Posts about Baltimore Ravens

What would you do with a $120 mil contract? Joe Flacco went to McDonald’s.

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Now that can be a little deceiving in that I don’t mean that he went there and spent nine-figures all at once, i’m pretty sure you’d have to buy hundreds of locations to achieve that. Joe Flacco was just a couple hours into his brand new six-year, $120.6 million deal with the Ravens and the QB was seen in the drive-thru at a local McDonald’s. What did the elite quarterback order? 10 piece McNugget meal, fries and an unsweetened ice tea. Now, i’m not a “mickey d’s” person myself, I prefer the likes of Whataburger when it comes to fast food but if the quarterback wants to eat, let him eat what he pleases. Flacco doesn’t appear to be the type of person that’s going to let a Super Bowl MVP or a shiny new contract go to his head, at least for now it doesn’t. Even though he signed the new contract, many NFL fans and experts immediately began the debate of whether or not Flacco deserves that kind of money.

When using the word “deserve” in any sort of debate or conversation, there are lots of gray areas and thus lots of different stances that can be taken. Do I think Flacco deserves that kind of money? Yes, Flacco deserves a max contract after a great playoff run that eventually led to a Super Bowl victory as much as any other top tier quarterback. Remember, there are only seven starting quarterbacks in the NFL that have a championship and it’s not easy to get on that list no matter how talented the team around the QB is. Chances are that he’s not going to see the entire amount of his contract but for now he’s received a $29 million signing bonus with another $52 million guaranteed over the life of the contract going forward. It’s almost certain that the final couple of years will be restructured to have more flexibility in spending on other players but for now Flacco deserves this max deal and should enjoy it.

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Ravens defeat 49ers in a memorable Super Bowl XLVII

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Super Bowl XLVII - Baltimore Ravens v San Francisco 49ers

Now when I mean “memorable” like I did in the title, i’m talking purely from a football standpoint. Let’s set aside the abundance of non-football shenanigans that surround the big game. Most of the time during commercials I was busy checking Twitter for football related reactions so the only one I remember seeing is the “Leon Sandcastle” one but it was excellent. I didn’t see much of Beyonce (am I the only one who did a beer run?) but apparently she killed it so congratulations to her. It ended up being football heavy for me, just how I prefer it. Here’s what stood out the most for me:

A lot of people predicting the game pointed out that things would start out slow for the 49ers once again due to their inexperience and it’s pretty much exactly what happened. The Ravens looked like a veteran team with offensive firepower that had their eye on the prize. It was all Ravens the first half, led by the ELITE play of Joe Flacco (3 TDs) and all of a sudden the game looked like it was going to be a blowout in favor of the Ravens. The Ravens continued their momentum with a TD off a kickoff return and the game looked over until, well, the all mighty black out. The black out was probably the greatest time to ever be on Twitter as a sports fan.

Conspiracy theories were being tossed around during the wait. Clearly the stoppage of play was going to favor the 49ers, giving them time to take a breath and figure out what was going on while halting the momentum of the Ravens. For a while it looked like the teams had literally switched, the Niners having a furious rally to get within one score late in the 3rd quarter. The game got even closer on a Kaepernick TD halfway through the 4th and when it looked like the Niners were going to score to take the lead, the Ravens held on to force a turnover on down. The final play on the drive for the 49ers had some controversy because of an apparent hold but it’s still questionable whether or not the pass was close enough to be caught either way.

It was a game not of two halves but one of post and pre-black out. Ravens win 34-31 and the story lines among the team are plenty. Can Joe Flacco finally be labeled as “elite”? Yes, he was the best quarterback last night and the best throughout the playoffs. Now he has the hardware to back it up. I know it’s tough right now but 49ers fans shouldn’t be too down because they have a very young and talented team that will contend for a spot in the Super Bowl for a long time to come.

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Predicting the champion of Super Bowl XLVII

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After hours of watching various sports networks (NFL Network, ESPN, CBS sports) and reading more articles than I can imagine (SI, Grantland, Yahoo! Sports) it finally comes down to one final game in this NFL season. Let’s just take a moment to remember the 2012 season: from the replacement refs, to the fail mary, to AP and Peyton’s incredible comeback season, to the sensational rookies, to the Pagano speech, to the ridiculous divisional playoff round. It was an excellent season and I think it’s time to culminate it by what I think will be a great game. One thing is for sure, the Ravens and 49ers are two teams that like to overpower their opponents so expect a very physical game. Here are the match ups that I think will make the biggest impact come Sunday evening:

