Let's Talk About Baltimore (AFC Championship)

[SHOWTIME]

Headed back to the AFC Championship Game!!!! Discuss.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive

That makes sense. I can tell there's definitely some projection in terms of visitors all being lumped in together. Nothing I shouldn't expect, and no one is forcing me to be here.

I personally hope the Ravens/Chiefs can become a bit of a rivalry. The Ravens have had healthy rivalries with the Steelers and Patriots that were mostly defined by mutual respect. No real animosity in the way that most rivalries are defined. The Ravens had to prove they belonged with Pittsburgh/New England before it truly became that since those two teams were entrenched, and they'll need to do that with KC too. But there's a reality where teams can play each other tough and the fanbases begrudgingly respect what the other is about without it turning into vitriol. Steelers/Ravens is honestly a love/hate sort of thing. Doesn't seem like Chiefs fans respect the Ravens very much, but maybe the Ravens winning this weekend will change that.

Of course you do. Everyone wants to be our rival so far none have lasted.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive

I was just trying to use Duncan's framework for elite/HOF QB --> increased odds of winning a SB. A 2x MVP certainly qualifies as an elite/HOF QB, so that should mean the Ravens have an increased chance of winning a SB.

Separately, you've got the wrong franchise if you're going to act like all Ravens fans know is regular season succes. The Ravens have the second most road playoff wins of all time behind only the Cowboys and Packers who are tied with one more win. That in less than 30 years of existing. This franchise knows postseason success.

And besides, the regular season matters in the NFL. That's what makes it so great. It's not like the MLB or NBA where it hardly makes any difference having an extra home game in a seven-game series. Getting a bye matters. And the Ravens have done that twice in the past five years. That automatically advances them a round.

The relentless narrative here is about the Lamar Jackson era playoff record (all the while ignoring the Ravens playoff record before that, which matters if you're going to talk about the "us guys" as a franchise/fanbase). But the fact is that in the three years other than his 21-year-old rookie year when he took over halfway through the season and led the team to the playoffs, Lamar has been in the divisional round each time. This year in the AFC championship game. The regular season success has meant he hasn't needed to play gimme first-round games a couple of times, which you're dinging him for.

Uh I don't really care about what the Ravens did with Joe Flacco that era no longer exists.

In the Lamar Jackson era the Ravens have generally choked in the playoffs.

[StalkRavenMad]

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive

I agree that Kelce is coming on at the right time. Not sure whether that's coming back from injury or just turning it on in the playoffs, but encouraging for you guys either way.

It very well could have been he got a favorable matchup against a back 7 that was playing a lot of PS players.

[OneWinningDrive]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

A regular season game at home vs an okay/not great Rams team is your best example?

Speaking of that game… your thoughts on the Rams shredding that supposedly great Ravens defense?

Rams offense is good. Good WRs, RB, QB, and scheme. Stafford was on one that day, throwing long before receivers even broke routes. Rain probably played a factor in slowing down our defense. Actually a pretty similar recipe for Chiefs this Sunday.

[StalkRavenMad]

Originally Posted by SHOWTIME

And yet Kelce has more TDs this season than Andrews (playoffs included)...

TDs 5 Kelce in 17 games to 6 MAndrews I'm 10 games.

[pugsnotdrugs19]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

Of course you do. Everyone wants to be our rival so far none have lasted.

So glad you said this.

This morning I thought, how crazy is it that a few years ago all anyone talked about was "Lamar vs. Mahomes" as the big time rivalry.

Feels like a lifetime ago. Since then it's gone back and forth between Burrow and Allen.

There is only one constant.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by neech

Dan Orlovsky said he tried to find a weakness on the Ravens defense and he said he couldn't find any.

Oh Nooooo

Welp, that settles it. A blowout it is. No reason to even show up.

Someone should pass this along to Mahomes.

(Never mind, I'm pretty sure Bobby already has......)

[jcchief234]

Originally Posted by Pasta Little Brother

I have this as about the 4th or 5th most difficult opponent we've played under Mahomes in the playoffs, so....

