12 October 2023
Quarterback Lamar Jackson had Tuesday off as usual. What was unusual was where he spent it: wandering the streets of central London along with the rest of his Ravens teammates.
Baltimore plays the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, about eight miles north of the heart of the city, and unlike the last time it played here, in 2017 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team arrived nearly a week ahead of time, landing late Monday night.
The reason was simple. Last time, the Ravens didn’t arrive until Friday morning, had one practice that day, then two days later promptly got blown out, 42-7, in what was the second-biggest margin of defeat in franchise history.
“We’re getting settled in,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We’re all sleeping just a little better than we did a day or two ago. We’re getting a feel for the time. We’re going to be better for it, so we’ll see. There’s no science on it. Teams have come over here early and done well and not done well. They’ve come on Thursday and done well and not done well. Hopefully, this is something that works for us.”
For Jackson, it was just his third time out of the United States, he said, and first time to England. He also did a little shopping, buying his mom, Felicia Jones, a Chanel purse.
“I’m loving London,” he said.
And at least some fans seem to feel the same way about the quarterback. At one point Jackson was walking down the street when a couple of Brits approached him and asked, “Are you Lamar?”
“I’m like, ‘Yes, it’s me,’ he said. “I took a picture with those guys. It was a fun experience for me. … For me to have fans in London, I never dreamed about that, so that’s amazing to me.
“I didn’t know [how popular the NFL is here] until people recognized me. I was like, ‘That’s crazy. I’m known in London.’
The rest of his teammates might not be as well known, said cornerback Marlon Humphrey, but there are plenty of opportunities for fans to interact all week.
After Wednesday’s practice, that included an NFL Play 60 clinic with several Ravens players, including Jackson and Humphrey, at Tottenham Hotspur training ground. Thursday, the team’s mascot, Poe, cheerleaders and the marching band will hold an event at The Counting House, the unofficial Ravens pub. Friday, there’s a bus tour that will roll past popular landmarks the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral, among others. And Saturday, there will be another party at the pub.
“You come to London you want to at least see it,” Humphrey told the team’s website. “Just about everybody here does not know who any of us are except Lamar and Odell [Beckham Jr.], so it’s really cool to be just teaching them basic fundamentals of the game.”
Humphrey also said the experience of spending extra time with teammates while in London has been a good bonding experience.
Jackson, meanwhile, played catch with some of the kids at the clinic and posed for photos with players from Tottenham Hotspur’s U-18 and U-21 teams.
“I need to do my research on the food I want to try, but I’m hearing Hotspurs are No. 1 in their league,” he said of the Premier League club that is 8-6-2 and tied atop the standings with rival Arsenal. “Hopefully, they win it all.”
As for Harbaugh, he left most of the sightseeing for his wife, Ingrid, who he said spent some of Tuesday touring with the rest of the players at the Tower of London and the Churchill Museum.
“There are no days off for coaches,” he said.
Still, he turned reflective about his first time out of the U.S., visiting Iraq in 2009 and later Afghanistan and the impact that seeing other countries and cultures can have.
“That was kind of an eye-opener, to say the least,” he said. “When you get outside the country it’s kind of cool to see there’s a whole world out there and for guys to see that is a really great experience. And for me, it was one of those things I appreciated home, I appreciated America.”
But after two stunning losses to the Colts and Steelers in the last three games, he’d also appreciate his team being more consistent and faring better than their last trip to London.
“We understand it’s a business trip,” Harbaugh said. “We’re here for a purpose, and the purpose is to put our best foot forward on Sunday.”
Week 6
Ravens vs. Titans
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Sunday, 9:30 a.m.
TV: Chs. 11, 4, NFL Network
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
Line: Ravens by 4
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