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Well, we have to keep hearing about it for another week.
By defeating the Titans, 23-10, the Baltimore Ravens have won their 21st consecutive preseason game, dating back to 2015. It is an all-time NFL record. But since it involves games that are inherently meaningless, what meaning does it really have?
Last year, coach John Harbaugh defended the importance of the record when the Ravens reached 19, matching the Lombardi-era Packers.
“There’s going to be people who say that doesn’t mean anything,” Harbaugh said. “There’s going to be people who look at it and say, ‘Wow, that’s something.’ ‘that tonight because it’s something that only one other team has done: the Vince Lombardi Green Bay Packers. I’d say it’s remarkable.”
It’s a testament to John Harbaugh’s intensely competitive nature. And as long as his competitive nature doesn’t cause him to do stupid things, like re-inserting the starters at the end of a close game (eg Rex Ryan getting Mark Sanchez injured in the Snoopy Bowl), it’s no big deal.
Still, it doesn’t really make sense. Preseason records evaporate as soon as the exhibition games are over. The 2008 Lions went 0-16 after going 4-0 in the preseason. Those August wins aren’t any kind of silver lining in a sewer season.
About a decade ago, while people were complaining about the quality of preseason games, I suggested that the preseason record be one of the final tiebreakers, just above the coin toss. And that made a lot of people lose their minds.
So it doesn’t make sense. If the Ravens want to make sense of it, that’s their business. But if they ever let that get in the way of what really matters, they cross the line from competing to colossal ignorance.