Ravens Road To Indy Comes To An End

Ravens fans couldn’t believe their eyes Sunday night. Baltimore was a field goal away from putting the game into overtime, until Billy Cundiff missed a 32 yard field goal.

“Oh my god,” LB Terrell Suggs mouthed on the sidelines as he watched the ball go wide left.

It was unbelievable. Billy, a Pro Bowl kicker missed an easy field goal could have given the Ravens the chance to tie up the game and give them a chance to win.

“It was my first kick that I have missed in the fourth quarter all year, and it was probably the biggest one,” Cundiff said.

Probably? C’mon Billy you know that was huge.

There was a bit of confusion on the sidelines on what down it was. The Patriots jumbo tron was to believed to have said it was 2nd down when it was really 3rd down. It caused some confusion. Billy looked rushed on to the field, and the Ravens were criticized on why they did not take advantage of calling a time out.

When Harbaugh was asked about about not taking a time out he said, “That never occurred to me. I didn’t think that. You know, looking back at it now, maybe there was something we could have done. But in the situation, it didn’t seem like we were that rushed on the field.”

The Ravens were so close to winning the game, but couldn’t finish. Joe Flacco played his best game of his career, throwing for 306 yards, and only one interception. Flacco had an outstanding quarterback rating of 95%, while Tom Brady had a low rating of 57%. Brady played his worst playoff game of his career. The Ravens defense caught 2 interceptions and did not let Brady throw for a touchdown.

New England was a 7.5 favorite over the Ravens this game, but only won by 3 points. Not all of the blame can be put on Cundiff. Lee Evans’ broken up pass was also a huge play that could have won them the game for Baltimore right then and there. Also, if the defense hadn’t given up a touchdown and held the Patriots to a field goal, the game would have been 20-19.

Unfortunately, there is no turning back now, the Ravens must look on to next season. Free Agency begins March 2, 2012. Many Ravens veterans will be up for grabs, such as Jarret Johnson, Ben Grubbs and Ray Rice.

I must say personally, this had to be the hardest loss I have ever witnessed as a Ravens fan. Even though I am still having nightmares about it, I’m proud of my team and what they have accomplished. I’m still thirsty for a Superbowl, and I know the Ravens still are too. I hope to see them in the AFC Championship game once again next year, only this time they win it.

Baltimore Ravens: “We Like Being An Underdog.”

Surprise, surprise. The Baltimore Ravens have already been cast as the 7.5 underdogs in this Sundays AFC Championship game.

“We like being an underdog,” Linebacker Jarret Johnson said.

The Ravens aren’t too surprised going in as the underdog in Foxboro. After the show Tom Brady and company put on this past weekend in New England, many of these so called “analysts” think the Patriots will put up big numbers against Baltimore.

But wait, who did the Patriots play last week? Oh that’s right, they played the Denver Broncos. A team who was ranked as the 20th best defense in the league. The Patriots offense was ranked as the 2nd best offense in the league, behind the Saints.

Look at what happened to the Saints. San Fransisco’s defense, who was ranked 4th best defense in the league got pressure on Brees and kept him off the field as much as possible. The Ravens have the 3rd best defense in the league and although the Ravens defense failed to sack T.J Yates and contain Arian Foster, they still held the Texans to 13 points.The Patriots rarely run the ball, so it shouldn’t be a big factor for Baltimore’s defense.

The patriots had not beaten a team with a winning record their entire regular season. Their losses were to the Giants, Steelers, and Bills. Another stat that jumps off the page is the fact that any team that had finished in the bottom five in the league at defense has never won the Superbowl. The patriots defense is ranked 31st in the league. Having Flacco go from playing the 2nd best defense to the 31st, is a huge difference.

You’d be a fool to count the Ravens out this Sunday.

 

 

The Ravens Are Headed To Foxboro

As the clock winded down late in the fourth quarter, Baltimore knew they were moments away from playing New England. With the Ravens up seven points, Houston needed a touchdown to tie the game and put it in over time. T.J Yates dropped back looking to pass, and made a big mistake.  He passed the ball to Ed Reed.

The game changing play ended the game, giving the Ravens the opportunity to advance to the AFC Championship. Baltimore won 20-13 against Houston. It was a tough game on both sides of the ball, for both teams. The Ravens defense had never allowed a 100 yard rusher in the playoffs ever in franchise history, but that streak came to an end today as Arian Foster ran for 132 yards against Ray Lewis and company.

As tough as it was for the defense, some would agree it was much harder for the Ravens offense. Joe Flacco and the gang were going up against the 2nd ranked best defense in the league. The Ravens had a hard time getting into the end zone. The Texans defense did a good job of containing Ray Rice throughout the game, and held him to a slim 60 yards, forcing Flacco to throw the ball.

Baltimore’s offensive line struggled to protect Flacco, he was sacked a hefty five times by the Texans defense. Later in the second half, the Ravens defense got their act together and made huge stops against the Texans offense. Houston was unable to score at all in the second half. Yates was picked off three times in the game, once by Ed Reed, and twice by Lardarius Webb.

