A Festivus On the Brink

For those who enjoyed “The Night Before Festivus,” this is the next chapter.

A Festivus On the Brink
By: Luke Jones

On the brink of greatness, these Ravens, they were,
As the fans of Baltimore continued to stir.
The Ravens were ready for just one more test
To prove that they were the AFC’s best.

Though tired and weary from a Titan contest,
the Ravens had no plans of trying to rest.
These men on a journey to climb to the peak
Were ready to play for at least one more week.

Coach Harbaugh, the general, inspired his team
To play with such heart and never say “me.”
It may not be perfect or an effort of splendor,
But they’ll show what it takes to be a contender.

From the hits of Ray Lewis to the heart of Jim Leonhard,
The flash of Bart Scott, the tough presence of Trevor,
The playmaking Reed, the work ethic of Johnson,
The strength of Haloti, the coverage of Washington.
A defense so feared with a scent for the ball,
as foes, one by one, continued to fall.

Joe Flacco looked calm without any fears.
Such a rarity, a rookie so far past his years.
Mason and Clayton kept hauling in throws
as Neal and the line gave punishing blows.
With McClain and McGahee earning big gains,
Todd Heap with the big catch, moving the chains.
And Stover, the veteran, with his kick in the clutch,
Making the game-winner with just enough touch.

But now, the Steelers, whom they had yet to unseat,
For Festivus to continue, they were the team to beat.
Their two games so close, twice a narrow, tough loss.
The Ravens were hungry to show them who’s boss.
A clash of two rivals with it all on the line,
the fans couldn’t wait until it was time.

The Ravens had given so many great gifts
To the fans of Baltimore this Festivus.
But the ultimate present was still on their list
As the players would embark to grant them their wish.
With the same punishing effort, the Ravens will try
To show just how high they really can fly.
Coach Harbaugh will shout at the end of the day,
“Festivus Maximus for all! We’ll see you in Tampa Bay.”

Why Ed Reed Missed Out on Defensive Player of the Year

Ed Reed seized two interceptions from quarterback Chad Pennington in the Baltimore Ravens’ 27-9 playoff victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday but could not grab his second Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award on Monday afternoon.

Not surprisingly, Ravens message boards and Baltimore sports talk radio were abuzz with dismay over the perceived snubbing of the Pro Bowl safety who finished third behind winner James Harrison (16 sacks and seven forced fumbles) from Pittsburgh and Dallas’ DeMarcus Ware (20 sacks).

Reed, the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year, led the league with nine interceptions in the regular season before turning in his amazing performance in the Wild Card round. He added to this league-leading feat with 41 tackles, a forced fumble, 16 pass deflections, and three defensive touchdowns.

Reed is unquestionably the best safety in football and has been the best player in the NFL over the last seven weeks. In his past seven games, including Sunday’s postseason contest, the free safety has grabbed an astonishing 10 interceptions, deflected 12 passes, and scored three defensive touchdowns.

Reed’s dominating tear started much too late in the season to argue he clearly deserved the award over Harrison or Ware. Both players had outstanding seasons, so an argument could have been made for any of the three defenders.

Not unlike the Heisman Trophy commotion of college football, NFL awards are often spurred by national media hype, albeit on a smaller scale than the Heisman campaign hoopla.

Reed’s name was merely an afterthought before his two-interception performance against the Washington Redskins on a nationally-televised Sunday night game in Week 14. By that time, the Harrison and Ware publicity wagons had been rolling for weeks.

It’s conceivable that many voters had already made up their minds on a candidate before the season was even over.

It didn’t help Reed’s cause that the Steelers are a media darling while the Cowboys have been the most popular soap opera in professional sports over the past few months. Until recently, the Ravens were mainly viewed as an overachieving pretender and are still trying to shake their past reputation of being out-of-control bullies.

Both the Steelers and Cowboys own a more storied history than the newer Ravens and had higher expectations entering the season. All things being equal between several choices, voters will lean to the candidates from the more fashionable teams, as they often do in college football.

Though it can be debated whether Reed deserved the award, there is no question he was the league’s best defender over the last six weeks.

But herein lies the problem.

Where was Reed in the first 10 games of the season?

Besides a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown in Week 3, Reed had a meager six pass deflections. The ball-hawking playmaker appeared to be a ghost in many critics’ eyes.

The same message boards and talk radio callers clamoring for Reed to be Defensive Player of the Year on Monday were questioning the play of the Ravens safety as late as mid-November.

One popular Ravens message board even had a thread titled “Ed Reed on the decline? Looks to be” that went on for several pages. The 30-year old safety was a shell of himself according to many.

Until Reed’s breakout performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12, which included two interceptions and a record 107-yard interception return for a touchdown, the safety was having a poor season compared to his lofty standards.

Two factors contributed to the slow start.

