Why The Ravens Losing To The Chiefs Doesn’t Matter

What!? What do you mean losing doesn’t matter??

How can you call yourself a Ravens fan and think such a thing? Let alone say it out loud!

Because it doesn’t, and here’s why…

Yes, it would have been fantastic if Isaiah Likely’s piggies had been an inch further back. If they had been, Harbaugh would have gone for two, giving the Ravens a chance to win on the next play.

Call me an optimist, but they would’ve punched it in for the victory. I know the Raven’s fourth-down calls haven’t been spectacular in recent history, but that’s one more reason I believe it would have worked. The odds are that it has to work sometime, right?

With Lamar and Derrick Henry as two stalwart options to gain a measly two yards, they have as good a chance of converting a two-point conversion as any team in the NFL. Just give the ball to Henry and trust that he can fall forward and barrel it in–let the chips fall where they may.

We’ve seen what happens when you try to be too cute—just ask Pete Carroll and Marshawn Lynch.

So…what if they had won?

That also means nothing. Hear me out.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs still would have left the field with three rings, while Lamar and the current Ravens roster have none. There’s an entire season yet to play, but Jackson’s legacy is now inextricably tied to what he does in the postseason–until the day he hangs up his cleats.

The Ravens were sloppy, disjointed, and unprepared on defense. The many flags for illegal formation didn’t help, and while it’s open to interpretation who to blame, it seemed to be a collective effort by the refs, the players, and the coaching staff.

With all of that said, the Ravens still came within an inch of beating the new GOAT and the Chiefs at Arrowhead. Not to mention the Chiefs have new speed weapons that make them look even more dangerous than last season–when they won the damn Super Bowl!

Barring any unforeseen calamities, the Ravens will return to the postseason in January 2025. A healthy Lamar virtually guarantees an 11-win season, and that’s good enough to make the playoffs 99% of the time. His postseason struggles are well-documented, but there’s no arguing that he’s a regular-season juggernaut. He has two MVP trophies to prove it.

Even in defeat, the Ravens showed us enough to believe that Festivus Maximus will happen–and that’s no bold prediction. Recent history tells us it will.

Could the Ravens’ defeat Thursday night cost them a higher seed or home-field advantage during the playoffs? Of course. But when has that mattered in Raven’s history?

High seeds and home-field advantage have never produced rings, but playing on the road and flying under the radar have gotten them two. So, who the hell knows??

It seems strange, but the regular season just doesn’t feel that important. It hardly matters.

Just please, for the love of God, beat the Steelers! That may be the only hand-wringing I do all regular season.

[Related Article: Game 1 Was Not a Sight For Sore Eyes]

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