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Former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III thinks that the National Football League is helping the Ravens win a championship.
The former ESPN broadcaster posted a video on his social media elaborating on what he believes is a conspiracy from the NFL to help the Ravens “get over the hump.”
“At this point in Lamar Jackson’s career — every season is Super Bowl or bust,” Griffin said. “That’s how special the two-time MVP has been. And the only thing the NFL wants more than a dynasty like the Chiefs, is a team or a player that gets over the hump. And that’s exactly what the NFL schedule makers are trying to help the Ravens do. They gave them an additional 16 days of rest over their opponents … and not only that, they make sure [the Ravens] are not on the road, or should I say, away from home, more than two weeks in a row … They want to make sure they are well-rested … You got a new duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, these dudes are dynamic playmakers, why wouldn’t the NFL want them to be well-rested.”
The former Heisman Trophy winner also disregarded what is a tough slate of games to start of the Raven’s season — Chiefs, Raiders, Cowboys, Bills, Bengals — claiming that it won’t be as tough as it seems because the Ravens are have a different mentality. He even called the Week 1 matchup against the Chiefs a “wash.”
“Understand this, that in that building, when [the Ravens] see the schedule come out, they don’t ever say, ‘Oh my goodness we got to play that team, and that team, and that team, and that team!’ Those teams have to play the Ravens, and that is a big difference in their mindset compared to the rest of the league.
The Ravens have a tough schedule — that much is clear. No “mentality” will make a game less challenging, even for a talented team like Baltimore.
One might also wonder — how exactly could this schedule, or the league, assist the Ravens?
Make the playoffs? With this roster, they likely would regardless.
Secure home-field advantage? The Ravens did last year — and lost at home in the AFC Championship game.
The “hump” the Ravens have to get over is their competition in the playoffs, and like previous teams throughout NFL history, they will have to do it on their own.