finally been able to get confidence,
(01:54):
get healthy, get some turnovers has been big for them.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
I'm still not sold on this defense, being as as
last year's was toward the end of last.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Year when it was you know, number one in the
NFL in yours per game allowed, you know, number one
at scoring defense. But they have definitely lifted the bar
and raised the floor for what this team could be
by virtue of this turnaround.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
You mentioned health, hell healthy is Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
That is the question of the raven Sees, that question
the NFL season.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
It's it's I mean, like it's just unbelievable that looking
at the practice reports, the injury reports for this game
that Joe Burrow would be full participation and Lamar would
be a d MP on Monday. And you know, you
don't want to read too much into that because in
the past two weeks, uh he missed the Wednesday practice
of a regular game week with n soreness. Last week
(02:46):
it was an ankle injury that that he missed, and
he was able to play every offensive snap in that
game against the Jets. But now it's it's something different.
It's a it's a it's a tow injury, and you
just you hate to see that. I mean, obviously it's
more worth some with with bigger athletes. You think of
Shaquie O'Neil and his toe injury, just kind of how
much of a drag that was on his career.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
But you know, if you want to ascribe that.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Toe injury to some of the limited mobility that we
saw from Lamar, some of the inaccuracy we saw from Lamar,
it would definitely make sense. But uh, you know, we're
about to see Graves practiced in a couple hours.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
I think Lamar will be back out there. You know.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
John Harloss said in between us getting the injury report
and the end of practice that Lamar was good even
though he obviously didn't practice, even though he obviously has
this new injury. So uh, it's just tough to say.
I mean, I don't think he's gonna be anywhere close
to one hundred percent. I don't think he's gonna be
anywhere close to the Lamar Jackson who terrorized Bengals fans
and Bengals defenders last year. But obviously, with what the
(03:46):
state of this Begos defense, it might not really matter.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
It's yeah, that's that's a very fair way of looking
at a Jonah Schaeffer from the Baltimore Banner is with
this coming into the season, I think a lot of
us looked at the AFC and said, there's a big three,
it's it's Casey, It's it's it's Baltimore, and it's Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And I'm not sure any.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Of those teams right now are looked at as like
legitimate super Bowl contenders through which lens should I look
at this Baltimore team right now?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
I think you should probably just look at it through
the Lamar LANs, Like, if Lamark comes back, then this
team can be anyone.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Anywhere on any given date.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
But if Lamar doesn't look like himself or Lamar is hurt,
then this is gonna be a team that, you know,
can lose a half to the New York Jets minus
Quinn Williams and and thous Gardner with with Pyrod Taylor
starting a quarterback to just you know, a team that
needs this offense to pick up.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
You know, we meant we.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Talked about the defense already. The special teams are miles
better than they were last year. And that's really how
they've kind of, you know, sparked this this five yam
winning street because with a defense that's been, like you said,
holding teams under twenty points, it's been with a special
teams unit that has been able to kind of find
some of those hidden yardage and those hidden po points
that hidden value and really prop up that this offense
(05:03):
when things are not going so well.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
But you know, if Lamar can't play.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Well, if this offensive line it continues to struggle pass
blocking and run blocking, then the you know number one
offense ceiling that I think we all expected for this
team coming into this year because of just how good
it was last year.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
I think I should be severely lower.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I think a lot of folks, when when Baltimore was
sinking to a one in five start, started to point
the finger at John Harball. And I think from this perspective, man,
they've had really good rosters. He's won a ton of games,
he's won a title. They're in the playoffs almost every
single year, but they haven't gotten over the hump, right,
haven't gotten past the AFC Championship game, which they lose
(05:45):
at home two seasons ago. And so with this roster,
if there's a letdown this year, maybe he's going to
be shown the door. Is that Is that even a
remote possibility.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
I mean it's certainly a remote possibility. I think you
know that the number one consideration for owners when they
make those kind of decisions is just like am I
being sufficiently embarrassed where I have to show this guy
the door. And obviously, with the Ravens being two time
defending A and SNOR champions, you wouldn't be firing him
because of those playoff failures. Like you know, at a
(06:21):
certain point you kind of have to remind yourself this
