Could Ravens-Commanders actually become a real NFL rivalry?
It may be “The Battle of the Beltway,” but it isn’t a true rivalry game. When the Washington Commanders visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, it’s going to be a highly anticipated and, most likely, extremely exciting game, but it won’t be a so-called grudge match.
You know the rules regarding these things- you can only have one true rival, and your rival team has to feel the same way about you. The Ravens (with the Pittsburgh Steelers) and the Commanders (with the Dallas Cowboys) are already spoken for.
Plus, if you believe in the concept of “secondary rivals,” the Ravens already have the Cleveland Browns, and the Commanders have the New York Giants.
So that’s covered as well. Still, this matchup of exciting play-making quarterbacks, MVP (Lamar Jackson) versus the early front-runner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (Jaylen Daniels), makes it the actual game of the week in the National Football League.
“The entire football universe is going to descend upon our state, and we’re one of the few states in the country with two football teams,” Maryland Governor and Ravens die-hard Wes Moore told The Athletic.
“Ironically, they’re not just the hottest teams on the planet, but they have two of the most exciting players on the planet.”
The Governor, who played college ball at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, will serve as honorary captain.
While these two teams are only 30 miles apart, they don’t meet often because they reside in opposite conferences. So unless they consistently meet each other in upcoming Super Bowls, it’s hard to see this becoming a true rivalry unless…
…they take a page from the college game.
This weekend brings another big game, but on the college level, “The Red River Rivalry,” previously known as “The Red River Shootout.” The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners meet on the second Saturday in October every year, but always at a neutral site.
The Red River Rivalry is always staged at the ultra-historic Cotton Bowl as part of the Texas State Fair.
Unfortunately, the league will prevent all the steps required to make this a true rivalry. The NFL can’t guarantee that this game (or any other, for that matter) can be staged on the same weekend every year.
There are no NFL games with an official moniker/marketing brand name. And what Maryland big event could this game be held in conjunction with? No neutral site is halfway between the two franchises to host it, either.
So, in other words, no, Ravens-Commanders will not become an actual rivalry any time soon.
However, this will be an entertaining game to watch! There is a reason it’s the hottest ticket in