So this is what it feels like to be Duke...

[somedumbguy]

With all of this Postergate nonsense and the fact that we ended their season last year, the Broncos fans appear to have this circled as a must-win super-important revenge rivalry game of the year. If they lose I think a bunch of their fans will abandon their team and jump off whatever the Denver equivalent of of the Bay Bridge is.

I am kind of like "meh" .

They are a good team that we are likely to see in the playoffs but if we lose its no big deal. If we win it says good things about our team and if we lose its a loss we can completely recover from and still have a good season. I care about beating the Bengals and Stealers a lot more. I care about beating the Patriots. I think I am even looking forward to Texans game as a more important test for our team.

Its kind of like when Maryland plays Duke every year in basketball and everybody gets up for Duke Week at College Park and Duke is like "Who are you again? When do we play the Tar Heels?"

[RavenScallywag]

I'm going to duck and cover before I say this...but in order to truly be Duke, you need to consistently own them. At best, we're a back and forth team in this "new rivalry".

If you want an example of how we are Duke...look no further than Cleveland. That makes more sense because it's STILL an important gave, divisionally speaking, but it's own that we have outright OWNED most years, and we have so much stronger rivalries with Cincy and Pitt over Cleveland. Cleveland probably targets us as their biggest rival, but in order for it to be reciprocated, they have to start antagonizing us by winning.

I'm not trying to jinx us with this. That could happen sooner than we think, with the changes they have been making in the last few years. Some of the really poor decision makers have been weeded out there.

[somedumbguy]

I'm going to duck and cover before I say this...but in order to truly be Duke, you need to consistently own them. At best, we're a back and forth team in this "new rivalry".

If you want an example of how we are Duke...look no further than Cleveland.

We have a pretty good record against the Broncos historically:

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...tm2=den&yr=all

And two of those losses ended their season.

Maryland has had some pretty good victories against Duke, but its not really about wins and losses or the score of the next game. Its about fans caring about the importance of the game. But as much as Maryland wanted Duke to be a rival, Duke already had one in North Carolina and Duke was never going to care about Maryland as much as Maryland cared about Duke. Going off topic, its one of the reasons why I don't mind the move to the Big10. I am hoping Maryland can find a rival in Penn State or Rutgers that could be reciprocated. As a Ravens fan, there is no rivalry with Denver. Its just sort of another game.

[RavenScallywag]

I think Denver has the same attitude mostly. They are putting a LOT into this game because of how things ended last year. That's it. There's not much comparison to our situation because in recent years, the team that ended our season was at least partially a rival...

2006 - Colts
2007 (Not worth mentioning)
2008 - Steelers
2009 - Colts
2010 - Steelers
2011 - Patriots

But let's have a hypothetical...let's say that in this year or a future year, we get bounced from the playoffs by the Chargers. We have a 5-4 record all time vs Chargers. Would we circle a matchup with the Chargers in the regular season the following year? Absolutely. Would you consider them a rival? Hell no.

Denver doesn't consider us a rival yet, because we don't have a very rich history between us at this time. A better comparison would be Ravens-Patriots. As of late, we have met in the playoffs and regular season several times. Up until probably 2010 though, they had our number. Since 2010, we are 3-2 against them. Before 2010, 0-5.

Do you think the Patriots consider us a rival?

[Ravens75]

With all of this Postergate nonsense and the fact that we ended their season last year, the Broncos fans appear to have this circled as a must-win super-important revenge rivalry game of the year. If they lose I think a bunch of their fans will abandon their team and jump off whatever the Denver equivalent of of the Bay Bridge is.

I am kind of like "meh" .

They are a good team that we are likely to see in the playoffs but if we lose its no big deal. If we win it says good things about our team and if we lose its a loss we can completely recover from and still have a good season. I care about beating the Bengals and Stealers a lot more. I care about beating the Patriots. I think I am even looking forward to Texans game as a more important test for our team.