is a business, and John Harbaugh.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Is putting in winning products on the field.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
He's you know, driving fans to games, which is obviously
helping Steve Pashatti's bottom line here in Baltimore. So barring
you know, this team losing now, or something terrible happening
off the field or on the field, or some you know,
just a severe mismanagement of the Ravens most prize assets,
whether that's Lamar Jackson or Kya Hamilton, I think he's
pretty safe because, like you know, even if this team
(06:48):
doesn't win the division, I feel pretty good about them
finishing close to five hundred. And I just think that
with the relationship that Steve Bashatti has with John Harbaugh,
and with John Harbot's relationship with the GM Erica Kyle
to it feels really really unlikely that you know, they
would move on from John. But there's you know, definitely
palpable frustration within the fan base aimed at John Harlot
(07:10):
because as the CEO side, you know, he is not
a College Hanahan, He is not a Mike McDonald. He
does not have his his figures in the pie of
of play calling from you know, on on either side
of the ball. And so when you see struggles like
the Ravens haven dured this year or last year, whenever
people wonder it is, people wonder what it is exactly that.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
John Horriblot does.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
And uh, you know, if this team collapses, then I'm
sure those debates aok re excited. But this is, you know,
a team that, because of its winning streak, because of
how Pittsburgh looks, has become the af favorite again. And
you know, frankly, I expect him to win the NAC
North and I think you're not going to hire a
coach after three straight AFC North titles, no matter how
disappointing the postseason access have been.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, well said one more for you.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Joe Flacco has been come extraordinarily popular here and you know,
granted they haven't won a lot of games with them
because the defense has been atrocious, but the way he's
handled himself, the professionalism, the fact that he's given him
a puncher's chance to compete in games that Jake Browning,
the other backup, was not. I mean I saw Bengals
fans worrying Bengals Joe Flacco Jerseys at the game on Sunday,
(08:23):
and so there's a degree of appreciation for him that
we didn't have prior to early October.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
You covered him. What was it like covering Joe Flacco?
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Yeah, I mean I only really got the I started
on the Beat in twenty eighteen, and that was the
last year of Joe and obviously he kind of faded
from you after that that hit injury knocking.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Now Lamar Jackson took over.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
So I don't really quite have the memories or the
experience of Joe Flacco on the Beat. But you know,
one story that I will just kind of point out
that our columnist wrote in ahead of that Week two
game where it was Ravens versus Browns, was just kind
of looking back at the peaceful transfer of power from
Joe Blackout to Lamar Jackson, Like with all the equity
(09:08):
that Joe had earned in Baltimore and all the good
will that he still has in the city because of
that Super Bowl run, Like he could have really racist
think about the Ravens moving on from him and embracing
Laura Jackson as the QB one, even though all they'd
gotten from Lamar was just you know, one half.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Of a season.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
But I think Joe understood that, you know, his time
in Baltimore was over. He you know, even when the
Ravens were really struggling in their playoff game at twenty
eighteen season against the Chargers ended up losing at home.
You know, there were fans calling for Joe Blackouts to
come and replace Lamar in that game because of how
badly he was struggling. He postgame didn't really make too
(09:48):
much of a big deal of it. He like said,
you know, this is your guy, this is the quarterback
of the future. And obviously I think that really set
in motion, you know, not only Lamar's career in Baltimore,
but just the kind of blocker room presence that that
Joe and the kind of every man teammate that you've
want in those locker rooms. So it would shock me
if you know, when he's introduced or I guess introduced,
(10:08):
but you know when, uh, when fans see him in
Baltimore on Thursday. I don't think there's gona be any
boost for him like there have been for other Ravens
who left town, because they're such a fondness for him,
for his character, for his family, and certainly you know
what he gave the Ravens in that twenty twelve season.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Yeah, I've I've become a huge fan and I never
thought i'd be I'd be a Joe Flaco fan, but
but here we are. Jonah Shaeffer, you could read his
work the Baltimore Banner dot com. It's an excellent online publication.
I can't thank you up, Jonas, Thanks so much and
enjoy the game.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Thanks Bo, appreciate man.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Jonah Shaeffer from the Baltimore Banner. He covers the Baltimore Ravens.
Read his work at Baltimore Banner dot com. Can the
Bengals keep it going with Chase Brown? We'll talk about
him when we come back. This is the r n
L Carriers pregame sports talk show, presented by your Cincinnati
and Northern Kentucky Toyota Dealers.
This is the RNL Carriers pregame sports Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
We are presented today by your Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Toyota dealers. We are just about two hours away from kickoff.
