No. No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No.
I could have sworn I wrote this column at some point during this absurd now-22-game preseason “win” streak the Ravens have put together. And yes, I put “win” in quotes. These are exhibitions. You can’t actually win them. It would be like me claiming I “won” the wrestling match I had with my 7-year-old son last night. I mean, obviously I did and I put “All I Do Is Win” on a 15-minute loop immediately after, but I know better than to think it counts.
That’s the thing. There’s obviously not a problem with the Ravens winning 22 consecutive preseason games, per se. It’s just that it would be exactly as relevant as if they had “lost” 22 consecutive exhibitions.
This is one giant anomaly that, at best, can’t hurt. Well … probably can’t hurt. Save the thought for a second.
Make no mistake. The absolute best thing that can be reasonably said is that the streak “can’t hurt.” But there is no argument to be made to suggest it somehow helps. None. Since the streak is happening, many analysts are straining to attempt to make said (nonexistent) argument. NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks was one, attempting to redefine the concepts of correlation and causation.
“Considering 2015 and 2021 are the only losing seasons on the Ravens’ ledger since the beginning of the streak, the Ravens’ preseason approach appears to translate into regular-season success.”
To be fair, the Ravens have also only had one losing season since The Chainsmokers released their first record so perhaps that has something to do with all of this, too!
Brooks (who I respect a great deal and who actually played the game at the highest level) went on to make the point a number of folks are trying to make.
“While some might scoff at Harbaugh’s approach, the Ravens’ ability to win preseason games with backup players should not be ignored. The castoffs, misfits and newbies who play in the late stages of preseason games are often called upon to make contributions at the end of the regular season, when injuries expose the depth of rosters.”
That’s the relevant point, right? The idea is that even if you’re a reasonable person and you understand there is no relevance to the final result of a preseason football game where the other team is not necessarily trying to win, you can still point out that the streak is some sort of proof of how deep the Ravens’ roster is and a testament to the strength of their scouting and drafting.
To which I would be forced to say … “maybe?”
I mean, yes, that’s possible. Whether those scenarios actually outweigh dumb luck and a lack of concern from their opponents considering, again, these are exhibitions (!), is impossible to define.
But I’m forced to acknowledge the possibility. In fact, it might have something to do with how the Ravens started 8-3 last season despite many injury issues (that would ultimately break them). The Ravens may truly have become the franchise that builds the best and most significant depth in the NFL. And if that’s true, it’s not just that it “can’t hurt,” no? It would be a definitive statement of why this preseason streak truly does matter and why I’m an idiot for typing the word “no” once for every win in the streak at the top of the column.
But let’s consider this a bit more, shall we? If one team values fourth-round picks so much that they collect six in the same draft, that should give them a slight advantage in a competition where very specifically the important players are used sparingly in favor of players selected in the mid to late rounds (if drafted at all). You know, a competition like the preseason.
I also acknowledge that the Ravens have a bit of a history of discovering undrafted talent, whether those players stick around in Baltimore or ultimately sign elsewhere.
But the question we’ve been asking for some time is whether the depth really is the difference in this team’s ability to win a Super Bowl. If an undrafted free agent like Shemar Bridges or Josh Ross cracks the Ravens’ roster again this season, is that player likely to be the final piece of the championship puzzle?
The “quantity vs. quality” issue is not dissimilar to that pesky “correlation vs. causation” battle we were waging earlier. Are the Ravens better off with six fourth-rounds pick who help them extend preseason win steaks or would they have been better off trading all of those picks for one true impact football player who could have helped them close the gap with the top teams in the AFC?
It’s a rhetorical question, of course, but it’s a relevant one.
And it strikes at why the answer to the question “is there anything about the Ravens’ preseason win streak that matters?” is definitively “no.”
And that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be excited about Isaiah Likely, either. He was a talented player coming out of college. He has a chance to be a good football player! Having a monstrous game against backups does not mean he’s going to be a star in the NFL. But he’s talented! It’s OK to be excited about someone’s potential!
It DOES mean that you should probably settle down a little bit about Tyler Huntley. I don’t think you should disparage the man! He’s also talented and a fun player and seems like a good guy. But the internet lasts forever. When you say literally insane things, they last forever. Chill. This is totally fake football you’re overreacting to.
You might be able to argue that rookie punter Jordan Stout’s performance is the most translatable to the potential for success in a real scenario because there are fewer variables involved, but I’d still probably try to manage my expectations at least a bit until, again, the football is real.
But more than anything, the results DO NOT MATTER. Unless of course you’re a dope who bet the Cardinals to cover. But what kind of idiot would do that?
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox