The Baltimore Ravens just lost to a quarterback whose postgame reflections included Eminem lyrics. Jameis Winston, once a franchise quarterback and now a veteran journeyman, captured it best when quoting the Detroit rapper: “You only get one shot.” This line feels almost poetic for NFL game day, where each of the 17 regular season games is treated like a must-win. That’s the mentality of the league, where the best teams prepare meticulously for each opponent, knowing that on any given Sunday, they risk losing more than just a game.
Coming into Cleveland, the Ravens were on a five-game winning streak and looked like the best team in football. No opponent had found an answer for the MVP backfield of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, and there was little reason to think the struggling Browns would pose much of a challenge. This was a natural assumption for the average fan, and even a rookie in the locker room might not yet grasp just how slim the margin is between victory and defeat in the NFL. Baltimore entered the contest after literally running over their schedule, boasting the league’s best rushing attack and the second-best scoring offense, averaging 30 points per game. The Browns, on the other hand, had been half as productive on offense and were starting their third quarterback of the season. That’s about as much of an advantage as one could hope for in this league. And to add to the stakes, this Week 8 matchup was a divisional game, with clear playoff implications. Losing it carried costs that remain uncertain—and that’s a scary prospect for Lamar and his team.
Someone needs to be held accountable for leaving Cleveland with a loss, especially when the league’s leading rusher had only 11 carries. That’s practically handing the game away. Head Coach John Harbaugh has a history of forgetting his own strengths at crucial moments. Earlier in the season, he famously said, “We didn’t bring Derrick here to be the guy that gets the ball 30 times a game.” This may be one of the clearest examples of how a head coach’s misguided words align perfectly with a disappointing result on the field. Sure, it was a divisional rival, and the Browns have talent on defense, but fans in Baltimore are surely rolling their eyes every time they hear that excuse. They know that divisional wins carry double the weight and require double the effort and execution. This is a tough loss for the Ravens, with no way to sugarcoat it.
Allowing Jameis Winston to throw the ball 41 times and connect for three touchdowns with a QBR of 84.5 is simply embarrassing. Doing so while Lamar Jackson was chased down for three sacks and the team was outgained in yards is even more inexcusable. Halloween is just a few days away, and in a spirit of handing out treats, the Ravens practically gifted away a game—and possibly home-field advantage in the playoffs. Now that’s truly scary!
Photo Credit: ESPN
