Baltimore Ravens: Mindset as important as game plan week 17
The Baltimore Ravens must be determined to make sure their regular season finale is not the end of their season by carrying a strong mindset vs. Cleveland.
The Baltimore Ravens have gotten themselves in a very familiar position. They have to win a game at home, in week 17 for a trip to the postseason. Baltimore can only get into the postseason with a win over their divisional rival, the Cleveland Browns. Last year’s heartbreak on 4th & 12 is hard not to think about. The lesson Baltimore should take from that defeat last season, is that mindset is as important as the game plan.
John Harbaugh and the Ravens have a tough line to walk here. They don’t want to get tight, but they have to treat this moment with the seriousness that the situation dictates. This is the biggest game in Baltimore for a very long time. Last year, the Baltimore Ravens were pretenders. This year the team seems to have it figured out, going into week 17.
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If the Ravens beat the Browns, they will go to the postseason on a 6-1 roll. They just took down the Los Angeles Chargers, and they did it convincingly. They should have beaten the Kansas City Chiefs. This team can play with any team in the NFL.
Last year, the Ravens were merely trying to sneak into the postseason- despite having control of their own fate. If Baltimore made the postseason in the 2017 season, they would have found an early exit. This Baltimore Ravens team has a different feeling about them. Pundits and analysts seem to have a common theme when talking about the Ravens: Nobody wants to play them.
Baltimore can’t afford a let down game. The Cleveland Browns aren’t Hue Jackson’s mess of a team any longer. They are 7-7-1 and Baker Mayfield is their franchise quarterback. That is a powerful statement for a team that has had a ton of quarterbacks fail. The Browns aren’t a punching bag of the AFC North and they already have beaten the Ravens.
That being said, the Browns still are a very beatable team. They aren’t a pushover, and while they have proven that they can beat Baltimore, the Ravens are a completely different team now. Baltimore has a refreshing new take on themselves in the newfound Lamar Jackson era.
The last time these teams played, Baltimore found every way to lose imaginable. They had a blocked field goal, a Joe Flacco interception at the goal line, a fumble and a game winning touchdown dropped. With all of these things that went wrong for the Ravens, Baltimore lost 12-9 in overtime. If the Ravens defense shows up, and the offense doesn’t make these killer mistakes, Baltimore will have a huge chance to win this game.
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Mindset is the key in this game. It’s about having swagger without being cocky. It’s about being confident but equally prepared. It’s about revenge against the Browns, redemption for last year against the Bengals and most importantly a chance to compete in the postseason. If Baltimore gets up for this game and give the kind of effort they gave in Los Angeles, it will be a happy New Year. If the Ravens come into this game unprepared and uninspired, then shame on them. Mindset is the key.