Today the Baltimore Ravens will get a rare opportunity to play in front of a national audience. The Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears will meet for their seventh and last preseason game. Both teams are looking to improve in their 2018 season after a rather mixed 2017 performance.
Current expectations for the two teams also seem atypical, at least on paper. The Ravens are coming off of a surprising 8-8 finish last season and a relatively lackluster offseason. The Chicago Bears ended the 2017 season looking like a future Super Bowl contender with a breakout 5-3 record down the stretch. Their defense improved a year after finishing 31st in total yards allowed and then featuring a talent player like Khalil Mack. The Bears only missed the playoffs by four games, which made the majority of the fans’ heads spin.
Seasoned veterans like guys like Joe Flacco, Matt Prater, and many others have been on the Ravens roster for over a decade or more and haven’t always lived up to the standards of their teams. On the other side of the ball, rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson will likely look to improve over the 381 passing yards and just six touchdowns he accumulated in his one and only start.
Tomorrow night’s game against the Bears will be a glimpse into just how close Baltimore may have really come to beating the Patriots last season. Will the Bears continue to remain at the top of the AFC North or do the Ravens finally catch a break? Make sure to be back for live updates throughout the game.
Maryland’s official football website has a pool of money for the game, where fans can guess the passing numbers for both teams.
2016 7-9 Ravens 23-10 Bears Bears Running Game: Joe Flacco 2017 8.4 -69.1 Lamar Jackson Ballad:
23 Fantasy Football Leagues Almost Runs:
22.96 Fan scores
3.44 Fans X
For this Ravens-Bears preseason game, the roof is on the Baltimore defense. Will Joe Flacco give his team a confidence boost or will new offensive guru Marty Mornhinweg make the offense a mess?
Also note the Tribune is here in the stands to interview former Raven, who shares his thoughts on the new era of Ravens.