The opening kickoff brought to you by a door and
window company. They sell the best and service. The rest
are thanks to Bill and Adam Weber for their continued
support of the Bengals all these many years. Bengals and Ravens. Tonight,
let's go to Baltimore. Jonah Schaeffer covers the Baltimore Ravens
(00:25):
for the Baltimore Banner. You can get that publication at
Baltimore Banner dot com. This was a team that defensively
early in the season was a disaster. They have been
anything but the last five games. What's changed.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I think it helps to not have to face Josh
Allen Homes, Matthew Stafford. It's truly been a generational run
of terrible quarterbacks. I've gone up against Dylan Gabriel, Sir Sanders,
you know, toa wasn't great. Jamie McCarthy is obviously one
of the worst quarterbacks in recent memories. So that has
(00:59):
been a nice starter kit for this defense. And then
just that they're playing better. You know, they they traded
for a Lope Gillman in week six. They're you know,
all their analytical numbers since then have been basically.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Top five or top five in ep A, top five.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
And success rate they trained for Dredimont Jones at the
trade deadline. Their past rush has has definitely improved in
recent weeks, and they just have kind of knocked out
some of the bone headed plays that they were really
really dealing with earlier in the season. And of course
they were also kind of banged up to start the year,
you know, ro Quand Smith and miss some time, Martin
(01:32):
Humphrey missed some time. It's still TVD if Colin Hamilton
is actually going to be able to play in this
game on Thursday night. But in the same way that
last year's Ravens defense really had a mid season turnaround,
that this this year's defense rebably had kind of like
a quarter or you know, third season mark turnaround where
that they had just finally been able to get confidence,
(01:54):
get healthy, get some turnovers has been big for them.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
I'm still not sold on this defense, being as as
last year's was toward the end of last.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Year when it was you know, number one in the
NFL in yours per game allowed, you know, number one
at scoring defense. But they have definitely lifted the bar
and raised the floor for what this team could be
by virtue of this turnaround.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
You mentioned health, hell healthy is Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
That is the question of the raven Sees, that question
the NFL season.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
It's it's I mean, like it's just unbelievable that looking
at the practice reports, the injury reports for this game
that Joe Burrow would be full participation and Lamar would
be a d MP on Monday. And you know, you
don't want to read too much into that because in
the past two weeks, uh he missed the Wednesday practice
of a regular game week with n soreness. Last week
(02:46):
it was an ankle injury that that he missed, and
he was able to play every offensive snap in that
game against the Jets. But now it's it's something different.
It's a it's a it's a tow injury, and you
just you hate to see that. I mean, obviously it's
more worth some with with bigger athletes. You think of
Shaquie O'Neil and his toe injury, just kind of how
much of a drag that was on his career.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
But you know, if you want to ascribe that.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Toe injury to some of the limited mobility that we
saw from Lamar, some of the inaccuracy we saw from Lamar,
it would definitely make sense. But uh, you know, we're
about to see Graves practiced in a couple hours.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
I think Lamar will be back out there. You know.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
John Harloss said in between us getting the injury report
and the end of practice that Lamar was good even
though he obviously didn't practice, even though he obviously has
this new injury. So uh, it's just tough to say.
I mean, I don't think he's gonna be anywhere close
to one hundred percent. I don't think he's gonna be
anywhere close to the Lamar Jackson who terrorized Bengals fans
and Bengals defenders last year. But obviously, with what the
(03:46):
state of this Begos defense, it might not really matter.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
It's yeah, that's that's a very fair way of looking
at a Jonah Schaeffer from the Baltimore Banner is with
this coming into the season, I think a lot of
us looked at the AFC and said, there's a big three,
it's it's Casey, It's it's it's Baltimore, and it's Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And I'm not sure any.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Of those teams right now are looked at as like
legitimate super Bowl contenders through which lens should I look
at this Baltimore team right now?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
I think you should probably just look at it through
the Lamar LANs, Like, if Lamark comes back, then this
team can be anyone.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Anywhere on any given date.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
But if Lamar doesn't look like himself or Lamar is hurt,
then this is gonna be a team that, you know,
can lose a half to the New York Jets minus
Quinn Williams and and thous Gardner with with Pyrod Taylor
starting a quarterback to just you know, a team that
needs this offense to pick up.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
You know, we meant we.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Talked about the defense already. The special teams are miles
better than they were last year. And that's really how
they've kind of, you know, sparked this this five yam
winning street because with a defense that's been, like you said,
holding teams under twenty points, it's been with a special
teams unit that has been able to kind of find
some of those hidden yardage and those hidden po points
that hidden value and really prop up that this offense
(05:03):
when things are not going so well.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
But you know, if Lamar can't play.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Well, if this offensive line it continues to struggle pass
blocking and run blocking, then the you know number one
offense ceiling that I think we all expected for this
team coming into this year because of just how good
it was last year.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
I think I should be severely lower.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I think a lot of folks, when when Baltimore was
