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There's no set policy for how NFL teams handle bye weeks.
Some coaches choose to hold practices at some point throughout the week to work out the kinks and keep their players' heads in the game. Others opt to have meetings so that the players can stay mentally prepared while getting some time away from the physical grind of practice.
How will Ravens head coach John Harbaugh design his team's bye week?
Coming off a physically demanding first seven weeks of the season which featured back-to-back overtime games the last two weeks, Harbaugh made his players very happy by giving them practically the whole week off.
"We set up the week with what really was in mind the fact of what we've done the first seven weeks of the season and how hard our guys have worked," Harbaugh said. "Our guys have worked extremely hard at practice. They've played really hard. They've been in a bunch of physical games, and what they really need is a chance to rest, both physically and mentally."
The team came in yesterday for an NFL-mandated Player Development Program featuring former Ravens linebacker Peter Boulware and running back Jamal Lewis and former Chargers offensive lineman Courtney Hall. The three ex-NFL players talked to the Ravens about how to transition from football to their careers going forward.
Today, the players had a workout in the morning and watched some tape, and were excused in the afternoon. They'll now have the next five days to kick back, rest up and get healthy before they're expected back at The Castle on Monday.
Meanwhile, while the players will get some time away from Ravens HQ, the coaches will still be hard at work.
Harbaugh said that his staff will take the next few days to get working on the Dolphins, the Ravens' opponent when they come off the bye next week. They'll also start some advanced scouting for the Falcons, who the Ravens will face in a Thursday night game just four days after the Miami contest.
"We don't go on vacation. We'll be working," Harbaugh said. "We're going to get ready for Miami. We've got to look at Atlanta, and we also do a self-scout process, so those three things will be something that we'll be focusing on this week. [We'll be] trying to find ways to get our team better, all three phases.
"But, the coaches will get the weekend to get with their families a little bit."
