Grounded Flight of the Ravens

This morning, Baltimore Ravens fans are still feeling the hangover from the game that got away. A season that many thought would end with the Ravens playing in Super Bowl XLV, instead ended in a especially disappointing way yesterday.

Sure, it's easy to point the finger at the referees. In all my years of watching football, I would say it was one of the worst officiated games that I've ever seen. For instance, how do you call a defensive hold at the goal line on a running play? I don't think I've ever seen that. No doubt, the refs were horrible. But although the Ravens got the worst end of the deal, there were plenty of bad calls to go around on both sides.

The Ravens defense played one hell of a game. They set the offense up several times in the first half, and Flacco and the boys took advantage. By halftime, the Ravens had a seemingly comfortable 21-7 lead. And more importantly, the Steelers looked dejected.

All the Ravens had to do was protect the ball in the second half and not turn it over. Seemed simple enough, right? After all, running back Ray Rice hadn't fumbled all year. But as luck would have it, he fumbled it away in the Pittsburgh red zone. A few plays later, the Steelers had pulled within a touchdown at 21-14.

Shortly afterwards, Joe Flacco overthrew a ball to Todd Heap and Pittsburgh was right there there to intercept it. Before long, the score was tied at 21-21. I couldn't believe that the Ravens offense had just handed the game back to the Steelers. It was like deja-vu all over again.

The worst part was not that the score was tied, but that Pittsburgh now had the momentum. Within thirty short minutes, they went from feeling dejected to feeling like they couldn't lose. The worst part for me was watching that stupid smile return to the face of Hines Ward.

Let me say this once again..... the Raven's defense kicked ass. The pass and run defense looked great, but more importantly, they pressured Ben Rothlesberger all day. And more specifically, Terrell Suggs was on Big Ben like white on rice.

But, in my opinion, the reason the Raven's lost the game was that the offense had no heart. At times in the second half, they seemed like they didn't even care. Sometimes, you've got to reach deep inside to find that extra something to get yourself over the hump. Although I think Joe Flacco is a decent quarterback, I don't think he has developed the leadership qualities to "motivate the troops". He should be lighting a fire under the offense's ass. But instead, he just hangs his head and sits alone on the sideline. For God's sake, Joe, show me a little emotion!

The Baltimore defense, on the other hand, plays with high energy and emotion every week. And although people may have varying opinions of Ray Lewis, he is the epitome of a team leader. He fires up and motivates his teammates and most importantly, makes them believe in themselves. He makes everyone around him a better player. Maybe Ray needs to get in the faces of some of the offensive players.

Yes, the Steelers won. And they certainly took advantage of all the Raven's mishaps. I'll admit, they are indeed a very good football team. But don't expect a slobbering lovefest from me. I'm from Baltimore and that's a good enough reason for me to hate the Steelers.

With all of this being said, I think Baltimore fans should hold their heads high. We have a talented team and a perennial playoff contender. As a football fan, that's about the best you can ask for. I can remember what it felt like after the Colts left town. We didn't even have a team to cheer for. I think we can all agree that things are much better now.

Personally, I've had a great time watching the Baltimore Ravens all season. There have been highs and lows but the one thing that remained consistent was the excitement. Congratulations to the Ravens for making it as far as they did. September will be here before you know it and we'll start this party all over again!

KW