OWINGS MILLS, Md. – John Harbaugh won’t stand in solitude on the sideline Saturday when the Baltimore Ravens face the Philadelphia Eagles for both teams’ preseason opener.
But he does feel like a pitcher throwing a no-hitter.
The Ravens have won 23 consecutive preseason games – a streak that is equal parts random, worthless and aspirational, and one they will put on the line against the defending NFC champions.
“It’s unspoken until maybe after the game,” said Harbaugh, sporting a shirt that read “1-0,” a nod of the organization’s focus on what lies immediately ahead.
The superstitions won’t be as intense compared to the ones seen in a Major League Baseball dugout, but there is an element of simply not acknowledging the streak, Harbaugh said.
“It’s funny because in the big grand scheme of things, OK, people have their opinions, and I get it,” Harbaugh said. “Different things are important to different people, and I know that the guys who played in those games, the guys that made the plays to win those games in the fourth quarter – because most of those games were won in the fourth quarter with guys making plays – they’ll remember it. It’s important to them for the rest of their life, and therefore it’s important to me.”
The last time the Ravens lost in the preseason was Week 4 – back when there four games in a preseason – on Sept. 3, 2015. Bryn Renner, in his lone camp with the Ravens, almost rallied back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but a failed two-point conversion in the final minute left Baltimore on the wrong side of a 20-19 outcome.
Baltimore wrote itself into the history books in 2021 with the franchise’s 20th consecutive win, surpassing the 1959-1962 Green Bay Packers under legendary coach Vince Lombardi.
For quarterback Josh Johnson, the streak represents a full-circle moment for him. The well-traveled veteran’s first camp with the Ravens was in 2016, and it’s grown into a life of its own.
“When you go out and step on the field, no matter what the situation is, it’s to win football games,” Johnson said. “That’s what we’re all evaluated upon. That’s the most important thing, and that’s what makes this organization great, because everything is about winning.”
Preseason games will be important as the coaching staff looks to decide on the backup to Lamar Jackson, who will not play against the Eagles. Tyler Huntley, the backup for the past three seasons, second-year player Anthony Brown and Johnson are all vying for the No. 2 job.
Players suit up for one team during preseason games, Johnson said, but those deciding the outcome are often the ones who are auditioning for 31 other teams too.
“That’s what it’s about in the NFL,” Johnson said, “you get those next opportunities.”
As Harbaugh noted, the players on the fringe are often the ones with the heaviest hand in determining the outcomes of preseason contests.
“I would say it says a lot to how they develop the team,” Johnson said.
And 23 games into the streak, that’s all it has ever been about.
“It’s about becoming better as a football team, evaluating our players and each individual guy improving,” Harbaugh said. “So, that’s what we’re looking for.”
