You read that headline correctly. The Baltimore Ravens have won 23 preseason games in a row, dating back approximately 6 years.
The latest victory, a trouncing over the Washington Commanders, came with a big helping hand from former Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown. The undrafted rookie has done an incredible job this year of making a case for a roster spot in Baltimore, and his play throughout the preseason will likely be enough to force the Ravens’ hand into reserving one of the 53 spots on the depth chart for him.
Related: Anthony Brown’s preseason breakout Oregon fans to question Mario Cristobal
A week ago, after Brown really burst onto the scene with the Ravens, I wrote this about his time in Eugene, and how it didn’t shine a good light on Mario Cristobal and the Ducks’ previous coaching staff:
After the Ducks watched hometown hero Justin Herbert catapult his way into MVP conversations and early Hall of Fame talks in just two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, many wondered where that remarkable talent was during his Oregon career. We saw glimpses of Herbert’s arm strength, and ability to run the ball, but nothing like we’ve seen regularly on Sunday afternoons in the past two years.
Now you’re telling me that Brown is starting to flourish in the NFL after leaving Cristobal’s offense? Once is a coincidence; twice and you may have some hard questions to answer.
Of course, Cristobal is not completely to blame for Brown’s frustrating 2021 season. Often, the Ducks’ starting QB was downright inaccurate, careless with the ball and unable to make the necessary throws to find holes in coverage and exploit a defense. Not all of his struggles were due to Cristobal’s conservative scheme, but the fact Brown is firing darts and impressing on a national level with the Ravens, it certainly doesn’t look great for the new Miami Hurricanes coach.
A lot of that still holds true a week later. Even if Baltimore does cut Brown, it feels pretty likely that another NFL team in need of a dynamic backup QB would come calling pretty quickly. That’s not something that any Oregon fan would have predicted a year ago based on what we’d seen on the field.
Did you miss the action on Saturday night? Here are some of the best highlights and reactions on social media for the former Duck.