As if the Ravens' Week 1 loss in Denver wasn't difficult enough to swallow, they had it stuck in their throats all weekend long.
After losing Thursday night, the Ravens took most of the next three days off. By Monday afternoon, they were chomping to get back on the field.
"We just can't wait to even get out there and practice," cornerback Corey Graham said. "It's not too many times you hear a player talk about they can't wait to get to practice."
In other words, the Cleveland Browns may want to look out. The defending Super Bowl champions are hungry to make amends when the Browns come to M&T Bank Stadium this Sunday.
Head Coach John Harbaugh was asked how he wants his team to feel after taking a 49-27 loss in Denver. Does he want them to move on or be ticked off?
"I want both," Harbaugh said. "I want them to feel how I feel, but that's how we all feel. We're ticked off at ourselves, to use your term. We're not happy about the way we played, especially in critical situations.
"So, yes, we should be upset about that. We also have to move on from it emotionally, and we have to prepare for the next challenge. It's just like a play. You can't carry the last play into the next play."
The Ravens have a history of coming back from lopsided losses. Under Harbaugh, they are 4-0 the week after taking a loss by 20 points or more.
They did it twice during their run to the Super Bowl last year. After a 43-13 loss at Houston in Week 7, the Ravens beat the Browns the next week. Following a 34-17 loss to Denver, the Ravens crushed the New York Giants.
The Ravens also have a track record of Week 2 not being affected by Week 1. Each of the past three years, Baltimore won its regular-season opener and fell the next week. So maybe 2013 will be the year the trend is reversed.
One streak Baltimore doesn't want to see change is their winning stretch over the Browns.
The Ravens have never lost to the Browns during Harbaugh's five-plus years. That's 10-straight wins against Cleveland, tied for the longest streak any NFL team has over a single opponent. The Denver Broncos also hold a 10-game winning streak against the Browns.
Cleveland has made it tight in recent meetings.
Last year, the Ravens beat the Browns at home largely because of an interception return for a touchdown near the end of the third quarter. Baltimore won in Cleveland, 25-15, after coming back from a deficit midway through the fourth quarter.
