The Baltimore Ravens had a record for the most consecutive preseason wins leading into Monday night’s game against the Washington Commanders. Baltimore had won 24 straight preseason games before their 29-28 loss to the Commanders earlier this week.
The loss came by way of a Joey Slye 49-yard field goal with nine seconds left on the clock.
“Yeah, I think Tress [Way] and Joey [Slye] and ‘Cheese’ [Camaron Cheeseman] did a great job at making the kick, for what it’s worth. [My] hat’s off to them. I mean, anytime the opposing team is lining up for the game-winning field goal, it’s a little bit of a bittersweet feeling because I want to see the other guys do well, but not at our expense,” Ravens kicker Justin Tucker said.
The reserves for the Ravens got significant work against a lot of the Commanders starters.
“Our defense [had] 45 plays against their first offense in the first half,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “I thought that was just awesome to go out there, and then a number of plays in the second half, too, so they put a lot of plays on the field, and I thought they were fighting right to the end.”
It was clear that Washington took pride in ending the Ravens streak. They celebrated on the sideline and after big plays that impacted the game. Commanders offensive lineman Sam Cosmi even did the” Griddy” dance after wide receiver Dyami Brown caught a 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Howell to take a 17-14 lead just before halftime.
“Obviously, it was meaningful to them. I saw them celebrating over there, and more power to them. Congratulations, they won,” Harbaugh said. “They won a hard-fought football game, you know, they deserved it in the end to celebrate, so they should celebrate.”
The record hasn’t gotten much buzz because it’s a preseason achievement.
The preseason games may not mean much to select fans and media types, but it’s an opportunity for some of the players to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL. There are guys who are on the roster bubble and need just one standout play to help them solidify a spot on the 53-man roster.
Anytime they take the field, the objective is to win.
“No player wants to be on the losing side of a football game. We weren’t going out there talking about the streak, we’re just trying to play great football, and they just came out on the winning side today,” Ravens quarterback Josh Johnson said.
Tucker added, “Even if it is in the preseason, these games do mean something to us. Anybody that says otherwise just does not know the experience. I wouldn’t have made the team, or even scratched the surface of my own individual potential, if it wasn’t for getting opportunities in the preseason as a young player. Especially in the heat of position battle or competition.”
The Ravens gave one more week of camp to go before the final preseason game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Saturday. Jobs are on the line and starting spots are up for grabs.
The competition will continue.