Reed sustained an injury in the 2007 season finale against Pittsburgh, suffering a nerve impingement in his neck. The injury limited the movement and strength in his shoulder, causing him to miss the entire preseason and putting his status for the regular season in doubt.

Reed chose to play with the injury, but it forced him to play cautiously, shying away from his trademark big hits in the secondary. Reed has told media that surgery on the injury would potentially end his career.

A second factor in Reed’s slow start was the lack of health in the Baltimore secondary. Cornerbacks Chris McAlister (injured reserve), Samari Rolle, and Fabian Washington all missed multiple games in the early stages of the season.

Strong safety Dawan Landry sustained a neck injury in the second game of the season and did not play again.

With a revolving door of defensive backs playing beside him, Reed had to play more cautiously, often covering more ground and unable to take as many chances. Once Rolle and Washington returned to the lineup and safety Jim Leonhard became more comfortable in the backfield, Reed’s playmaking ability was reborn.

Although Reed’s play early in the season did not show up in the statistics, he anchored a pass defense that ranked second in the league despite a plethora of injuries.

Unfortunately for Reed, these factors were unlikely to sway national voters to vote for him over Harrison or Ware, players that had more consistent production over the course of the season.

Though Reed came up short in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year, his recent play is putting an explanation point on an already impressive career.

If Reed can pick off another piece of hardware by postseason’s end, the Vince Lombardi Trophy, he may grab a more prestigious honor than any he missed this season: a future invitation to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Ravens-Dolphins Playoff Preview: An Improbable Reunion

Who would have thought when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Miami Dolphins 27-13 back on Oct. 19 that these two teams would be meeting again in the playoffs?

First-year coaches Tony Sparano and John Harbaugh have done outstanding jobs with their respective teams as Sparano’s Dolphins (11-5) won nine of their last 10 and Harbaugh’s Ravens (11-5) nine of their last 11 to reach the postseason.

Miami possesses a dual threat in Ronnie Brown (916 yards) and Ricky Williams (659 yards) on the ground. They will attempt to run their famed Wildcat formation, but Baltimore’s second-ranked defense did an excellent job shutting it down in the first meeting, holding it to only four yards on five plays.

The Dolphins will depend on quarterback and Comeback Player of the Year-winner Chad Pennington to make plays with his arm against a banged-up secondary. Cornerbacks Samari Rolle and Fabian Washington are both listed as questionable but are expected to play.

The Baltimore secondary can be vulnerable to the deep ball, but Pennington is more of an intermediate passer. Receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. led Miami with 790 receiving yards and could test the Baltimore defensive backs though Ed Reed is always stalking in the defensive backfield. Baltimore's defense leads the league with 26 interceptions.

Ravens running back Willis McGahee will again be motivated returning to the city where he played his college ball. In one of his few big games of the year, McGahee rushed for 105 yards in their regular season meeting.

The Miami defense is 10th against the run, but the Ravens will try to grind it out with Le’Ron McClain and McGahee. Rookie Ray Rice has missed the past three games with a shin injury, so it is doubtful he’ll have much of an impact.

Quarterback Joe Flacco had a huge game against Jacksonville, throwing for 246 yards in the first half. The Dolphins’ 25th-ranked pass defense will need to be aware of the deep ball. Flacco has found a deep target in Mark Clayton as the two connected four times for 128 yards last week.

The Ravens’ mainstay at receiver is veteran Derrick Mason. He continues to battle a shoulder injury but posted 1,037 receiving yards this season. Flacco will look to Mason to move the chains consistently to keep the Miami offense off the field.

The Ravens will use an unbalanced line with two tackles on the same side to block Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter (17.5 sacks). The key to containing Porter is running plays directly at him to wear down the outside linebacker, slowing his motor on passing plays. Left tackle Jared Gaither has been outstanding but will face another test from Porter.

Miami’s amazing turnaround will come to an end on Sunday against Baltimore’s tough defense. The Wildcat did not confuse the Ravens in October when it was still a novelty, so it does not figure to fool them in January.

The Ravens have not only beaten the teams they were supposed to this season, but they’ve dominated them. Baltimore’s net points rating (points scored versus points allowed) is +141 while Miami’s stands at only +28.

Reed has been in the zone over the second half of the season, so look for him to bait Pennington into throwing a rare, but key, interception to set up a Baltimore score.

The Ravens will control the tempo of the game with their methodical running game and will mix in a few deep balls to Clayton as they move on to Tennessee in the Divisional Round next weekend

The prediction: Ravens, 24-13

Can the Ravens win their first playoff game since the 2001 season? Or will the Dolphins continue their Cinderella season by advancing to the Divisional Round? Leave your comments and predictions below.

Ravens Set Sights on Super Bowl

In some eyes, the Baltimore Ravens are a gambler playing with house money. They say Baltimore should be happy just getting to the playoffs.

