When the Baltimore Ravens travel down I-95 on Saturday night to take on the Washington Football Team in each club's preseason finale, the Burgundy and Gold will be looking to snap one of the most bizarre sports streaks in recent memory.
The Ravens have won 19 straight preseason games, a stretch that began in 2016. It's tied with Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers (1959-1962) for the longest preseason winning streak in NFL history.
On Tuesday, Ron Rivera was asked about the Ravens' exhibition win streak and if that's something he's focused on entering Saturday's matchup. Washington's head coach had the perfect response.
"Does somebody want to use my catchphrase, please?" Rivera asked, before following up with his signature line -- "that's interesting."
Rivera would expand a little more on the subject, saying he doesn't necessarily care about wins or losses in the preseason, rather how his players individually perform.
"It's all about how they play," he said.
Minutes later, Washington star pass rusher Chase Young took the podium and was asked about the Ravens' streak, too. The rising second-year pro, smiling ear to ear, said the team knows about the streak but they haven't talked much about it among each other.
"All I know is that we're going to go out there and play hard with the opportunity that we get," Young said. "We'll see what happens."
Rivera declined to say how many reps his starting units will receive during Saturday's preseason finale, but it's hard to imagine either group will play all that much. Washington has to trim its roster from 80 players to 53 by August 31, so those on the roster bubble figure to see the bulk of the playing time against Baltimore.
While both Rivera and Young downplayed the preseason winning streak, Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier this week he believes it is meaningful.
"There’s going to be people that are going to say this doesn’t mean anything," Harbaugh said. "There’s going to be people that are going to look at it and say, ‘Wow, that’s something.’ I’m of the belief that everything has meaning in life."
Kickoff is set to take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday on NBC-4 and NBC Sports Washington. Coverage begins with Washington Football Kickoff live on NBC Sports Washington at 5 p.m.