Wasn’t the prettiest win for the Baltimore Ravens, but a win is a win. Now the Ravens are headed to Foxboro, a place they visited two years ago with a victory. Can they do it again?

A wise man once said “Defense wins Championships.” That man was Ray Lewis.

It will come down to if Baltimore’s defense is better than New England’s offense. Tune in next Sunday to find out.

Ravens Prepare to Play the Houston Texans

For the first time in 4 years, the Ravens weren’t apart of the wild card weekend roundup. That is because the Baltimore Ravens were sitting as the second seed of the AFC, and at home enjoying a much needed bye week.

The Ravens knew going into the wild card weekend, their were only 3 teams they could possibly play. That would be the Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans. As long as the Texans won this Saturday, the Ravens wouldn’t have to worry about the Steelers vs. Broncos game. A much anticipated match up between rookie QB Andy Dalton’s Bengals, against rookie QB TJ Yates’ Houston Texans. Both teams headed into the game with good defenses behind them, but the Houston Texans defense exploited Dalton’s offense. Dalton was intercepted three times. Once by Texans DE J.J Watt for a touchdown.

Which brings me to a point, experience. Experience is something you need when heading into the playoffs. Whether it’s playoff experience, or player experience. It is very rare to see a rookie QB go to a Superbowl and actually win it, because…it’s never happened. Needless to say, this is the Houston Texans first playoff run in franchise history.

The Baltimore Ravens have been in the playoffs for four straight years under Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh. I’m not saying you won’t win any playoff games with a rookie QB, heck, look at Joe Flacco. He took the Ravens to the AFC championship 3 years ago, but failed to go to the Superbowl. But, who did they play? The Pittsburgh Steelers. A team with many veterans, and playoff history.

The Ravens will win this game. They’re hungry, they’re experienced, and they know their window is closing. When you sweep the AFC North (which is arguably the best division in the NFL), win the division, and succeed in clinching the second seed of the AFC (something the Ravens haven’t done since 06′), you’ve got a pretty good shot.

Like Ray Lewis said, “I got a totally different team, you’re not dealing with the same dynamics that you were dealing with a couple years ago, and now we’ve got a totally different team, with a totally different vision.”

Couldn’t have said it better, Superbowl or bust. Oh and not to mention, Coach John Harbaugh is 4-0 against Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak.

 

Ravens Bring the Playoffs to Baltimore.

It was a cold and windy day in Cincinnati, but Baltimore knew they had to bring the heat against one of their good old division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals.

With a chance to sweep the division, the Ravens managed to do it for the first time in franchise history against the Bengals winning 24-16. Ray Rice had a great game and was able to run for two rushing touchdowns against the Bengals. One for 70 yards, (which was the longest regular-season run of his career) and the other for 51 yards. Second string Ravens RB Ricky Williams did well this game also, surpassing 10,000 rushing yards in his career.

The Ravens also dealt with a few injuries last week including OG Marshal Yanda, who played today against the Bengals despite having a rib contusion. Billy Cundiff was also active in today’s game.

“It was nice. It was a confidence boost, being able to go out there and being able play aggressively. It’s something I wasn’t able to do. Now that my leg feels like it’s holding up, I can perform the way that I know how to perform,” Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff said; who was out last week due to injury.

Anquan Boldin was ruled inactive in todays game, which gave the Ravens offense an opportunity to use more of their TE’s Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. Both made some crucial catches within the game, including a touchdown, which was caught by Pitta.We also can’t forget to give credit to the defense. When it came to the last seconds of the game, the Ravens defense came up big.

‘It’s a great achievement. Coming into the season, whatever doubters we had, week after week, we kept our composure. The No. 1 thing is the AFC North and we clinched that today and swept our whole division, and that’s huge for us,” Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said.

A huge deal it is. The Ravens managed to win the division and sweep it as well. It definitely brings a feeling of excitement to the city of Baltimore, who will finally have their first home playoff game since 2006.

Ravens Still In Control of Their Own Destiny.

After the egg the Ravens laid in San Diego, Baltimore was given a second shot at winning the division and clinching a home playoff berth as the Steelers lost to the 49ers last week.

This past weekend Baltimore defeated the Cleveland Browns at home winning 20-14. Although the Ravens won the game, their are still a few concerns with the team. Baltimore had a strong first half as they scored 2 touchdowns, and 1 field goal with kicker Shayne Graham; who is in place for an injured Billy Cundiff.  The Ravens defense contributed also by holding the Browns from scoring in the first two quarters.

With a great first half performance, the Ravens ended with a troublesome second half. The Ravens offense went 3 and out, and followed with Josh Cribbs running back an 84 yard punt return back for a touchdown.

As the momentum shifted, so did the Ravens offense. Flacco was 11-24 on passing attempts, and also threw one interception. The defense struggled also, giving up one touchdown.

During the game, starting OG Marshal Yanda left the field with a rib contusion and is not expected to play week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Not to mention the Ravens offense will also be without WR Anquan Boldin.

This is a huge disadvantage for the Baltimore Ravens, as this is a must win game for them to clinch a home field playoff game and win the division, unless the Pittsburgh Steelers lose to the Cleveland Browns.

