OTL: National Beef League

Like many of you, I found myself truly enjoying my Sunday, even with the Ravens not playing. A win on Thursday Night Football meant not having to sweat the Sunday slate too much, and even if that meant questioning what I was doing with my life…

Love that we don’t have to sweat a Ravens game today, but what do the normals do on a non-game day Sunday? @ScottHanson is doing his best to keep me entertained. pic.twitter.com/Tenjj4hjWU

— KMack Sports (@KMackSports) November 19, 2023

…it gave me the chance to sit back, watch some Red Zone, and enjoy the game we love for what it is.

Dear reader, the game we love is weird.

still can’t believe this happened today pic.twitter.com/svia2HOuJI

— Tej Seth (@tejfbanalytics) November 20, 2023

We saw a monumental reversal of fortune, pictured above, that was nice enough to not happen to the Ravens. Seven games were decided by a single possession (as of the writing of this article, Monday Night Football has yet to be played). Team records and playoff implications are all over the place, even in places you wouldn’t expect.

With an Eagles win tonight the Ravens would hold the 1 seed in the AFC after 11 weeks.

With a Browns win in Denver on Sunday they would drop to the 5 seed before the ball has been snapped in their SNF game against the Chargers.

What a wild conference/division.

— Gordon McGuinness (@PFF_Gordon) November 20, 2023

The Lions are 8-2.

The Jaguars are 7-3.

The Browns are 7-3.

Imagine telling this to a friend a few years ago… pic.twitter.com/MzK3OZ5rCf

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 19, 2023

The #Falcons named Desmond Ridder as their starting QB for Sunday's game against the Saints, and the plan is for him to be the starter moving forward.

An Atlanta win on Sunday would put them in first place in the NFC South with a 5-6 record. pic.twitter.com/Ui8s1ArDha

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 20, 2023

The unpredictability is what makes this last half of the season so exciting, because the stakes are so high on every play, whether it’s an otherwise reliable receiver with an uncharacteristic, game-altering drop…

Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp sheesh pic.twitter.com/sS7spM6bpr

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 20, 2023

Keenan Allen catches this with a tinted visorpic.twitter.com/RySry882Vh

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 19, 2023

…or a player fighting tooth and nail to prove he deserves a prime position in a team’s future.

Jaylen Warren goes 74 yards!

📺: #PITvsCLE on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/jckqnJwdb2 pic.twitter.com/mo99RyYIFK

— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2023

just like that jaylen warren leads all running backs in EPA/rush and yards per carry while being top 10 in success rate as well pic.twitter.com/s8WvxcZD5z

— Tej Seth (@tejfbanalytics) November 20, 2023

When every play counts for so much, it creates a lot of pressure on the players and coaches involved. Sometimes, that pressure boils over into something that I’m glad the Ravens could (mostly) avoid this week: beef.

Whether it was beef between coaches and media…

Brandon Staley was a little bit fiery after the Chargers loss to the Packers #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/sGpeJfk6WH

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 20, 2023

…players beefing with fans on social media…

Ran the route I was suppose to sir. Jus saying anything for likes smh https://t.co/xQpQQkyZe1

— Diontae Johnson (@Juiceup__3) November 20, 2023

…players beefing with entire organizations on social media (warning: language) …

#Giants rookie CB Deonte Banks on IG live: “Coulda came and got me at 16 and they didn't. Now I'm 2-0 against you bum a** boys. F*** the Commanders.”

Banks grew up in Maryland and Washington opted to take Emmanuel Forbes over him.pic.twitter.com/P7UgEbnmcq

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 19, 2023

…or players beefing with each other (again, language warning) …

The near fight in question. Michael Clemons and Dion Dawkins have to be separated. Two big dudes almost locked horns. Spilled over from beef during the 32-6 Bills win. 📸 From my iPhone pic.twitter.com/P7xE0ADi3f

— Otis Livingston (@OlivingstonTV) November 20, 2023

…it was honestly kind of nice to have our guys mostly uninvolved in the drama. I say mostly because Bengals LB Germaine Pratt still had some sour grapes about the result of TNF, going to Twitter to postulate that the result of the game would have been different if not for Joe Burrow’s injury. Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith took their opportunities to point out that if grandma had wheels, she’d be a bike.

😂2 catches is attacking? I’ll never be happy that my boy went down. Let me call 42 for ya so he can take you to the sideline to the bench again where you belong https://t.co/xqSqaxk1yj

— 🦈 (@Patrickqueen_) November 18, 2023

Roquan Smith responds to Germaine Pratt:

"We could have said that last year when Lamar wasn't out there. It's about are you in the excuse-making business or are you in the result-making business, & I'm more so in the result-making business." #RavensFlock https://t.co/1LLwmjtwqv pic.twitter.com/k1GeWjY2G7

— The Vault: A Daily Ravens Podcast (@RavensVault) November 20, 2023

We’ll have to dive back into the drama sooner rather than later, but with a BYE week fast approaching, it was nice to watch the chaos unfold from afar for once instead of being a part of it.