Move over Vince Lombardi, John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens have matched one of your NFL records.
Harbaugh led the Ravens to their 19th consecutive preseason victory Saturday night, tying Lombardi's Green Bay Packers teams from 1959 to 1962 for the all-time mark. Despite not having Lamar Jackson nor Trace McSorley for this one, the Ravens were able to defeat the Carolina Panthers easily -- scoring the final 20 points in a 20-3 victory.
Baltimore's winning streak began against Carolina in 2016 and has continued for five years -- the longest span for preseason win streaks in league history. While wins and losses don't matter in the preseason, the Ravens do share a place in the record books thanks to the competitive nature of Harbaugh.
"It means a lot," Harbaugh said about the winning streak last week. "Whether it's a winning streak, or just the idea of how you approach the games. I just think it's a credit to the players in terms of preparation and the coaches over the years in terms of we run a good training camp, offseason program and guys are ready to play good fundamental football. That's what wins, whether it's preseason or whatever it might be."
The Ravens typically don't play their starters in the preseason, making the streak even more impressive. Despite J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards sitting out this one, Baltimore was able to run for 167 yards in the victory. Undrafted rookie Nate McCrary led the Ravens with 15 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown, while Ty'Son Williams finished with 10 carries for 47 yards and a score.
Baltimore will try to set the NFL record for consecutive preseason victories next Saturday with a road matchup against the Washington Football Team. The New England Patriots are the only NFL team to win 20 consecutive games in the regular season and postseason combined, winning 21 straight between 2003 and 2004. The Indianapolis Colts won 23 consecutive regular-season games between 2008 and 2009.
Baltimore's streak isn't anywhere near the magnitude of that impressive run, but the run is still magnificent in its own right.
The Ravens are loaded again: Is this the year Lamar Jackson wins it all? Download the CBS Sports app and get the latest news, insights, and surprising predictions from our team of experts. If you already have the app, make sure to favorite the Ravens to get the latest news quickly.