The Bengals are going to be playing full force as they need to win this game to get into the playoffs as a wild card team.The Ravens are in control of their own destiny, and if they defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, they lock up a home playoff game, and one week bye.

Anquan Boldin Out for the Regular Season, Doss Activated?

This past Afternoon, the Baltimore Ravens released the news that WR Anquan Boldin will not be playing the remaining two weeks of the regular season due to a slight tear in his meniscus. He will be having knee surgery today to repair it.

“He will be back for the playoffs, whichever round we have to play in,” Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh said.

Boldin leads the Ravens with 887 yards and 57 catches total this season. He has been one of the Ravens top receiver’s within the past 2 years he has spent in Baltimore. This now leaves the Ravens with Lee Evans, Torrey Smith, and rookies LaQuan Williams and Tandon Doss.

“Talked to Flacco a few weeks ago. Said the only reason Tandon Doss wasn’t playing was because of Boldin. Expect Doss to be active on Saturday,” said Samuel Njoku in a tweet.

Doss was given some playing time in the pre-season, although he has not played a snap in a regular season game. This could be a big opportunity for Doss to make his debut.

Many fans brought up the question if there was a possibility the Ravens could bring back former Raven Derrick Mason, who was cut by the Houston Texans a couple weeks ago.

“For those asking, no, Derrick Mason won’t be coming back to the Ravens,” said reporter Aaron Wilson in tweet.

In order for the Ravens to clinch a home playoff spot they must win their next two games against the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.

Ravens Struggle On The Road, Again.

You would think when being on the top of the division and having the 1st seed in the AFC playoff picture, the Baltimore Ravens would make it a priority to win this past Sunday night.

With a home playoff berth on the line, Baltimore fails to win in San Diego, making themselves a wild card team, and giving Pittsburgh the keys to the AFC north.

“Its a reality check we got our ass kicked,” said linebacker Terrell Suggs.

A brief way to put it, Baltimore’s defense gave up a total of 415 yards to the San Diego Chargers. Suggs, one of the Ravens best defensive players, leading in sack’s for the Ravens came up short with no sacks to show for Sunday night against the Chargers.

Baltimore’s secondary was exposed by the Chargers passive offense, letting the Chargers put up 34 points on the board. This is the first time the Ravens defense has allowed an offense to score on its first 5 drives in franchise history. The defense wasn’t the only problem Sunday night, the Ravens offense was unsuccessful in catching up to the Chargers.

“It was an ugly one. Things weren’t going our way. It was just bad. We didn’t play that well,” said Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

Flacco did not have a great game against the San Diego Chargers. The Ravens quarterback took 5 sacks, three of which where by former Ravens linebacker Antwan Barnes, and threw 2 interceptions. Flacco was 24-35 on passing attempts and was unable to put it in the end zone as many times as Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers.

“Obviously, a really disappointing loss. We did not play well at all. Credit to them, we’re disappointed and we’ll move on,” said Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh.

Although Harbaugh was 7-0 against the AFC west, his team fell flat in continuing the win streak. The Ravens are now 10-4 having their four-game winning streak broken, but they were able to clinch a playoff berth earlier that Sunday by the losses by the New York Jets, Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans.

The Ravens still have a chance to win the AFC north if the Pittsburgh Steelers lose to the the San Fransisco 49ers this coming Monday night, or by a loss to the St. Louis Rams or Cleveland Browns in the near future. Let’s just say, I’m the biggest 49ers fan this Monday night.

Joe Flacco takes a shot at Tebow? LaMarr Woodley Weighs In.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you are probably familiar with the Tim Tebow saga going on around the NFL.

The Tim Tebow phenomenon has been going on for quite sometime now. Sports networks such as ESPN, are putting Tebow in the spotlight more than half the other winning quarterbacks in the NFL. Even Aaron Rodgers, (who may I remind you is undefeated and the reigning Superbowl XLV champion) isn’t getting as much attention as Tebow.

This past Monday, Joe Flacco made an appearance on WNST’s radio show with Brendon Ayanbadejo. He was interviewed, and discussed many topics, including the pressures he, as an NFL quarterback takes.

“I mean, look at Tim Tebow,” Flacco said.  “I like Tim, but you have a tendency to want to — I don’t want to see Tim do bad — but look what happens after he wins a football game.  If you watched SportsCenter today, it was Tim Tebow then something else, Tim Tebow then something else, and Tim Tebow then something else.  When we beat the Steelers, were we on TV?  No.  I couldn’t even find a Baltimore Ravens highlight.  I think that’s kinda the way it is around Baltimore.  We don’t always get our respect but you gotta deal with it and go out there every week and just win football games.”

Pro Football Talk later sent out a tweet today reading “Flacco complains about Tebow coverage.” Although the title of the article is a bit misleading, LaMarr Woodley wasn’t slow to respond, “Is it just me or does some1 sound jealous? LOL!!”

This is the same Pittsburgh Steelers player that said, “Flacco will never win a Super Bowl in this lifetime.” Now, I don’t mean to intrude here, but didn’t the Baltimore Ravens beat the Pittsburgh Steelers twice this year? I think it’s pretty obvious who the jealous one is.