The Ravens made preseason history – convincingly.
Building a 23-3 halftime lead, the Ravens rolled into the NFL record books by winning their 20th consecutive preseason game, 37-3, over Washington at FedExField. Baltimore's streak surpasses the 19 straight preseason games won by the Green Bay Packers (1959-62), coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi.
The Ravens have completed five straight undefeated preseasons under Head Coach John Harbaugh, a reflection of how diligently they practice, prepare and play, regardless of the season. Saturday's contest had the feel of so many Ravens preseason games during their streak. Their starters were prepared, their backups were prepared, and many players made winning plays.
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley was the star of Saturday's show with five touchdowns – four throwing and one running. Huntley was red hot and once the Ravens got rolling, Washington could not stop the avalanche.
Baltimore is a buzzsaw during the preseason, and Harbaugh said the record should have meaning to current and past players and coaches who helped make it happen.
"I just think it's really cool," Harbaugh said. "A lot of guys watching on TV, with their kids, telling their kids about that accomplishment and the fact they were a part of that. That's the most meaningful thing. There's other aspects of it, but to me, that's the thing that means the most."
A footnote to the record is that the Packers had their preseason record snapped by a team of college all-stars in 1963, not by an NFL team. Green Bay went on to win another four straight preseason games against NFL teams before suffering a loss.
The Ravens will have an opportunity to extend their preseason winning streak next year, and setting an NFL record in the preseason was an excellent way to prepare for Week 1. The players had been hearing about the record all week, and now they have claimed it.
"That's lit," Jackson said. "We want to win at the end of the day. I don't care if it's preseason. We compete against each other in practice. We want to win. It's good to just keep winning."
