Baltimore Ravens vs. Chicago Bears: 10 thoughts following the loss

6. M&T Bank stadium felt noticeably empty

I attended yesterday’s game and sat up in the nosebleeds. You could tell right at game time that M&T Bank Stadium was noticeably empty. There were plenty of open seats in the lower sections, which has seemed to become over the past few years. A stadium you’d assume to be loud and energized was nothing like that yesterday. There were loud points for sure, but the stadium didn’t have that same vibe that I remember from the earlier year’s in the John Harbaugh era.

First off, you wouldn’t expect many Bears fans to travel to this game in the first place. Chicago isn’t exactly close to Baltimore and this wasn’t a high profile matchup to begin with. The national anthem protests have surely accounted for some, but the lack of attendance is a trend we’ve seen past this season. The Ravens haven’t made the playoffs three out of the last four years and the lack of excitement surrounding the team explains a lot.

A home-field advantage for the Ravens doesn’t feel anything like that anymore.

5. If it weren’t for special teams touchdowns, this game is a blowout

The Ravens were lucky this game was close in the first place. If it weren’t for two special teams touchdowns in the second-half, this is a 24-9 loss. It all goes back to the offense and their inability to put up points. We see what happens when the Ravens settle for field goals and it’s just not enough to win games in today’s NFL.

The fact that the Bears played so poorly kept this game close. A good team like the Patriots, Seahawks, etc would have put away the Ravens early.