Can the Ravens defense get enough pressure on Kaepernick? The 49ers offensive line is among the best in the NFL, if not the best and the result is a very effective and efficient offense for the Niners. Stack the line and Kaepernick will use his fastball to find his receivers. Toss in nickle/dime packages and the Niners run a deadly pistol scheme. It’ll be interesting to see how a veteran and experienced defense like the Ravens will handle the offense after two weeks of preparation. Can the Ravens offense make the big plays downfield? If you’re going to try and exploit a certain aspect of the Niners defense, it’s going to be their secondary. The Ravens certainly have the QB (can Flacco continue to be elite?) and the weapons on offense to take advantage of a mismatch. Two x-factors that I like: back up RBs Bernard Pierce (Ravens) and LaMichael James (Niners) because I think they’re both capable of making big plays, despite not being the marquee names.

Prediction: It took me a while to try and figure out how this game will play out because I feel these teams are very evenly matched but in different manners. The Ravens are more of a “Cinderella” type story, many picking them to lose against the Broncos AND the Patriots. The 49ers are the more balanced and poised team, going down early in both playoff games but recovering very effectively. The coaching is dead even, both Harbaugh brothers are among the best in the league. It’s impossible to predict how either team will perform when it comes to special teams. I feel like the glaring mismatch comes at the line of scrimmage in favor of the 49ers. You know, the “trenches” or whatever analysts like to call that part of the team. If one team is going to dominate a certain part of the game, it’s going like the offense and defensive lines for the Niners. Sure, the Ravens are completely capable of winning this game with big plays on either side of the ball but i’m going with what’s probable as opposed to what’s possible. From head to toe, the Niners are a slightly better team.

49ers- 27 Ravens- 24

Enjoy the game, the commercials and Beyonce at halftime everyone. And as always: Go Cowboys!

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Highlights from media day at Super Bowl XLVII

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It wasn’t the craziest of media days when you compare it to some of the past but as the day went on, a couple of headlines grabbed most of the attention. Another day before the Super Bowl means another day that Ray Lewis has to grab all the attention and steal the spotlight. Does Lewis plan these “leaked reports” to come out when every single sports media outlet is waiting for a story to surface? It sounds absurd for something like this to blindside the Ravens literally 10 minutes before their turn at media day occurs but it was pretty convenient. Just a thought. By now most people know but for those that don’t, a report surfaced yesterday and Ray Lewis had been using deer antler spray to recover from his torn triceps injury that he suffered earlier this season.

What is deer antler spray? Well I did a little research and from what I can figure, it’s a little-known spray/pill that contains small amounts of deer IGF-1. Stands for Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 which is on the banned substance list for all NFL players. It sounds like a weird place to get enhancement drugs. So after this story came out, plenty of questions were asked to Lewis but he refused to acknowledge anything about the situation. That didn’t really surprise me because what’s he supposed to do, say “yeah, I cheated” right before the biggest game of year? Of course not but it still raises questions about how Lewis was able to recover so quickly and whether or not he did it in a honorable manner. The only thing we’ll get from Ray Lewis is that it’s “part of God’s plan” for him so we’ll never know. Anyone else just tired of all things Ray Lewis?

The 49ers did their media day right before the Ravens and it didn’t have as many fireworks, only Randy Moss claiming that he’s the greatest wide receiver of all time. I’m in the camp of Jerry Rice as the “GOAT” wide receiver but I think Moss could be considered as the most talented receiver of all time, never having reached his full potential because of his attitude/off-field issues. That’s a debate left for another day. Another thing that stood out for me was the abundance of reporters surrounding 49ers back up QB Alex Smith (pictured above) even though he never sat at a podium. One almost feels bad for him but also respect that he’s carried this entire situation with about as much class as any NFL team could ask for.

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49ers and Ravens both have comeback victories to reach Super Bowl

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AFC Championship - Baltimore Ravens v New England Patriots

Both games were a tale of two halves. Behind great plays on defense and great quarterback play, the 49ers and Ravens were both able to come from behind on the road to secure their spots in Super Bowl 47. Both the 49ers (favorites) and the Ravens (significant underdog) came into the title games in different situations but it was the perseverance to make changes at halftime and absorb blows that was the difference. Even if they weren’t brothers, the Harbaugh coaches both have to be recognized for excellent coaching adjustments throughout the game. Combine that with excellent play from the players and it’s a recipe for success. Players of the game go to Frank Gore (21 car, 90 yds, 2 TDs) in the NFC and in the AFC to Joe Flacco (21-36, 240 yds, 3 TDs) who definitely looked elite yesterday.