Its kind of like when Maryland plays Duke every year in basketball and everybody gets up for Duke Week at College Park and Duke is like "Who are you again? When do we play the Tar Heels?"

A couple of points:

-The Godfather Gil Brandt stated on his show yesterday that stats show that when a team starts the season 1-0 there chances of going to the playoffs go up significantly
-This game could have seeding and tie-breaker implications because they are one of what I believe to be four teams (NE,Den,Cincy and yes Pitts) that the Ravens will be jockeying with all season long for playoff positioning
-

As for Duke not acknowledging MD as a rival is more to get under Terp fans skin than anything else. In the last 4-5 years MD has struggled against Duke (only winning 3 out of a possible 16 games) but for a 6-7 year run the Terps did more damage to Duke than anyone else and it wasn't even close. Jay Williams detest MD and Shane Battier admitted that MD was their main rival during his time at Duke. While MD will never be Duke's main rival they are probably second. Like Washington, Duke's arrogance forbids them from embracing this rivalry publicly but behind closed doors they detest MD much like the Slurs act as if the Ravens are another team but behind the scenes they want to be everything the Ravens are. As for the Slurs this area would be electric if they acknowledged the Ravens as a rival. The example they have is right there in the their division. Although the Slurs main rival are the boys everyone in that division hates the Cowboys ad you know what Dallas acknowledges that and throws some hate back their way. That's how you build your brand and the ones within it by accepting that its simply good for business, storylines, drama and the trappings that come with it.

[somedumbguy]

I think Denver has the same attitude mostly. They are putting a LOT into this game because of how things ended last year. That's it. There's not much comparison to our situation because in recent years, the team that ended our season was at least partially a rival...

2006 - Colts
2007 (Not worth mentioning)
2008 - Steelers
2009 - Colts
2010 - Steelers
2011 - Patriots
But let's have a hypothetical...let's say that in this year or a future year, we get bounced from the playoffs by the Chargers. We have a 5-4 record all time vs Chargers. Would we circle a matchup with the Chargers in the regular season the following year? Absolutely. Would you consider them a rival? Hell no.

Denver doesn't consider us a rival yet, because we don't have a very rich history between us at this time. A better comparison would be Ravens-Patriots. As of late, we have met in the playoffs and regular season several times. Up until probably 2010 though, they had our number. Since 2010, we are 3-2 against them. Before 2010, 0-5.

Do you think the Patriots consider us a rival?

Since I live in Boston, I can tell you that the Patriots don't consider anybody their rival. They believe Brady and Bellicheck are football gods incarnate with no equal on this earth. They love to hate the jets but since they suck so badly they just mostly make fun of them and obsess about the Yankees. While we are not a rival, most patriots fans respect the Ravens even if they will not outwardly admit it. They know the Ravens do not fear Tom Brady and the Patriots like some other teams do.

But I think that feeling is mutual. I don't think of the Patriots as a rival either. They are a good football team who we need to beat to get to a championship. It's a big game because I know they will be there in the end. I don't have personal animosity because they kicked us out of the playoffs a few years back. They won, we lost. When we played them last year, it was not revenge for the year before, it was because they stood between us and the Lombardi.

[Ravens75]

Since I live in Boston, I can tell you that the Patriots don't consider anybody their rival. They believe Brady and Bellicheck are football gods incarnate with no equal on this earth. They love to hate the jets but since they suck so badly they just mostly make fun of them and obsess about the Yankees. While we are not a rival, most patriots fans respect the Ravens even if they will not outwardly admit it. They know the Ravens do not fear Tom Brady and the Patriots like some other teams do.

But I think that feeling is mutual. I don't think of the Patriots as a rival either. They are a good football team who we need to beat to get to a championship. It's a big game because I know they will be there in the end. I don't have personal animosity because they kicked us out of the playoffs a few years back. They won, we lost. When we played them last year, it was not revenge for the year before, it was because they stood between us and the Lombardi.

I agree.

I spend a lot of time in that area and there is not a more arrogant and smug fan base. The funny part is that the Pats still take a backseat to the Sox and its not even close.

