CLOSE, YET SO FAR
Overtime loss to AFC-leading Chiefs just put Ravens further from postseason aspirations Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 27-24 OT loss to the Chiefs
There are moral victories in the NFL, just not in December.
A young team losing a close playoff game or falling to a high-quality opponent would be a confidence-builder. And the Ravens’ loss to the New Orleans Saints in October was a tone-setter.
But if the Ravens’ loss Sunday was nothing of the sort. Had they beaten the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, they would have almost guaranteed themselves a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Instead, they’re stuck TV: Line:
INSIDE: in Mudville.
At least few of the players were talking about Sunday being a moral victory. Sure, some of the usual locker room cheerleaders said the team’s play against a top opponent gave them confidence, but the veterans know that the sense of urgency has become greater.
After a big loss, some teams die at the end of the season, so I asked veteran cornerback
From the Ravens’ lack of elite playmakers to their tense playoff outlook, here are five things we learned from their 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
There are no moral victories in the NFL, but the Ravens proved their formula works against the best.
Before the harder analysis, it’s worth noting that the Ravens delivered a terrific afternoon of football theater against one of the best, most exciting teams in the NFL.
This set up as a Ph.D.-level test of the formula that carried them through three consecutive wins over lesser teams.
Their approach worked well enough that they had the game in hand until Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — the most exciting young talent to hit the NFL in a generation — wiggled free for a miraculous fourth-down completion with less than two minutes left.
The Ravens nearly became the first team since the 1970s to rush for more than 200 yards in four straight games. They rallied from a sevenpoint halftime deficit with rookie