Getty Patrick Ricard carries the American flag on the field.
The Baltimore Ravens don’t have much to play for in Week 17 other than health ahead of the NFL playoffs, but that didn’t stop John Harbaugh from sending a very strong message to his team.
After practice on Friday, Harbaugh brought 100 year old World War II Steve Melnikoff to practice and let him share his experience with the team. As was explained, Melnikoff was on the beaches of Normandy during World War II and shared some of his experiences with the squad.
Here’s a look at the meeting:
Today we had a special visit from Steve Melnikoff, a 100-year-old Ravens fan who fought in World War II. He earned four Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.
We thank Steve for sharing his wisdom. It was a great honor.
“I’ve been a Ravens from from day one, I’ve been a Colts fan from day one. Back then there were no New England Patriots, so I hate ’em,” Melnikoff said to cheers from the team, even in spite of the fact that he was from Rhode Island.
As for his message to the team, Melnikoff said it was simple.
“I’m with you all the way and by gosh, we’re going all the way,” Melnikoff said, before breaking down the huddle by saying “fight ’em.”
Tough for anyone to watch this and not feel motivated.
Ravens Making Statements in 2019
The Ravens have plenty of confidence as it relates to thinking they can go all the way. As the numbers show, the Ravens have beaten some of the best teams on their schedule this season in order to crack this advantage for 2019. It’s not easy to beat the Seahawks on the road, nor is it easy to beat the 49ers. In addition to those wins, Baltimore has also beaten the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Los Angeles Rams and most recently in a huge battle of solid teams, the Buffalo Bills. Those are some of the best of the best thus far this season.
With an impressive body of work as a whole, the Ravens have made statements not only in the fact that they have won, but how they have gotten the job done. The offense has put up points and yards, while the defense has managed to keep the opposition in check as well. That type of two-headed attack only proves how dangerous the Ravens have been and could be the rest of the way.
As the playoffs come into sharper focus, it’s clear the Ravens will have a big advantage over their competition.
Ravens Clinch Important Bye With Win
With their 31-15 win over the Cleveland Browns, the Ravens have clinched home field advantage for the 2019 playoffs, which is a huge advantage for the team. That means all of the teams will have to come through M&T Bank Stadium if they want to advance in the playoffs.
Baltimore has secured the #1 seed in the AFC!
Now that the Ravens have locked up home field, the focus will become where everyone else will get slotted. Baltimore won’t have to worry about playing a game during the first weekend as they have now clinched themselves a bye week. As the top seed, Baltimore will also get to play the worst remaining seed after the first weekend of the postseason.
All of that could add up to be huge for the Ravens in terms of momentum and could be a significant advantage for the team.
Similarly, getting a lesson from one of the true heroes could help galvanize the squad in the proper way.
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