Despite a tough year in New England, John Harbaugh remains suspicious of the Patriots

The Ravens and Patriots have developed a powerful rivalry over the past decade, with multiple playoff games and lingering suspicions in New England that Baltimore instigated to #Deflategate.

This year, the game lacks momentum as the Patriots for the first time in a long time lack the skills to face the best teams in the league. Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who runs one of the best teams in the league, remains suspicious nonetheless.

“It’s the Patriots,” Harbaugh told PFT after last week’s road victory over the Colts. “These are the New England Patriots. They are coached by Bill Belichick. They are intelligent and have a great character. Cam Newton is talented. We’re just going to have to play our best football. The thing that I will continue to focus on is just playing winning football. You do this [in] the three stages, and we’re going to win matches. That’s all we need to do.

“And we are young. It is sometimes difficult for young teams to learn how to win in this league. We are much younger than people realize. This is something that I think guys have to somehow learn from experience. I include Lamar [Jackson] in this. Lamar is a young player.

In 2019, when Lamar was a year younger, the Ravens ended New England’s 8-0 start to the season. It was one of many important wins last year, as Baltimore turned a 2-2 start into a 14-2 finish.

It’s amazing that in just one year, the Ravens’ ultimate challenge has turned into a potential trap game. As the traps disappear, few trainers know how to set them like Belichick. So, yes, it makes sense that Harbaugh is wary.