Few expected them to be playing football in January after a disastrous 2007 season and the firing of Super Bowl-winning coach Brian Billick.

Most teams in this position would simply be happy to be where they are today and view the season as a rousing success, but the Ravens are going to let the house money ride and refuse to reflect on what they’ve already accomplished.

Entering the season with low expectations, especially with a rookie head coach and rookie quarterback, the Ravens (11-5) secured a wild-card berth in the AFC Playoffs and will meet the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Teams in this unlikely position often tend to take a modest approach, using tired clichés such as “we’re just happy to be here” or “we’re going to enjoy this.” However, humble has never been the Ravens’ style.

It was only eight years ago that then second-year coach Brian Billick addressed his players in the locker room after a victory over the San Diego Chargers to secure the first playoff berth in the franchise’s brief five-year history:

“Men, the time is here. It’s time to go to a Super Bowl.”

The brash remark turned heads considering the team lacked a big-name quarterback and seemingly came out of nowhere to grab a postseason spot, but Billick saw no reason to hide from the possibility.

He wanted his players to have no other vision in mind but winning a championship. Riding the coattails of a record-breaking defense, Billick’s statement proved prophetic as the Ravens went on to win Super Bowl XXXV seven weeks later.

Fast-forward to the present. Coach John Harbaugh has reined in a veteran locker room that was seemingly out of control and re-energized the Ravens into believing they are an elite team again.

Harbaugh may not be as gaudy or outspoken as Billick, but it’s clear the Ravens have set their sights much higher than simply making the playoffs.

One only has to look at the present NFL to see how quickly things can change. For every story like this year’s Ravens or Dolphins, there are stories of disappointing teams failing to meet high expectations. There’s no assurance that this opportunity will be present next year or even the year after.

Simply remember the 2007 Ravens. Following a 13-3 campaign in 2006, the Ravens entered the year poised for another run at the Super Bowl. However, injuries and a crumbling relationship between Billick and the team’s veterans led to a disastrous 5-11 season.

The Ravens cannot take anything for granted when change is so abundant throughout the league. Regardless of what happens on Sunday, or even possibly over the next few weeks, the team’s makeup will undoubtedly change following the season.

Though Baltimore is projected to have as much as $20 million in salary cap room this offseason, key veterans Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Bart Scott, Jason Brown, Matt Stover, Corey Ivy, Jim Leonhard, and Lorenzo Neal are unrestricted free agents. General manager Ozzie Newsome will look to re-sign as many of these veterans as possible, but no one’s return is guaranteed once players hit the free-agent market.

In addition to the impending number of free agents, the Ravens are a veteran-laden team in several areas. Though many are excited about rookie quarterback Joe Flacco and the improving offense, the second-ranked defense is still the main channel of Baltimore’s success.

The problem is defensive leaders Lewis, Ed Reed, Trevor Pryce, and Samari Rolle are all age 30 or older. Don’t ask any of these players if they’re “just happy to be here.” For these veterans, this playoff run could be their last shot at Super Bowl glory.

Another factor creating a strong sense of urgency is the status of highly respected defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. After narrowly missing out on the head coaching jobs in Atlanta last year and in San Diego the year before, this could be the year that Ryan finally joins the head coaching fraternity of the NFL. Teams already expressing interest include the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams, and Detroit Lions.

Ryan is greatly admired by his players, so what better way to send him off to a head-coaching gig than with a Super Bowl title? If Lewis and the defense have anything to say about it, teams interested in meeting with Ryan will have to wait a few more weeks.

Perhaps the biggest reason why the Ravens are setting their sights on making it to Super Bowl is their belief that they can beat anyone in the league.

Despite owning a 0-4 record against Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Indianapolis, the three teams considered to be the favorites in the AFC, the Ravens lost their two games to Pittsburgh by a combined seven points and one to Tennessee by three.

The Ravens would probably like to avoid a rematch with Indianapolis after losing 31-3 to the Colts back in October. Then again, the Ravens believe they have improved greatly since October, and a possible rematch with Indianapolis would not take place until the AFC Championship.

Though the Ravens might lack the outspoken bravado they held under Billick, make no mistake, Harbaugh has his players believing they’re ready to take the next step. Even the mood after clinching a wild-card berth last Sunday was more business-like and less euphoric than the typical Cinderella team to make the playoffs.

The Ravens do not intend to finish their season with anything less than a championship. The first test will be a tough Miami team that also never figured to be in this position after their misfortune in 2007.

“We have an opportunity to prove we’re the best team in the NFL,” Harbaugh said, following Baltimore’s 27-7 victory over Jacksonville last Sunday. “That’s what we’re going to try to do.”

The Ravens might be playing with house money, but they hope to ride their good fortune all the way to Tampa Bay and Super Bowl XLIII. They will not expect anything less.