John Harbaugh, Roquan Smith reveal challenge of Ravens playing 3 games in 11 days
12/14/2024 12:56 AM
After getting an extra week to really ruminate on their Week 13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Baltimore Ravens have been afforded one heck of a return present from the NFL in the form of three games in 11 days.
Opening things up on Sunday with a showdown against the New York Giants, then a Saturday game against their rival Pittsburgh Steelers before closing things out with a Wednesday night game against the Houston Texans on Christmas Day, the Ravens have a tough road ahead, with their playoff standing all but guaranteed to be defined by the stretch.
Asked how he prepares his team for such a grueling stretch, John Harbaugh noted he’s been working up to this point for quite some time, with his squad fully ready for the challenge.
“Really, the message is one day at a time and one game at a time, one play at a time, one series at a time; that is the final message. The process is the message,” Harbaugh told reporters.
“We’ve mapped it all out, like we talked about earlier in the week. We have a plan, as far as all the different practices and reps, loading and all that to be ready to be at our best, physically, in all three games, but that’s up to us, as coaches. The [message to the] players and really the coaches, in terms of the scheming and the teaching, is we have our biggest challenge Sunday, and we have to be at our best on Sunday, and then tomorrow will worry about itself.”
Do the Ravens players get it? Yes, as the leader of their defense, Roquan Smith, shared a similar sentiment in his Week 15 media session, too.
Roquan Smith is ready for the Ravens’ 11-day gauntlet
Discussing the final month of the Ravens’ schedule and their three-game gauntlet all over the NFL, Smith noted that Baltimore has to strap in and show out, as they have to put it all on the line in the pursuit of glory.
“Line it up – chin up, chest out, like I always live by. I don’t really care too much about that, just because, at the end of the day, when there’s an opponent out there, that individual is trying to provide for their family,” Smith told reporters. “So, regardless of how bad someone is hurting, or what they’re thinking mentally, you’ve got to go put it all on the line, because that’s your job, and you’re trying to provide for your family, as well [as] for yourself.”
How many games will the Ravens rip off over the next two weeks, one, two, or even three? Well, the final two games are certainly more challenging than the first one, and that final record will play a major part in whether or not Baltimore will make it to the playoffs as a wildcard team or if they will unseat the Steelers as the cream of the AFC North’s crop.
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