Ravens Insider: Ravens and Commanders fans act more like family than bitter rivals

ExtremeRavens · October 13

Traversing the parking lot outside M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday morning, Ravens and Commanders fans looked more like old pals than budding rivals. They toasted drinks and shared tailgate food in the lead-up to the biggest NFL game of the weekend.

Inside, there were no shortage of couples and friends or families split by jersey affiliation — one wearing Lamar Jackson’s No. 8 and the other in Jayden Daniels’ No. 5. It didn’t feel like two teams in close proximity playing at a high level eager to go at each other’s throats.

The 30-23 victory by the Ravens felt more like a family cookout for the 71,316 fans at Sunday’s game in Baltimore.

“The dynamic, to me,” said Roxanne Smith, a 59-year-old lifelong Ravens fan, “is like, we’re home and our cousins and our family just came 35 miles to hang with us. … I feel like it’s cohesive and everybody loves each other.”

It’s impossible to paint this game as a rivalry. Players, coaches and fans agree on that one, considering the teams play in different conferences and have met only eight times in the past 28 years. A quadrennial matchup, the last of which happened in an empty Northwest Stadium in Landover during the pandemic, makes it difficult to connect.

But the energy seems to have shifted.

After a sluggish 0-2 start, the Ravens are humming to the tune of a four-game win streak. Jackson is playing at “third MVP level,” according to running back Derrick Henry. And Daniels, Washington’s rookie sensation under center, is reinvigorating District fans as the best team in the NFC East.

Thus, these fanbases — dividing family and friends — can bask in the thrill of what feels to them like the height of family competition.

Like Smith told her 34-year-old daughter, Ratasha Lindsey, “you have the Commanders with your new rookie quarterback. But we have Lamar Jackson, the corkscrew. … We’ll host you but we’re still Ravens nation.”

Sunday’s game was a shared birthday gift for cousins Dwymond Clark, 62, and Bobby Hayes, 28. The Baltimore natives live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, but drove up just for this matchup. Clark wore his throwback Gary Clark jersey — Washington’s All-Pro receiver of the 1980s and ’90s. And Hayes repped Ed Reed, the Ravens’ Hall of Fame safety and Super Bowl champion.

“I get talked junk to all the time by my friends at home,” said Clark, a lifelong Washington fan. “My sister is a Pittsburgh [Steelers] fan. My cousin is a Denver [Broncos] fan. My baby brother is a [Dallas] Cowboys fan. My little cousin here is a Baltimore fan. And everyone’s talking junk to me! I’m the oldest!”

Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs during a game against the Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium. The run lead to a field goal. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) — Sunday’s game was entertaining, and fans of both teams seemed pleased with the performance of their favorite franchise. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)

The tantalizing play of Daniels and the upstart Commanders means Clark can start chirping back. Well, he was before but now he has more ground to stand on.

Kevin St-Pierre and Frederic Bilodeau were another example of pals wearing Jackson and Daniels jerseys. They’re from Montreal, both in their late 20s, and drove nine hours Saturday specifically for this game — Bilodeau’s first NFL game and St-Pierre’s first time seeing his Commanders in person.

The former was drawn to Baltimore by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, then stamped his fandom for life when Jackson was drafted in 2018. The latter’s allegiance began with the last dual-threat Washington quarterback that billowed hope: Robert Griffin III, whose career spiraled because of injuries.

“Jayden Daniels has been nothing short of amazing,” St-Pierre said. He has endured the ride of mediocrity, with one nine-win season in the last decade. Now, it feels more like his football fandom is going through imposter syndrome.

“Everybody’s talking about us, it actually feels good,” he said. “It’s just just nice to be recognized again. We got out of the [owner] Dan Snyder era and all the toxicity that came with it. It feels like a breath of fresh air.”

As outsiders to the Battle of the Beltway, they were floored by how split the crowd looked. A sea of purple with a noticeable burgundy invasion. Cheers on every play, one way or the other.

St-Pierre acknowledged that he has been a bit of a Jackson hater the past few years. Perhaps more a result of his own team’s struggles. Bilodeau chimed in, “but since he has a QB like Lamar Jackson, his team has been really good!”

Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.