The Morning Huddle: The Baltimore Ravens Don’t Want Anything to Do with London
No offense England, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh is perfectly fine not returning to London after losing to the Jaguars, 44-7, on Sunday. "Maybe I will get in trouble for saying this," Harbaugh said during his weekly press conference. "I do not plan on going over there any time soon to play again. Somebody else can have that job." Can you blame him? Harbaugh headed to the U.K. with his team quickly gaining steam as a potential AFC contender. He returned with renewed talk about his job security.
Harbaugh explained how his disappointment started well before Jacksonville jumped out to a 37-0 lead. "There were certain things that came up that you looked at and you go, 'That wasn’t ideal,' " he said. "We have no control over where we stay, how far the bus ride is and how long it takes us to get to the stadium and those kinds of things." A few extra miles on the bus do not explain Joe Flacco’s 28 passing yards (no, that's not a typo), though, or the defense's zero sacks, or the 410 yards it allowed to Blake Bortles’s offense. Baltimore had earned early-season hype by squashing the Bengals and Browns, who now are two of the league's five winless teams. Had such an embarrassing loss come in Week 1, we probably would have written the Ravens off entirely. Maybe that is how we should view this team given that its two wins are looking increasingly unimpressive.
Is London some kind of curse? Two of the six coaches who went there last year ended up being canned by the beginning of this year, and in the previous two seasons, a coach was fired immediately following an international contest. Maybe there's a reason for that. Or, maybe we’re looking at this the wrong way. Maybe Jacksonville has finally found a home-field advantage, even if it's an ocean away. The Jaguars have now won as many games in the U.K. as they have at home since the start of last season.
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HOT READS
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LATER TODAY ON THE MMQB: Readers explain why they're turning their attention away from football ... Andy Benoit analyzes Cam Newton, again ... and more. Stay tuned.
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PRESS COVERAGE
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) expanded Colin Kaepernick's movement by kneeling on the U.S. House floor.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
1. In Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlinexplained the team's decision to stay in the tunnel for the national anthem. Meanwhile, more details emerged about Jerry Jones's role in his team's protest on Monday night. A congresswoman showed support for the players and their cause by kneeling on the House floor. Ravens national anthem singer Joey Odoms has reportedly resigned. DirecTV is offering Sunday Ticket refunds (though its exact policy remains unclear).
2. And the storyline seems poised to roll into Week 4. Yesterday, Aaron Rodgers asked Packers fans to lock arms during the pregame performance as a show of unity.
A Gesture of Support by NFL Owners Is Meaningless without Them Taking Real Action
3. Time to parse some words. The Raiders "might likely" stay in Oakland through 2020.
4. The Patriots pulled out a home win on Sunday, but that hasn't stopped writers from wondering why New England is struggling. Christian D'Andrea identified three potential fatal flaws for the team, while Ben Volin pointed out a completely different issue: a lack of speed on the defensive front.
What do you expect Cardinals QB Carson Palmer to do when he's facing pressure like this?
Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images
5. While vultures might be circling around Carson Palmer, Cardinals GM Steve Keimfocused on the offensive line's "unacceptable" play in Monday night's loss.
6. After a month of complaints about the Colts' inability to get a competent backup behind Andrew Luck, we've now got a column in The Indianapolis Star asking, Should Indy trade away Jacoby Brissett?
7. Two RB moves: The Eagles brought back Kenjon Barner to help replace Darren Sproles, and former No. 3 overall pick Trent Richardson has landed in . . . Saskatchewan.
NFL Power Rankings Poll: Patriots Finish Regular Season On Top, As for the Browns . . .
8. In an e-mail, Giants owner John Mara said, "I am very unhappy with Odell's behavior on Sunday and we intend to deal with it internally."
9. Tony Romo, broadcaster, has a lot of fans. Brent Musburgerseems to not be one of them.
10. Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry will not be charged with anything for his alleged involvement in an April domestic dispute.
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THE KICKER
For some reason Carson Wentz decided to up the stakes right before Jake Elliott's game-winning kick attempt.
Question? Comment? Story idea? Email me directly or let the team know at talkback@themmqb.com
