OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Game week has arrived for John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens returned to practice Friday after three days off, and the focus can now turn to next Thursday’s season opener at Kansas City. The Chiefs earned the right to play in that game as the defending Super Bowl champions. They beat the Ravens on the way there in the AFC title game.
“This is what you look forward to. You do all of that work in the offseason, and preseason, and even during the season for the games,” said Harbaugh, entering his 17th season as Baltimore’s coach. “As much tension as there is, you’re excited to go compete, and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”
This is one time a Thursday night game doesn’t force teams to deal with a short week of preparation. In fact, the Ravens can adjust the schedule as much as they want to make this feel like a normal Sunday game. Usually, star quarterback Lamar Jackson addresses the media on Wednesday and coordinators talk Thursday. Now that’s expected to happen Sunday and Monday.
Offensive lineman Patrick Mekari, safety Eddie Jackson and rookie linebacker Adisa Isaac were not at practice during the portion open to reporters Friday. Harbaugh said Jackson had flight issues, while Mekari and Isaac were dealing with “standard operating stuff.”
Tight end Mark Andrews did practice, just over two weeks after he was involved in a car accident en route to the team’s facility.
“It’s extremely scary. It was definitely a serious thing,” Andrews said. “For me, it puts things in perspective. Tell the people that you’re around that you love them, and wear your seat belt. You never know what’s going to happen on the road. You never know what things might be thrown at you, what things might come at you, and I’m very blessed and fortunate.”
Andrews injured his ankle in November and didn’t return until the AFC championship game, when he managed just two catches in Baltimore’s 17-10 loss. Now he gets another chance at the Chiefs.
“It’s big, and having the last game being played against them and not really feeling like myself just yet,” Andrews said. “Body feels healthy. I’ve worked really hard this offseason, had a good camp. Obviously, it’s time to go put the work in this season and just take it play by play, day by day and game by game. If we do that, we’re going to have a lot of success.”
The Ravens have lost five of their last six to the Chiefs, and they haven’t won at Kansas City since 2012. Last season’s defeat — with Baltimore hosting the AFC championship game for the first time in 53 years — was particularly tough to take.
Now the Ravens have to prepare for the Chiefs all over again.
“There’s a lot of similarities. It’s the same team. But it’s a different place, and it’s a different setting,” Harbaugh said. “Of course, they’ve changed as a team, we’ve changed as a team, so that will be different, just like every year. Every game is different. Even when you play the Steelers, or the Browns, or the Bengals, first game, second game, it’s still different. Every game stands on its own.”
NOTES: S Beau Brade made the team as an undrafted rookie. He’s from nearby Clarksville and played college football at Maryland. “It was a dream,” Brade said. “Every kid around here, if you’re a Ravens fan, you dream to be on the Ravens. I grew up watching Ray Lewis, Ed Reed.”
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