The Baltimore Ravens are making the right decision by choosing to not have their bye fall after their London game
Since the NFL introduced the International Series in 2007, the Baltimore Ravens had not been selected to play in London, but this year they got their wish. The Ravens travel to London in week 3 to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There’s a lot that goes into these international games. The travel, the time difference, the change of scenery, you name it. A 16-game season is brutal enough and traveling over the pond adds even more difficulties. Because of this most teams have their bye week fall after the game. In fact, only one team since 2007 has chosen to avoid the bye week after the London game. That was the Colts last season.
This year things are different. Three teams, including the Ravens, will not have their bye week fall after their London game. Some may call it crazy, but it’s certainly justified.
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The Ravens requested to have to not have their bye week after the game and they got it moved. They will now have their bye during week 10 after an away game against the Tennessee Titans.
A week 4 bye is way too early. You want a bye later towards the middle or latter part of your season. Early in the season you are still trying to gain early momentum and having a bye in the first couple weeks won’t help with that. With today’s technology and knowledge, traveling over to London isn’t a huge adjustment. The Ravens will have their players adjusting to the time difference way before week 3 even shows up. It’s just not as of a big deal as it was 10-11 years ago.
Week 10 bye is perfect
The Ravens have really lucked out with the timing of their bye. Just because they requested the bye a different week doesn’t mean they would necessarily get it, but it worked out that way. It comes right after the Titans game, which gives the Ravens two weeks to prepare for a tough match-up at Green Bay against the Packers. On paper it’s one of the toughest match-ups of the season.
Assuming the Ravens are in a decent position for the playoffs around this time, the bye gives them a chance to rest up before the final stretch of the season. It includes games against the Packers, Lions, Texans, Colts and Steelers. None of those games are cakewalks by any means.
As we know, the final stretch of games to end the season is important. The Ravens were in the thick of a race in the AFC North last year but lost four of their last seven games. That can’t happen this season if they want to make the playoffs.
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Having the bye also helps rest up players from the first half of the season as well as players with injuries. If a guy like Jimmy Smith had an extra week or so to rest after his ankle injury last season, who knows if he would have been able to play. The Ravens take their byes seriously. Since John Harbaugh became head coach in 2008, the Ravens are tied with the Colts for the best win percentage coming off of a bye at 8-2 (80%). It may not seem like a big deal, but for the Ravens it could be the difference in their season.