The Baltimore Ravens are faced with a classic, important decision as they prepare to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18: rest key players and run the danger of becoming rusty, or maintain momentum and positive energy at the expense of injuries and setbacks.
The Ravens may choose their metaphorical poison because they already have the best seed in the AFC and have nothing to lose when they meet the Steelers on Saturday during the regular season.prior to going on a two-week break and playing their first postseason game on January 21st.
The starting quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was benched in 2019 when the Ravens faced a similar circumstance, is the most noteworthy omission. As a possible hint, Baltimore substituted Tyler Huntley for Lamar during the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s game.
Lamar may be followed by players who are now on the team’s long injury list. Following Week 17, those players include safety Kyle Hamilton (ankle), cornerback Brandon Stephens (ankle), inside linebacker Patrick Queen (shoulder), defensive tackle Michael Pierce (stinger), and cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf). Not that a certain Mark Andrews has to be mentioned.
Since there are pros and cons to player resting, it’s reasonable to assume head coach John Harbaugh is considering his options.
On the one hand, it provides wounded players with a crucial chance to recover and go back to full health, which can make all the difference for a team hoping to make the playoffs.
However, since the Ravens won’t be playing with their whole starting lineup for almost three weeks, it begs the issue of whether rust or rest will be more detrimental to their momentum and perfect vibes going into the playoffs.
The Ravens went into the playoffs in 2019 fully prepared, and their one misstep was losing their opening game against the Tennessee Titans when they rested important players in the last regular season game. Realizing this, Harbaugh is probably going to thoroughly consider his alternatives and come to a well-informed, hopefully better, decision.
Whatever the choice, the Ravens will have roughly two weeks off following Saturday’s game. Additionally, even if Harbaugh plays every starter against the Steelers, it’s reasonable to anticipate some “fake” and “soft” football from Baltimore, whether that be to reduce risk, extend the game, or stash ideas for potential postseason use.
Leave a Reply