A Ravens Thanksgiving Tradition For Years To Come In Baltimore?
By Samuel Njoku
The Baltimore Ravens play football on Thanksgiving against the Pittsburgh Steelers and they know that Thursday could bring them happy holidays or a holiday to forget. The stakes are high as these two rivals meet again in what is sure to be an epic showdown. Also, coach John Harbaugh comments on his hopes for a holiday tradition in Baltimore.
Joe Flacco's high school offense
There's no question the Ravens have struggled a great deal this season on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive line has had trouble blocking defenders which has led to a putrid running game as well as a poor passing attack. The Ravens are looking for any way to give this unit a spark.
On Sunday, fans witnessed a decent amount of wildcat plays centered around back up QB Tyrod Taylor. The idea is to get more rushing yards on the ground and give Joe Flacco more manageable third down situations. But on Tuesday, Joe let it be known that he's not too pleased with the wildcat.
"I don't like that stuff," Ravens QB Joe Flacco told reporters. "It makes you look like a high school offense. That's just my opinion."
These are pretty strong words from your star quarterback. But he's not just complaining about wanting to carry the offense. Flacco expressed his concern that deviating to the wildcat could possibly turn their attention away from improving on the basic fundamentals of football. Which in this team's case is traditional running and decent blocking. If Flacco wants to stop the high school madness, he's going to have to lift his own game as well as that of his supporting cast.
Catching the Bengals?
Right now, the consensus among analysts is that Baltimore and Pittsburgh are fighting for a wild card spot. But there's a chance the Ravens can still catch Cincinnati and win a third consecutive division title. The Bengals have a difficult schedule which includes a game this Sunday against the Chargers. If Baltimore continues to win, a division title is not out of the realm of possibility.
Ravens Thanksgiving Tradition?
Thursday will mark the second time in three years that the Ravens will host a Thanksgiving game. Could this become a tradition for the Baltimore Ravens? Head Coach John Harbaugh wouldn't mind.
"If at any point in time the NFL and [Commissioner] Roger [Goodell] wants to make this a tradition, wouldn't we all be for that in Baltimore?" stated Harbaugh. "I think it would be pretty amazing. We love it and I know our fans do too."
For more Ravens news and updates, visit Ravens Central.
Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
