All of which means what, exactly? Perhaps nothing at all, given that the outcomes of these exhibitions are utterly meaningless. But the Ravens, who last lost a preseason game in 2015, take some measure of pride in the streak and what it means about their organization.
“It’s one of those things where you know there are a lot more important things that you want,” veteran defensive end Calais Campbell said Thursday at the team’s training facility. “But I think it’s a testament of the way people prepare, the training camp process [and] the kind of guys we bring in here that are trying to fight to make the team.”
There is something to be taken, the Ravens believe, in the effort and performance levels of even those players who won’t see the field much during the regular season — or won’t even be on the roster by then.
“There’s a certain quality of guys that respect the process and go hard,” Campbell said. “And I think that shows in the preseason games. You’ve got your third- and fourth-teamers out there balling, playing good football and executing at a high level. I think that’s a testament to coaches and a testament to the front office for bringing the right kind of guys in.”
The Ravens have a preseason record of 42-12 during John Harbaugh’s head coaching tenure. That hasn’t come because he’s put his front-line players at undue risk to try to win preseason games. Harbaugh announced Thursday that quarterback Lamar Jackson won’t play against the Commanders. Backup Tyler Huntley will presumably make the start.
Harbaugh said he will make determinations about other starters on a case-by-case basis.
“There are some starters that need work,” Harbaugh said. “Some starters don’t. Probably most starters don’t. And some of those guys are going to play, too. We’re just managing some of those guys. … It’s not one size fits all.”
The Ravens’ summer exploits can be easily dismissed. There are no trophies handed out for August NFL triumphs, after all. There is an argument to be made, especially with a 17-game regular season, that the most sensible approach to the preseason is to keep all key players idle, avoid season-wrecking injuries and treat the first couple games of the regular season as the new-age preseason.
But maybe that is too dismissive. Perhaps there’s something to be said for being intent upon winning whenever the score is kept. Lombardi’s Packers won NFL championships, in the pre-Super Bowl days, in the final two seasons of their preseason winning streak. The Ravens, although they’re coming off an 8-9 season, have been among the league’s most consistent winners; they have two Super Bowl titles this century while ranking fifth among all NFL teams in total victories in the 2000s.
So although Saturday’s outcome won’t mean much when the Ravens open the season against the New York Jets on Sept. 11 at MetLife Stadium, with Jackson in the lineup instead of standing by Harbaugh on the sideline, maybe it will be reflective of an approach that does matter at least a bit.
“I think that’s something you can hang your hat on and say, ‘Okay, we prepare a certain kind of way that allows guys to be successful,'” Campbell said. “It’s something to be proud of. But obviously there are way more things that are bigger that we want. We’d like a streak of that.”