Nov. 14, 2004.
On that day, the Ravens traveled to the Meadowlands in New Jersey and beat the New York Jets, 20-17. It has been 21 months since the Ravens won that day, which marks their last regular season road victory. Eleven losses to New England, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh (twice), Tennessee, Detroit, Chicago, Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Denver and Cleveland have followed. The team lost all eight road games in the 2005 season.
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As the Ravens (1-1 in the preseason) head to Minnesota on Friday for a preseason game with the Vikings (1-1), they hope to educate themselves in how to win on the road.
“It?s like anything,” said head coach Brian Billick. “The matter of training camp and preseason is to get you ready for the preseason. This is our first road game. Players have got to create a routine for themselves ? how we travel, in a night game, what are you going to do the day of the game. We scrutinize it like we do everything, and you have got to play well on the road to do well in this league, and that includes the preseason.”
The Ravens won one of two road preseason games last year, beating New Orleans, 21-6, in a game just days before Hurricane Katrina hit.
To say the team has struggled away from M&T Bank Stadium would be an understatement. Opponents outscored the Ravens, 194-110, last season. Players, though, dismiss the notion that the team?s struggles are psychological.
“I don?t even think about it,” said defensive tackle Kelly Gregg. “We don?t even want to think about it. We just know that in this league, you have to win on the road.”
Punt returner B.J. Sams said the team has suffered from a lack of focus during away games.
“We didn?t have any excuses,” Sams said. “We just didn?t finish what we started.”
Billick attributed the two-year streak to the team?s overall poor showing (6-10 last season) and said, “When you are playing well, you win at home and you win on the road. When you?re not playing well, you don?t win at home and you don?t win on the road. It?s pretty much that simple.”
The team was clearly much more comfortable at home in 2005, as it went 6-2 and outscored its opponents, 165-105. One of the biggest wins of the season was a 16-13 victory over eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh.
Sams said a game ? home or away ? can be the difference between playing in January and watching games from home.
“We just take it one game at a time and look forward to the game that is coming up that week,” he said.
Road test
The Ravens? losses in away games since Nov. 14, 2004:
» Nov. 28, 2004 ? New England, 24-3
» Dec. 19, 2004 ? Indianapolis, 20-10
» Dec. 26, 2004 ? Pittsburgh, 20-7
» Sept. 18, 2005 ? Tennessee, 25-10
» Oct. 9, 2005 ? Detroit, 35-17
» Oct. 23, 2005 ? Chicago, 10-6
» Oct. 31, 2005 ? Pittsburgh, 20-19
» Nov. 13, 2005 ? Jacksonville, 30-3
» Nov. 27, 2005 ? Cincinnati, 42-29
» Dec. 11, 2005 ? Denver, 12-10
» Jan. 1, 2006 ? Cleveland, 20-16