[lowrider]

When was the last time Duke gave up a home game against a conference rival because of a baseball game? Also, if you listen to most talking heads, the Ravens will struggle to make the playoffs, while Denver will win the SB. So who is Duke here?

[Random Thoughts]

A couple of points:

While MD will never be Duke's main rival they are probably second. Like Washington, Duke's arrogance forbids them from embracing this rivalry publicly but behind closed doors they detest MD much like the Slurs act as if the Ravens are another team but behind the scenes they want to be everything the Ravens are.

I have to beg to differ here...

Historically speaking, Maryland holds the most victory against top ranked teams, and that is for a good reason because it was in a conference with Duke and North Carolina.

Now, Duke and UNC despite UMD with tremendous passion... and it has more to do with the rabid fan base when it comes to these two teams... I will admit that the intensity of dislike for these two teams have been differed by a degree... Anyway, if I recalled correctly, an UMD student threw a beer bottle at a parent of a Duke player not too long ago?? How can a team not to loathe playing a school who practically acted like a unwanted stepchild who demands equal footing?

With that said, I am not sure if it is similar to Ravens and Denver... nonetheless, I think Denver might be slighted by us because we pretty much dashed their Super Bowl aspirations twice (both times, we went on winning the Super Bowl). Moreover, we have been historically able to "bully" them with our physicality. It always seems like Denver would fold instantly as soon as we smash them in the mouth...

[Random Thoughts]

somedumbguy,

I wonder if this has something to do with the apparent genuine respect these two teams have of each others? Belichick was raised in Annapolis. He also "mentored" Ozzie (or at least gave him pointers, which Ozzie embraces to this day).... Finally, Belichick and Tom Brady have tremendous respect for Ed Reed and Ray Lewis... I mentioned this because.. whenever the Patriots speak about the Ravens, its with a genuine admiration and respect. When the Patriots speak of other teams, including Manning's Colts, you could sense the disdain or at least a "who are they?" attitude.

Together, it is probably why we do not consider the patriots as rival... they aren't arrogant to us and we aren't to them.

[packfntk]

Just thought I would throw my two cents in.

Do you guys think that New England is a rival of yours? Always like to get thoughts from each teams fans.

Haven't you only played the Pats like 10 times? Can that be considered a rivalry? Or is it just a good modern mini-rivalry?

You still consider Pitt your biggest Rival right? I love those games. There are a few games I look forward to watching each year and that is definitely a matchup I circle on my calendar. Always close, good physical football games.

[somedumbguy]

somedumbguy,

I wonder if this has something to do with the apparent genuine respect these two teams have of each others? Belichick was raised in Annapolis. He also "mentored" Ozzie (or at least gave him pointers, which Ozzie embraces to this day).... Finally, Belichick and Tom Brady have tremendous respect for Ed Reed and Ray Lewis... I mentioned this because.. whenever the Patriots speak about the Ravens, its with a genuine admiration and respect. When the Patriots speak of other teams, including Manning's Colts, you could sense the disdain or at least a "who are they?" attitude.

Together, it is probably why we do not consider the patriots as rival... they aren't arrogant to us and we aren't to them.

There are a couple of things. Love them or hate them, the Patriots and Tom Brady have won a lot of football games. Most teams go up to Foxboro and fold like the Texans did last year. The Ravens over the last few years have proved to be an exception to that rule. When the Patriots hit them the Ravens hit back. They don't always win but it commands respect. Manning is a different case. Tom Brady knows he is good and is competing against history to be one of the best ever to play the game. I think he has always wanted to establish himself as the best QB of his generation, and Peyton Manning is his greatest competition. Brady's biggest claim over Manning is that he has been to 5 Superbowls and won 3 while Manning has some horrendous early exits from the playoffs. So I think whenever Manning comes up in the convesation, the Patriots pretty much like to point out Manning's biggest flaws. maybe it is genuine, maybe it is to get under his skin a bit, probably a little bit of both.