NFL analyst claims Justin Tucker was pre-emptively slapped on the wrist ahead of season opener against Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes
Justin Tucker could be the difference in the primetime season opener on Thursday night. However, his leg might not be the cause of the loss. At least, that is what NFL analyst Mike Florio claimed on a September 3 edition of "Pro Football Talk."
Speaking on the program, Florio spotlighted Tucker's delivery of the following quote provided by the program.
"I will prepare my focus will be on preparing myself to go in to the football game and contribute to a Ravens win. That's all I care about," Tucker said to reporters [1:24].
Florio analyzed the delivery of the line, concluding that John Harbaugh wanted Tucker to do everything in his power to not anger Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
"Now it's funny," Florio said. "This is another example of the difference between the words that you see on a screen and the way they're delivered, the way they were delivered, tells me that John Harbaugh said to him, there better not be a word that comes out of your mouth.
"There better not be an action that comes out of your body that in any way riles up the Chiefs," Florio added [1:35 PFT].
Of course, the foundation of the analysis comes from what transpired the last time the two teams met in the 2023 AFC Championship.
What happened with Justin Tucker last year against Chiefs?
In a brief interaction caught on camera in the leadup to the championship showdown, Tucker was spotted stretching on the Chiefs side of the field. While he was doing so, Travis Kelce walked over and threw his helmet and a few other items aside nonchalantly without asking permission as Tucker watched.
Justin Tucker's Ravens trailed the Chiefs for most of the contest between the teams later that day. The Chiefs and Ravens were tied at the end of one quarter at seven points each.
Then, the Chiefs ripped off 10 unanswered points in the second quarter. The Ravens cut the deficit to seven points, but it was too late.
Patrick Mahomes advanced to Las Vegas to face the San Francisco 49ers, while Justin Tucker's Ravens stayed behind in Baltimore. After chewing on the loss for most of the 2024 calendar year, the Ravens walk into Kansas City with the ability to get closure on the missed opportunity.
The Ravens and Chiefs will play on Thursday, September 5 at 8:20 PM EST on NBC.
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Pro Football Talk" and H/T Sportskeeda.