Torrey Smith, Joe Flacco, and the rest of the Baltimore Ravens face a philosophical decision this weekend as to whether or not they will watch the scoreboard for the other NFL games that affect their playoff situation.
When the Ravens take the field against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, they will need to win and they will need some help if they are going to get the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC. Specifically, they will be keeping an eye on the other candidates for that sixth seed, the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Diego Chargers. They will be especially interested in seeing if the Chargers lose.
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As they play their game, then, they will naturally have their eyes on the scores of the other relevant contests. Teams often give conflicting stories on whether or not they scoreboard watch, even though they most likely definitely do it anyway.
When it comes to the Ravens, wide receiver Torrey Smith embraces scoreboard watching (from the Baltimore Sun):
"“You’re doggone right I’ll be watching that,” Smith said of the scoreboard. “Every punt, I’m looking over there. If we score a touchdown, I’m looking to see if the Chargers scored a touchdown. I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t going to be watching that scoreboard like a hawk.”"
Ever the dull one, quarterback Joe Flacco disagrees. He doesn’t want them to scoreboard watch:
"“Turn the scoreboards off, I guess,” Flacco said. “There’s nothing we can really do about that game, so we shouldn’t be really worried about it.”"
Confused about which scenario helps which AFC team reach the playoffs? Click here. To see all the scenarios for the NFC playoff picture, click here.
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