The Ravens vs Broncos playoff game was probably the best win for the Baltimore Ravens since the Superbowl victory in 2000! Almost nobody gave the AFC North Champion Ravens a chance to win against the Denver Broncos. Even most of the Baltimore area sports analysts were picking Denver to win. Who knew? Who knew the the offensive line would play outstanding for the Ravens? Who knew that Joe Flacco would outplay Peyton Manning and throw for over 300 yards and 3 TDs? Who knew that Torrey Smith would torch DB Champ Bailey time and time again? Who knew the the Baltimore Ravens would put up 38 points on what was considered one of the best defenses in the NFL?
What most analysts did not take into consideration is the heart of this Ravens team. This is a team of destiny. Maybe they didn’t know that the Ravens are hungry and are tired of getting knocked out of the playoffs like they did n the last 4 years. The Ravens are back baby with unfinished business! Our strong willed emotional leader Ray Lewis is back for his last ride baby!
Yesterday’s win against the Broncos was a total team effort on both offense and defense. The only negative was the special teams coverage which gave up 2 TDs and made the win harder to get than it should have been. The game itself was a high scoring battle going back and forth eventually going into double overtime. After the way the season ended last year, it was only fitting that the victory came on a long field goal by rookie Justin Tucker. In conclusion, the Ravens find themselves right where they need to be after this game. The Ravens are back in the AFC championship and one win away from the Superbowl.
Final Score: Ravens 38 Broncos 35
Ed Reed Comments on Joe Flacco
The story of the day is about Ed Reed’s comments that he made on SiriusXM NFL Radio about Joe Flacco. Personally, I think the media took Ed Reed’s comments and blew them out of proportion. I’ve listened to fans call in to radio talk shows upset by the comments. Some of these same fans acting upset probably have made more harsh criticisms of Joe Flacco in the past. Yeah, the timing of these comments may have been bad but it is what it is. Joe Flacco has very tough skin so maybe he’ll use this as motivation to have a great game against the Patriots. Like I said in a previous article, all Joe Flacco has to do is win a Superbowl and he’ll silence the critics.
I personally had no problem with the way Joe Flacco played against the Houston Texans. He threw 2 touchdown passes against a top rated defense and had no interceptions. If anything, I was embarrassed by the fact we couldn’t convert in short yardage situations. The offensive line was horrible. They gave up 5 sacks. Joe Flacco is probably the most durable quarterback in the NFL and it is a wonder that he never gets hurt. He is the best quarterback that the Ravens have had even though that isn’t saying much considering who we’ve had.
Here is a clip of ESPN analysts discussing Ed Reed’s comments: