Key takeaways:
– Baltimore Ravens are reportedly disgruntled with their 2024 NFL season schedule.
– Veteran player Kyle Van Noy and teammate Kyle Hamilton express their discontent on social media.
– The team has a tough slate of three games in just ten days, including two away matches.
– Van Noy, a two-time Super Bowl winner, understands the physical implications of a demanding schedule.
– The Ravens face an unprecedented ten matches against playoff teams from the previous season.
Displaying their Discontent
The Baltimore Ravens have publicly expressed disappointment with their 2024 NFL schedule, indicating that they see difficult days ahead. Two prominent team members, veteran edge-rusher Kyle Van Noy and teammate safety Kyle Hamilton, have been vocal about the rigorous three-game stretch the team faces in just ten days. Their comments came on the heels of the official schedule release on Wednesday, May 15.
Navigating a Daunting Schedule
Creating additional tension, the Ravens’ 2024 season features a formidable run, starting with an away game against the New York Giants in Week 15. This tough stint concludes with a road game against the Houston Texans on Christmas Day, merely four days after hosting rival team Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Hamilton seems to relish the challenge, stating “3 games in 10 days, let’s get to it,” Van Noy seemed less enthused. The experienced player was quoted as saying, “Yeahhh that ain’t right! Might have to play with these for that stretch fr fr!!” Both players underscored the intense physical demands of the upcoming schedule through their social media posts, hinting at a sense of dissatisfaction within the franchise.
Analyzing the Schedule
Assessments by CBS Sports analysts indicate that the Ravens have legitimate reasons for their grievances. The team, under the leadership of John Harbaugh, points out that they have played 22 Monday Night Football Games, 18 of them away from home. Additionally, the Ravens face three of their four October matchups on the road.
Jonathan Jones, a CBS Sports’ correspondent, highlighted the unusual circumstance, noting that, “for the fourth time in franchise history the Ravens are going to be playing on Christmas Day.” More notably, this is the first time in NFL history that a team has played away games on consecutive Christmas Days.
The Physical Implications of a Tough Roster
As a senior team player with 11 years of experience, Van Noy is well aware of the physical toll a demanding schedule can take on players. The player, who was part of two Super Bowl victories with the New England Patriots, understands the impact of several difficult away matches.
To elaborate, last season serves as a timely reminder for the Ravens to restrict the number of away games and prevent fatigue during crucial end-of-season matches. Although they had only lost one away game during the last season, the team seemed exhausted during the playoffs. The Ravens are keen to avoid a repeat of the previous season’s disappointing ending, but given the challenging games on the horizon, the task ahead seems daunting.
Therefore, the dissatisfaction voiced by the Ravens makes sense considering they will face a league-high 10 matches against teams that made the playoffs in the previous season. How the franchise copes with the gruelling 2024 season remains to be seen.