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Ravens Fans Favorite Paints Nails With a Powerful Message Beyond the Field After Season Opener

 

Baltimore, September 10, 2025 – The Baltimore Ravens walked off the field heartbroken after a crushing 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills in one of the wildest season openers in recent memory. While fans replayed Lamar Jackson’s brilliance and the collapse in the fourth quarter, another story quietly unfolded in the locker room — one that had nothing to do with the scoreboard.

Roquan Smith, the emotional anchor of Baltimore’s defense, emerged postgame with purple-and-black painted nails, marked with the number “988.” For Smith, it wasn’t about fashion or distraction after a tough loss. It was about using the pain of defeat to spotlight hope, reminding his teammates and the Ravens Flock that even in hard times, there is always someone to lean on.

When life feels heavy, when you feel stuck in the dark — remember that the Ravens and this Flock stand with you. In Baltimore, you are never alone,” Smith said, his voice steady, his message resonating far beyond the locker room walls.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in the United States, and the number 988 is the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Smith deliberately chose to make that hotline part of his postgame look, turning a devastating loss into a platform for awareness. For a player known for his toughness and fire, it was a reminder that true strength is found not just in tackles and sacks, but in compassion, in showing others that seeking help is a form of courage.

Images of Smith’s nails spread quickly across social media, with Ravens fans applauding the act. “We lost the game, but Roquan reminded us what really matters,” one supporter wrote on X. Others called him “a captain who leads off the field just as much as on it.”

In the aftermath of a gut-wrenching loss, Smith turned heartbreak into hope. His gesture — purple and black nails with “988” etched across them — carried a message far stronger than any final score: that the Ravens Flock is family, and no one should ever feel they have to fight their battles alone.

 

Raiders Reunite with a Former Starter to Fortify the Offensive Line
Las Vegas, NV   The Las Vegas Raiders have brought back a familiar face in a move that screams both urgency and savvy: versatile offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor is returning to the Silver & Black on a one-year deal (terms not disclosed), reuniting with the franchise where he logged some of the best football of his career and immediately fortifying a position group that has been stretched thin. Eluemunor, 31, started for the Raiders from 2021–2023, showing rare position flexibility across right tackle and guard while anchoring pass protection against premier edge rushers. His technique, anchor, and ability to handle long-arm power made him a steadying force during multiple playoff pushes. After departing Vegas, Eluemunor spent time elsewhere refining his craft, but a confluence of roster needs and scheme familiarity has set the stage for a timely homecoming. For the Raiders—fighting to keep pace in a rugged AFC—this is about stability and fit. Injuries and week-to-week availability on the right side of the line have forced constant shuffling; protection packages have leaned heavily on chips and condensed splits to survive obvious passing downs. Eluemunor’s return allows the staff to plug him at RT or slide him inside at RG, restoring balance to protections and widening the run-game menu (duo, inside zone, and the toss/ pin-pull that Vegas fans love when the edge is sealed). “Jermaine knows who we are and how we want to play,” a team source said. “He brings ballast. Assignment sound, physical, and smart—he raises the floor for the entire unit.” Beyond the X’s and O’s, there’s an unmistakable emotional charge to this reunion. Eluemunor was a locker-room favorite in his previous stint—professional, detail-driven, and accountable. The belief internally is that his presence stabilizes communication on the right side (IDs, slides, and pass-off rules vs. games and simulated pressures), which in turn unlocks more vertical concepts and keeps the quarterback cleaner late in games. On social media, Raider Nation lit up the timeline with a simple refrain: “Welcome back, Jem.” Many fans called the deal the exact kind of “rival-poach, ready-to-play” move a contender makes in October: low friction, high impact, zero learning curve. What it means on the field (immediately): Pass pro: Fewer emergency chips, more five-out releases—OC can re-open deeper intermediate shots without living in max-protect. Run game: Better edge control on toss/duo; more confidence running to the right on money downs. Depth & versatility: One injury doesn’t force a cascade of position changes; Eluemunor can cover two spots with starting-level competency. The timetable? Swift. Because Eluemunor already speaks the language—terminology, splits, cadence rules—he could suit up as early as this weekend if the medicals/check-ins continue to trend positive. The message is clear: the Raiders aren’t waiting around for the line to gel—they’re engineering it. If Jermaine Eluemunor plays to his Raider résumé, this reunion could be the precise mid-season jolt that steadies the offense and keeps the Silver & Black firmly in the postseason race. Raider Nation, the question writes itself: Plug-and-play stopgap—or the catalyst that reclaims the right side