Yeah, Baltimore is a very, very good team with lots of weapons and talent. But I view the game against the Bucs in the Super Bowl, the Eagles last year and the 49ers from LIV as just as good, if not superior opponents. All those teams were blowing folks out in the games leading up to the Super Bowl, Baltimore this year is no different.

[RedinTexas]

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive

It very much only begins with the arrival in Baltimore. Unlike the Irsays who stole the Baltimore Colts' logos, colors, and records when they left in the middle of the night to run away to Indianapolis, Cleveland got to keep its history. The Ravens don't celebrate Jim Brown. There's no connection whatsoever between the Ravens and the old Browns. Cleveland continues to commemorate the old Browns.

The Ravens claim Baltimore Colts history even if the NFL officially recognizes the Colts history as continuous and Indy pretends like its theirs. Johnny Unitas and most of the Baltimore Colts never attended celebrations linked with Indianapolis. An example: Lenny Moore was a RB for the Baltimore Colts and won an MVP and two NFL titles in the 50/60s. He's in the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor and was put on the big screen at the Ravens/Texans game this past weekend to pump up the crowd. The Ravens are more Baltimore Colts than they are Cleveland Browns.

Absolute nonsense. You brought your staff over from Cleveland. You brought all of your players over from Cleveland except for normal attrition. Ownership remained the same. There was no expansion draft. Your team is the former Cleveland Browns. You did not have to build the franchise up from nothing. The official records may say different, but pretending that you're an expansion franchise that started out like other expansion franchises is total bullshit.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by neech

Dan Orlovsky said he tried to find a weakness on the Ravens defense and he said he couldn't find any.

Oh Nooooo

Cleveland certainly found a weakness when they bludgeoned that defense for 178 yards rushing… led by a back-up RB.

[OneWinningDrive]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

Of course you do. Everyone wants to be our rival so far none have lasted.

Calm down. We have the best rivalry in the NFL with the Steelers. In a division full of rivalries. Would be fun if it happens the way Ravens/Patriots did, but we don't need you as a rival. Go be rivals with the Broncos or whatever the AFC West has to offer as far as rivalries go, big dog.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

Of course you do. Everyone wants to be our rival so far none have lasted.

The Bengals have shown the potential to have staying power, but their franchise QB can't stay healthy, so.......

[jcchief234]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

So glad you said this.

This morning I thought, how crazy is it that a few years ago all anyone talked about was "Lamar vs. Mahomes" as the big time rivalry.

Feels like a lifetime ago. Since then it's gone back and forth between Burrow and Allen.

There is only one constant.

They are just fishing for headlines and trying to find someone is actually Mahomes' rival. The truth is, there is no one who has the combination of football talent and the clutch gene like Mahomes does. The only actual rival Mahomes had who had talent and was clutch was Brady, who he will obviously never play again.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive

Calm down. We have the best rivalry in the NFL with the Steelers. In a division full of rivalries. Would be fun if it happens the way Ravens/Patriots did, but we don't need you as a rival. Go be rivals with the Broncos or whatever the AFC West has to offer as far as rivalries go, big dog.

No one nationally cares about the Pittsburgh-Baltimore rivalry.

It hasn’t been relevant since Rapelithsberger became a broke dick/retired.

[OneWinningDrive]

Originally Posted by RedinTexas

Absolute nonsense. You brought your staff over from Cleveland. You brought all of your players over from Cleveland except for normal attrition. Ownership remained the same. There was no expansion draft. Your team is the former Cleveland Browns. You did not have to build the franchise up from nothing. The official records may say different, but pretending that you're an expansion franchise that started out like other expansion franchises is total bullshit.

Obviously? The Ravens are factually not an expansion franchise. You're not saying anything by pointing that out. So if it makes you feel better to highlight that in 1996 the coaching staff and front office at that time that is constantly turned over as is the nature in the NFL relocated from Cleveland to Baltimore, have a ball, buddy.

But you were making it out that the Ravens records don't start when they moved. And they very much do. The Browns' records, colors, logos, and history stayed in Cleveland. There's no connection.