OTL: 27 Ravens

I am not a rom-com guy, by any means, but I can’t help but notice that the current plight of the modern Baltimore Ravens is similar to the protagonist of the 2008 Katherine Heigl film “27 Dresses.” Always the bridesmaid, never a bride.

Yes, they’ve won two rings. But it’s been 12 years. They’re the bridesmaid until they win a third.

Though, in this analogy, the Kansas City Chiefs’ wedding situation would be… quite modern to say the least. Let’s move on.

I do not take for granted that my Ravens have been a competitive franchise for most of my lifetime, with very minimal exception. Yet, their inability to beat the best teams in January is beyond vexing. Tony Lombardi went into all this in excruciating detail recently.

Charm City Becomes Choke City

It’s not a talent issue. There is one quarterback on planet earth better than the one the Ravens have. So what is it? Why does it always seem as if the Ravens are going to screw up when the calendar changes from December to January?

I think it’s a perception issue. They’ve gotten tagged with that label – chokers – and it’s not coming off until they win another Super Bowl. This isn’t a new thing. I remember when the Ravens had a similar tag when Joe Flacco was in his younger days in his career. Many wondered if he could win the big one. He did. Now, that feeling has been passed to Lamar Jackson. Fair or not, that’s what he’s going to be dealing with until he takes home a Lombardi Trophy.

Still, the coverage feels more harsh this time around. Lamar is in more headlines than Joe was, by a lot. Weird how the Heisman winner and two-time (soon to be three?) MVP gets more clicks than the guy from the University of Delaware, huh? Lamar is a victim of his own success, and that’s why it feels like he gets held to a higher standard than basically every other quarterback in the league.

So yeah, frustrating stuff. Patrick Mahomes is going for ring number four. Lamar’s been to the AFC Championship game once in seven years.

For the love of god, figure it out. I can’t deal with this team remaining stuck at the altar while the Chiefs keep winning championships.

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