Home sweet home
It feels like months since the Ravens have stepped foot on the field at M&T Bank Stadium, and if it seems like that long to you and me, imagine how long this string of road games has seemed to the players.
In reality, it's been nearly a month since John Harbaugh's gang played at home, and with five of their previous six games away from Baltimore, it's been quite a stretch for the Ravens.
On top of all the road trips, Baltimore has had to play without its bye week because of the postponement of the Texans game due to Hurricane Ike. They were able to come out of this recent six game stretch with a 4-2 record, and now they'll be rewarded for their travels with four of their final six at home.
During the last few weeks, the players did their best not to complain about the schedule, but now that they're back home, a few have admitted that it's been a rough road.
"When you miss your bye week and you've got five out of six on the road, it's just long," Ray Lewis said. "It's just long, man, and you dread through it. You get through it. You fight, you fight, you fight. You go from plane to plane, this and that. But it just feels good to not have to go get on a plane this week and get to stay at my home. Saturday is a regular Saturday. Lie in your own bed for a while and things like that.
"I think the guys kind of feel it, too. Not just in here, but the city is kind of feeling it, you know? We've been away from Baltimore for almost over a month now, so just to be back playing at home... You never want to go through that rough of a schedule, to have to do that. But I think to come out the way we did, I don't think you can ask for anything else."
Derrick Mason cracked a smile when asked about returning to M&T and you could see the happiness in his face.
"Finally, we're back at home," Mason said. "And I think at the beginning of the season we looked at it, and you put your head down a little bit and said, 'Man, we're taking this long road stretch.'
"But, then as you start to really pull it back, and you see come the end of November, late December, you're at home. That's what you want, because we are a very good home team, and what better place to go this last stretch of six games, to have the bulk of them at home?"
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