A Ratings War with the Ravens?

The Baltimore Ravens are kicking everyone in the teeth this year. They run on you, run through you and run around you. Or at least Lamar Jackson does. The Redskins just finally started to do that late Sunday afternoon. That's why a ratings war which is supposedly on the table is not reality.

© Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Go figure! The Baltimore Ravens are very popular! Or maybe it's their electric quarterback?  All over the country, all over the National Football League. All over Washington D.C. apparently, which should be no surprise at all. 

Ravens game ratings in DC —> 9.5
Redskins game ratings in DC —> 5.3
This is a major, major problem for Ashburn. Major.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) December 2, 2019

The Ravens are not only good (the Redskins are not) but they are incredibly interesting and exciting (the Redskins are not).

Washington was down 14-0 before you knew it on Sunday and I would be willing to bet many clicked over and rarely checked back. 

The 49ers and Ravens played a tight game, in the rain. It was everything you would want. 

Football fans are fairly smart. They understood where the best investment for their time was. 

Those were the early raw numbers and wisely, I held off until more information came in as J.P. Finlay also pointed out. 

Those numbers are in key demographic for advertisers. Overall Ravens still beat Redskins but it was closer. 12.5 for Ravens to 11.7 for Redskins. Skins game also had a ratings surge late, once team had lead and Ravens game ended.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) December 2, 2019

You might say it's embarrassing under any circumstances for the Ravens to beat the Redskins but I believe this has more to do with Lamar Jackson, than the popularity of the Baltimore team as a whole. 

Sure, they are winning fans but I think HE is winning fans and captivating interest. 

In my opinion, it's not the Ravens vs. Redskins - it's Lamar Jackson vs. the Redskins or everyone. 

Until the second half of Sunday's win, the Redskins have been beyond boring. Lame is more like it. Watching paint dry was more fun. Sorry, that's the truth. 

American sports fans like an entertaining winner or a team that they hate. The Ravens, almost exclusively because of Jackson, have gone from dreadfully boring last year midway through the year to high octane fun in a year or so. 

The other element at play is this: FOX usually has higher ratings for NFL football than CBS. The Redskins Panthers game was cross-flexed to CBS because FOX wanted the 49ers - Ravens game in as many markets as possible, because they already didn't have the 4:25 doubleheader window to switch the game into. 

That element contributed sharply to a better audience for a better game and a more exciting talent. 

Chris Russell is the Publisher of Maven & Sports Illustrated's Washington Redskins channel. He can be heard on 106.7 The FAN in the Washington D.C. area and world-wide on Radio.com. Chris also hosts the "Locked on Redskins" Podcast and can be read via subscription to Warpath Magazine. You can e-mail Chris at russellmania09@Gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @Russellmania621.