Baltimore’s 24 Preseason Win Streak Comes to an End
On August 21, the Baltimore Raven’s 24-game preseason winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Washington Commanders in a 29-28 loss in FedEx Field.
The game was a closely played competition that ultimately came down to a Joey Slye 49-yard field goal to seal the deal for the Commanders with 14 seconds left in the game as well as Anthony Brown throwing a game-ending interception to strong safety Kendall Smith.
Lamar Jackson did not play in the game, but Josh Johnson did suit up and performed fairly well. He threw ten completions for 145 yards, scored two touchdowns, and one interception on the field against the Commanders.
Ravens QB Josh Johnson (17) – Julio Cortez/AP Photo
Rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers also played and caught two receptions for 37 yards and scored one touchdown on the night.
Ravens WR Zay Flowers (4) – Kevin Richardson/The Baltimore Sun
The Commanders almost tied the game on a 15-yard Jaret Patterson receiving touchdown with a defensive face-mask penalty on inside linebacker Trenton Simpson while staying inbounds. The Commanders ended up missing the two-point conversion thanks to the Raven’s goal-line defense.
Ravens CB Jaret Paterson (32) – Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Photo
It was a historic run for the Ravens and a feat to see the franchise win 24 straight preseason football games. Despite this being meaningless to some NFL Fans -the preseason serves as a chance for all active NFL players to showcase their talents that make a 53-man roster spot.
Johnson and Flowers both proved they belong on Baltimore’s roster for the upcoming season. Brown also had a good night for the Ravens as he completed six passes for 40 yards and threw two touchdowns despite throwing the game-ending interception.
As far as the 24 preseason winning streak, the Ravens haven’t lost a preseason game since September 3, 2015, when the Ravens lost to the Atlanta Falcons 19-20. From there, the Ravens haven’t looked back and kept the streak alive until their loss to the Commanders.
As mentioned earlier, the preseason may not mean anything to some NFL fans, but it is a stepping stone for everyone wanting to make a roster spot because nothing is guaranteed, including those who think they have their roster spot on lockdown.
Ultimately, both teams performed very well in the contest. Eric Bieniemy is an excellent offensive coordinator who will help the Commanders compete in the NFC East this coming season, as Todd Monken will help shape the Ravens for the intense competition in the AFC North this coming season.
Baltimore concludes the preseason with a visit to Tampa as they compete against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on August 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET on WBAL and will begin the regular season at the Houston Texans on September 10 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
Will there be another preseason winning streak? Who knows, but the door is wide open for all teams to make a historic bid, whether it’s the preseason or regular season. This sets the Ravens up for a specular start to the season.
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