The 49ers were very impressive in the second half, shutting out Atlanta’s potent offense and recovering from an early deficit to finally take the lead in the 4th quarter. Kaepernick wasn’t as dominating as last weekend’s game against the Packers but he was effective enough, particularly late in the game to put drives together that put the Niners in scoring position. For the Falcons it simply wasn’t enough and this time around, the lead was just too great to overcome. Statistically Matt Ryan had a great game overall but the problem was that his turnovers (fumble and interception) came at critical moments. Right when the Falcons were going to score either keep the lead or take it back, there was a mistake and the Niners defense was there to take advantage. Also, I was pretty impressed by how loud the Georgia dome got.

Out east, the Ravens were able to play in a similar fashion. The biggest difference was that the Ravens were a pretty significant underdog and note, for the second week in a row they were able to win. Baltimore shutout New England in the second half and also scored 21 points to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since their title in 2000. 21 unanswered points and they made Tom Brady look pretty average; not bad for a defense that was supposed to be old and worn out for most of the season. Ray Lewis will get headlines as usual but it was a collective group effort from start to finish, even after the slow start. The Patriots were already injured and they suffered a couple of key injuries in this game but it’s very surprising that the offense only managed to score 13 points at home.

So we have a Super Bowl dubbed as the “Harbowl” and it looks to be a good one. Tons of headlines to go over in the next couple of weeks.

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Previewing the conference championships in the NFL

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AFC Championship Patriots Ravens Football

In the middle of trying to figure out this weekend’s conference title games it dawned on me, there are only three games of professional football left for this season. Yes, i’m discounting the Pro Bowl next weekend because none of the players try and it’s a terrible game that I only glance at occasionally. While it’s a little discouraging that there’s such little football left, at least it’s known that championship weekend can provide plenty of fireworks. Last weekend was an excellent weekend of football and I expect Sunday’s games to keep the momentum. Let’s take a look at how things will down:

Biggest factors and match ups: Last week the Patriots were able to cruise past Houston because of the Texans’ inability to make big plays and keep up with the offensive firepower of the Patriots. That won’t be a problem for the Ravens, who have plenty of big play making ability on offense and defense. It’ll be interesting to see how Joe Flacco performs because despite all the “elite” jokes that are thrown his way, he does have the ability to make big plays and take big risks. The Ravens defense and special teams will have to play a big part in helping take the blows from the Patriots offense. How much will the Gronkowski injury affect the Patriots on offense? No doubt he’s a major part but chances are that Brady (watch him go to Welker early and often) will find a way to make it work.

It’s incredible to think that the Falcons are a 4 point underdog at home, as the top seed in the conference. That’s what happens when teams do what the 49ers did last weekend, where they looked like clear favorites. The Falcons finally have the playoff monkey off their back but how will they respond as the stage gets bigger and the pressure mounts? Matt Ryan will have to make big plays to his big time receivers because I don’t see the Falcons running game being that effective against a Niners defense that doesn’t really allow big plays on the ground. Can the Falcons get enough pressure on Kaepernick? At least to keep him from getting outside and running wild. The 49ers offensive line is among the best in the league and versatile QBs have given Atlanta fits throughout the season.

Prediction: The Ravens aren’t a team that’s going to back down when the pressure is great. In fact, the Ravens welcome the pressure and have played the Patriots very well in recent years. It’s going to take some big plays and late game magic from the Ravens to beat the Patriots in Foxborough. Do I think the Ravens can slow down the Patriots offense enough? No, but I think the game will be closer than most people expect. The Patriots edge out the Ravens at home. In the NFC the Falcons are being disrespected a bit but it’s not surprising when they’re up against Kaepernick, who looked looked like the greatest football player of all time last week. I expect Kaepernick to regress a bit but I still expect him to give Atlanta’s defense plenty of problems all game. I just don’t see the Falcons thriving on offense against a 49ers defense that’s too fast, too big and too tough. Falcons keep it close but the Niners make a play on defense late in the game to seal the deal. Patriots-49ers will be Super Bowl bound after Sunday’s games are over.

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Recapping an exciting playoff weekend in the NFL

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The first weekend of this year’s playoffs was mediocre but this past weekend the NFL gave fans some of the greatest football I’ve seen in a 48 hour span. The divisional round is thought of by most as the best weekend of the entire season and this weekend’s games certainly backed up that statement. Where do I even begin? We’ll start in chronological order.

Bal-Den: What was Manning thinking with that throw across his body late in the first overtime? I was the back up QB in middle school and even I know not to throw across your body into the middle of the field. But hey, he’s the future hall of fame NFL player so i’ll defer to him. After that interception, the Ravens were able to gain enough yardage to set up the game winning field goal in the second overtime period. Second overtime! How many times do we see “2OT” on the scoreboard in the NFL? It was actually kind of odd. I know Joe Flacco had that great (elite?) pass late in the game to seal the comeback but I gotta give some props to their RB Ray Rice. Rice secretly tore up the Denver defense, rushing for 131 yards and a TD on 30 carries. Incredible game with an incredible finish.

