OWINGS MILLS — While the Ravens’ players and coaches respect the Washington Commanders, they don’t see much of a rivalry between the franchises separated by about 40 miles.
The Ravens and Commanders play in different conferences, so there are no substantial implications with the standings. They’ll leave any animosity to the fans.
“It’s obvious I can kind of be excited about it for the fans and for what it means for the region, and I appreciate that,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “Especially when you get older, you start appreciating those things probably more and more as a coach, so it’s really neat in that sense. Really for us, we’re kind of in our cocoon – it’s a football cocoon.
“We are locked in on their football team and just trying to go out there and play our best football against a very, very good football team. So that’s where our focus is.”
The Ravens and Commanders have met only seven times during the regular season with Baltimore holding a 4-3 advantage. The teams have met 15 times in the preseason — with the Ravens holding an 11-4 edge. Washington did end the Ravens’ 24-game preseason winning streak in 2023.
“I think it’s pretty cool for the fans,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “Obviously, we play AFC North games, and we play those guys every year, twice a year, so that kind of takes up all our energy when it comes to rivalry stuff. I guess there is the ‘Beltway Rivalry.’ I don’t know if there is a trophy or something like that. Well, that will happen on Sunday. It would be cool – I know some people who are D.C. fans – to have some bragging rights against them.
“Yes, I guess it’s kind of a brotherly rivalry – I don’t know, maybe Philly a little bit. It’s going to be pretty cool to have the whole region focused on one game.”
The game will feature two of the NFL’s most dynamic quarterbacks.
Lamar Jackson, the NFL’s reigning MVP, has led the Ravens to three straight victories. He has thrown for 1,206 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception for a 107.2 passer rating. Jackson has also run for 363 yards with two scores.
Jayden Daniels has led the Commanders to a 4-1 start for the first time since 2008 and has thrown for 1,135 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He has also run for 300 yards with four scores. Daniels is the first player in NFL history with more than 1,000 yards passing and 250 yards rushing in his first five games.
Jackson respects Daniels’ game as a fellow Heisman Trophy winner, but there is not much of a rivalry.
“I’ve been catching glimpses of his play on social media and stuff like that, and he’s going off,” Jackson said. “He’s doing what we saw in college – what got him the Heisman. No doubt.”
This is a big game for the region’s fans.
The Ravens and Commanders are not only the most expensive meeting between these teams on record, but the “get-in” price is $302 – a 232 percent increase from the “get-in” price at the start of the season ($91), according to TickPick, a company that tracks ticket sales.
NBC wanted to flex the Ravens-Commanders game into their primetime Sunday Night Football slot, but CBS blocked that move because of the potential ratings.
Regardless of the players’ feelings about it being a rivalry, it should be an exciting game.
“My take is it’s going to be loud,” Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike said. “There are going to be a bunch of [Commanders] fans here. Obviously, it’s going to be rocking. It’s going to be a great game. It’s going to be high excitement, but I feel like all of us in the locker room, we’re not really dialed into all of that. We’re dialed into just executing the plays and just making it about us at the end of the day.”