sinking to a one in five start, started to point
the finger at John Harball. And I think from this perspective, man,
they've had really good rosters. He's won a ton of games,
he's won a title. They're in the playoffs almost every
single year, but they haven't gotten over the hump, right,
haven't gotten past the AFC Championship game, which they lose
(05:45):
at home two seasons ago. And so with this roster,
if there's a letdown this year, maybe he's going to
be shown the door. Is that Is that even a
remote possibility.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
I mean it's certainly a remote possibility. I think you
know that the number one consideration for owners when they
make those kind of decisions is just like am I
being sufficiently embarrassed where I have to show this guy
the door. And obviously, with the Ravens being two time
defending A and SNOR champions, you wouldn't be firing him
because of those playoff failures. Like you know, at a
(06:21):
certain point you kind of have to remind yourself this
is a business, and John Harbaugh.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Is putting in winning products on the field.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
He's you know, driving fans to games, which is obviously
helping Steve Pashatti's bottom line here in Baltimore. So barring
you know, this team losing now, or something terrible happening
off the field or on the field, or some you know,
just a severe mismanagement of the Ravens most prize assets,
whether that's Lamar Jackson or Kya Hamilton, I think he's
pretty safe because, like you know, even if this team
(06:48):
doesn't win the division, I feel pretty good about them
finishing close to five hundred. And I just think that
with the relationship that Steve Bashatti has with John Harbaugh,
and with John Harbot's relationship with the GM Erica Kyle
to it feels really really unlikely that you know, they
would move on from John. But there's you know, definitely
palpable frustration within the fan base aimed at John Harlot
(07:10):
because as the CEO side, you know, he is not
a College Hanahan, He is not a Mike McDonald. He
does not have his his figures in the pie of
of play calling from you know, on on either side
of the ball. And so when you see struggles like
the Ravens haven dured this year or last year, whenever
people wonder it is, people wonder what it is exactly that.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
John Horriblot does.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
And uh, you know, if this team collapses, then I'm
sure those debates aok re excited. But this is, you know,
a team that, because of its winning streak, because of
how Pittsburgh looks, has become the af favorite again. And
you know, frankly, I expect him to win the NAC
North and I think you're not going to hire a
coach after three straight AFC North titles, no matter how
disappointing the postseason access have been.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, well said one more for you.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Joe Flacco has been come extraordinarily popular here and you know,
granted they haven't won a lot of games with them
because the defense has been atrocious, but the way he's
handled himself, the professionalism, the fact that he's given him
a puncher's chance to compete in games that Jake Browning,
the other backup, was not. I mean I saw Bengals
fans worrying Bengals Joe Flacco Jerseys at the game on Sunday,
(08:23):
and so there's a degree of appreciation for him that
we didn't have prior to early October.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
You covered him. What was it like covering Joe Flacco?
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Yeah, I mean I only really got the I started
on the Beat in twenty eighteen, and that was the
last year of Joe and obviously he kind of faded
from you after that that hit injury knocking.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Now Lamar Jackson took over.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
So I don't really quite have the memories or the
experience of Joe Flacco on the Beat. But you know,
one story that I will just kind of point out
that our columnist wrote in ahead of that Week two
game where it was Ravens versus Browns, was just kind
of looking back at the peaceful transfer of power from
Joe Blackout to Lamar Jackson, Like with all the equity
(09:08):
that Joe had earned in Baltimore and all the good
will that he still has in the city because of
that Super Bowl run, Like he could have really racist
think about the Ravens moving on from him and embracing
Laura Jackson as the QB one, even though all they'd
gotten from Lamar was just you know, one half.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Of a season.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
But I think Joe understood that, you know, his time
in Baltimore was over. He you know, even when the
Ravens were really struggling in their playoff game at twenty
eighteen season against the Chargers ended up losing at home.
You know, there were fans calling for Joe Blackouts to
come and replace Lamar in that game because of how
badly he was struggling. He postgame didn't really make too
(09:48):
much of a big deal of it. He like said,
you know, this is your guy, this is the quarterback
of the future. And obviously I think that really set
in motion, you know, not only Lamar's career in Baltimore,
but just the kind of blocker room presence that that
Joe and the kind of every man teammate that you've
want in those locker rooms. So it would shock me
if you know, when he's introduced or I guess introduced,
(10:08):
but you know when, uh, when fans see him in
Baltimore on Thursday. I don't think there's gona be any
boost for him like there have been for other Ravens
who left town, because they're such a fondness for him,
for his character, for his family, and certainly you know
what he gave the Ravens in that twenty twelve season.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Yeah, I've I've become a huge fan and I never
thought i'd be I'd be a Joe Flaco fan, but
but here we are. Jonah Shaeffer, you could read his
work the Baltimore Banner dot com. It's an excellent online publication.
I can't thank you up, Jonas, Thanks so much and
enjoy the game.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Thanks Bo, appreciate man.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Jonah Shaeffer from the Baltimore Banner. He covers the Baltimore Ravens.
Read his work at Baltimore Banner dot com. Can the
Bengals keep it going with Chase Brown? We'll talk about
him when we come back. This is the r n
L Carriers pregame sports talk show, presented by your Cincinnati
and Northern Kentucky Toyota Dealers.
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