This is exactly why I had this matchup as one of my games of the week.
While talking with the media prior to the Week 4 AFC North rivalry contest against the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith kept it absolutely real, guaranteeing to thoroughly embarrass the Browns at home “in front of their wife and kids.”
And just like that, this already-sexy game got a lot more sexy.
“Their wife, kids, [and] everyone is there to watch them. So, we’re going over there to beat their tails in front of their wife and kids,” said Smith to the press Thursday, speaking about his “motivation” to beat Cleveland.
“So, when you think about it from that perspective, any man is going to fight till the death at that point,” Smith continued. “I know if that’s me in that case, I know I would. So, I think about it from that standpoint. I’m just going in just like I prepared for any other gameplay till [you hear] the whistle, play physical and hit anything that moves.”
WATCH:
Roquan Smith, with smile on his face, before the Ravens trip to Cleveland: “We going over to beat their tails in front of their wife and kids.”pic.twitter.com/mBw2ILN2h7
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) September 28, 2023
My man said he was “going to fight till the death” though!
In my NFL Week 4 Picks, I had the Baltimore Ravens-Cleveland Browns game as my third-best of the week, but if the Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers wasn’t going on while I’m writing this, I would totally bump up the Ravens-Browns to No. 2. Because you know with still two days to go until the game (and you also have Sunday morning at that), we’ll have ish talkin’ from the Browns — which will in turn spark up more ish talkin’. And F-U-N on the field.
And this is why we love rivalries, ladies and gentlemen. That hatred. (RELATED: Dolphins Or Bills? Lions Or Packers? Ravens Or Browns? Andrew Powell Makes His NFL Week 4 Picks)
I expect the players (and fans) to beat the living hell out of each other, and you better believe I got my popcorn ready.