SF-GB: I’ll be the first to admit that I was a bit skeptical about how Colin Kaepernick would perform in his first playoff start but boy did he prove me wrong. Kaepernick bounced back from an early pick-6 in record breaking fashion to lead the 49ers in an impressive victory over the Packers. Kaepernick’s stat line (pass: 263 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT; rush: 181 yds, 2 TDs) doesn’t even do him justice as he out dueled Aaron Rodgers, a proven SB winner and one of the best QBs in the league. Credit to the 49ers defense who never let Rodgers get in sync, even after the Packers took an early lead from a play made on defense. I also have to give credit to the rest of the Niners rushing attack (Gore and co) who had the Packer defense confused the entire game. Damn, the Niners are a scary team.

Atl-Sea: Another wild finish that I did not see coming. Seattle certainly had a chance to win the game after an incredible comeback but Atlanta’s big plays late in the game were the deciding factor. The Falcons finally broke their streak of recent playoff losses and even though I had the Seahawks winning the game, I actually felt good for the Falcons players. Particularly TE Tony Gonzalez, who broke down in tears after the clock expired. I have to ask about the 4th quarter: was it more Falcons meltdown or a Seahawks comeback? It was incredible to watch Russell Wilson lead the Seahawks to 21 unanswered points in the final period but it still wasn’t enough. Seems like there’s a bright future for Seattle but this season it’s the Falcons that are moving on.

NE-Hou: This game didn’t exactly live to the rest of the weekend’s games in terms of excitement but it was still impressive to see how much the Patriots dominated the Texans. Tom Brady broke the record for career playoff wins as he led the Patriots offense in a dominating victory over the Texans. Houston simply could not keep up with the Patriots offense, particularly in the second half. The Texans kept the game close through the first half but after the Patriots dominated the 3rd quarter it began to shape into a easy W for New England. Despite losing Gronkowski (for the season) during the first quarter, the Patriots offense continued to dominate but it’ll be interesting to see how the injury affects them going forward.

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Is a Brady vs Manning AFC title game inevitable?

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This isn’t a guarantee by any means but i’m sure you can guess which teams i’m leaning towards to advance to the AFC championship. It’s surely what the NFL and it’s money-hungry hands want. I’m not speaking for all NFL fans but i’m positive that most non-Ravens/Texans fans would prefer to see Brady face Manning next weekend. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves because as we know, crazy things happen in the NFL. Particularly this week where teams with the bye week can get caught off guard by being a little too confident. Then again there’s a reason that Vegas has the higher seed favored by more than one score (+9.5) but let’s take a closer look at how the Ravens or Texans can spoil some parties.

Biggest factors: Baltimore faced Denver not too long ago (week 15) and it was a lopsided affair in favor of Manning and co. Baltimore is a different looking team this time around with previously injured players not named Ray Lewis being much healthier and ready for action this time around. Can that be enough to slow down Manning? The Ravens need a couple of big plays on defense to help their offense keep up with Denver’s firepower. The Ravens must score quickly because being down by a TD against the Broncos in Denver is a death sentence. I know Ray Rice had 2 fumbles last week but look for screens and things of that sort to neutralize Von Miller’s pressure on Joe Flacco.

A big reason the Texans are playing this game in New England is because one month ago today, the Texans played against the Patriots on to road and it wasn’t pretty for Houston. Tom Brady and co laid the smack down. So what can Houston do to slow down the best offense in the league? Remember, this time Gronkowski is playing. For starters the Texans can’t get into such a big hole. The Patriots are susceptible to teams that can pressure Brady and control the clock. The Texans can do that but only if they score early. Playing catch up is not an option. The Texans biggest stars (Foster and Watt) both need big games and need to influence the game or else it’s going to be a long night for Houston.

Prediction: Like I said earlier, there’s a reason the Broncos and Patriots are favored so heavily at this stage of the season. They’re just better teams. It doesn’t take stats or extensive film study to figure that out, just watch the teams from week to week. That doesn’t mean that I don’t give the under dogs a chance this weekend. There’s always a chance for an upset and if I had to chose one, i’d take the Ravens. They’re not intimidated by any means and the Baltimore offense can catch fire at any moment. Also, Denver did have an extremely easy regular season schedule. I wouldn’t put my money on it though. Denver wins closer than expect and the Patriots roll. Get ready for an enitre week of Brady-Manning hype.

NFC tomorrow.

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