Courtesy: Washington Post
In mid-December, fans and critics from afar were questioning our team, wondering if they would win any more games; the injuries were piling up, our quarterback wasn’t playing well, wide receivers had difficulty getting open, the offensive line was pedestrian, the play calling was predictable, and Coach John Harbaugh had recently fired controversial offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. For much of the season, pundits criticized the usually dominant defense of the Ravens. The band wagon was so light; there wasn’t enough weight to hold it down. However, no one knows my team better than me, and I was deeply convinced they would recover.
It was no secret that the offensive line was the Achilles heel of the team on Sunday. The offensive line was reshuffled, and key players were moved back to their natural positions. After being benched for much of the season, the Ravens placed left tackle, Bryant Mckinnie, in the starting lineup, moved Michael Oher back to right tackle, and placed rookie Kelechi Osemele in a more comfortable position at left guard.
With these key changes, quarterback Joe Flacco looked like a completely different player. With improved mechanics and pocket awareness, Joe was more comfortable in the pocket as his throws were precise and accurate. Since the start of the post-season, Joe has thrown eight touchdowns, and no interceptions; currently, he is on pace to tie Joe Montana’s post-season TD-INT ratio.
Also, it is very apparent that the newly appointed offensive coordinator, Jim Caldwell, has given the Ravens’ offense new life. This offense is more explosive than anything we’ve seen before from this Ravens team. With the growth and development of the younger guys, along with the return of key injured players, the defense has returned to its dominating form. The Ravens are a team on a mission, and that mission is clear: Win the AFC North, get to New Orleans, and win the Super Bowl.
Courtesy: Fox 5 San Diego
To the dismay of some haters, Ray Lewis’ last ride will end in the big easy, and he will play his final game on the world’s biggest stage: The Super Bowl. While this match-up with the San Francisco 49ers is very intriguing, I hope it will not hurt the relationship between the brother-coaches, John and Jim Harbaugh.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the World Champions of Super Bowl XLVII: The Baltimore Ravens. I have foreseen the vision of Joe Flacco and Ray Lewis holding up the Lombardi Trophy, and celebrating with their families in a sea of confetti.
