John Harbaugh is calling on Baltimore fans to help give his team an edge Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
The Ravens wrap up the regular season with a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive, and Harbaugh expects to see a fired-up crowd at M&T Bank Stadium for the 1 p.m. kickoff.
"We are playing a huge game in our stadium," Harbaugh said. "We need our fans to be fired up, and we need our fans in the seats when we kick off."
The Ravens have enjoyed great success at home over the years, and their 44-11 mark since 2008 is second-best in the league during that stretch. Harbaugh's teams have won 35 of their last 42 games at M&T Bank Stadium, and the Browns haven't won in Baltimore since 2007.
Playing in Baltimore has been particularly difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Since Harbaugh arrived in 2008, the Ravens have held quarterbacks to a 70.5 quarterback rating, the best mark in the NFL over that stretch.
The Ravens defense hopes to continue that trend by making life very difficult on undrafted rookie quarterback Connor Shaw, who is expected to start in place of injured Brian Hoyer. Johnny Manziel is done for the season.
"We need our fans to make it really hard on whoever the quarterback is in their offense, and we need to go play our best game of the year," Harbaugh said. "We need them cheering loud, and we need to go win this game."
Regardless of the outcome of Sunday's matchup, this will be the final game in Baltimore this year. The Ravens are out of the AFC North race, so they aren't in contention to host a playoff game even if they make the postseason.
While Sunday's game isn't a win-and-get-in situation for the Ravens – they also need the Chiefs to beat the Chargers – the Ravens will likely know their playoff fate when the game ends. The Chiefs and Chargers also have a 1 p.m. kickoff, so there could be cause for celebration inside the stadium if both games go Baltimore's way.
"We're playing a game for the playoffs," Harbaugh said. "We have a chance to make the playoffs, and it starts with winning the game. That's what we have to do. So, that's our focus – completely, totally, 100 percent that is our focus – and that's all we're thinking about."
