The Baltimore Ravens are about to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in London here are three big things to think about, starting with the impact of being overseas:
The Baltimore Ravens are just a day away from their battle with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the United Kingdom. That’s the elephant in the room when we talk about this game. The good thing here is that both teams are in the same situation. The game is on a Sunday so it isn’t a short week. The travel is extensive and changing time zones is never easy. However it’s not like the Ravens have never had long road trips before. A flight to Oakland is about 5.5 hours long. A flight to London takes about 7 hours. Oakland is in the complete opposite direction and doesn’t require a passport but I imagine the travel takes a similar toll.
Who will come out sluggish?
When the Ravens lose on the west coast, we never want to let being in a different time zone be an excuse for their performance. The same rules apply on this trip to London. The only acceptable outcome is a win.
The Ravens are a better team and the Jaguars have the same exact challenge with the game being in London. John Harbaugh needs to have his team ready to get the job done. The team that goes about it like it’s business as usual is the team that will have an advantage in this one.
Either team could let the situation dictate whether their play is crisp and clean or sloppy and unwatchable. In the end, it’s all about being professionals and overcoming the extra challenge. If the Ravens play sharp and catch the Jaguars in a funk, this game could be an absolute blowout. The Ravens have forced 10 turnovers in two games. Mistakes are costly against this dominant defense.