ESPN: Ravens didn't win. Broncos lost, and gave them the game.

[prairieaug]

And so is the rest of the country too because it's the Ravens. This is not a well liked team outside of Baltimore.

I wish some of you guys could have been with me yesterday. My in-laws renewed their vows yesterday down in Waldorf. I had to watch the game at the hotel bar surrounded by Washington fans. I know most of them were trying to be nice but you could see that they were not happy about how the game played out. One of my wife's cousin husband goes ar far as blaming the Ravens for what happened to Griffin and really now hates the Ravens. it was sooooooo sweet. LOL

How are the Ravens blamed for RG3 issues?

[Far from home]

How are the Ravens blamed for RG3 issues?

I think he got hurt during the game in December.

[durango46]

It was a great win for you guys and a great game to watch. In my mind the heroes were the offensive line that allowed Flacco and Rice to make plays.

They were outstanding against a good defense. Flacco made the big plays when called upon.

I disagree about the 3rd down call and actually all three downs. When you have the premier quarterback in the game you do not put the result in the hands of an undrafted running back who had just failed the play before. That is a headscratcher.

but you can understand Fox's logic correct ? no guarantees the pass is completed which would have stopped the clock and gave the Ravens who were out of timeouts plenty of time to go down the field


and he had a stout D coming into the game

I probably would have went with Manning also, but I understand why Fox didn't

[Grindelwald]

Ravens deserve a lot of credit but if you think Denver didn't give them the game you're kidding yourself.

[durango46]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2012...ltimore-ravens

Even as I was reading this, my girlfriend (who knows literally nothing about football, other than what a linebacker is because she thinks Ray Lewis is hot and asked about him), said "wow, it's pretty insulting that this writer is giving the Ravens zero credit for doing anything right. Even if the Broncos made mistakes, the Ravens still had to take advantage of them."

She's completely right. On top of that, the Ravens' special teams play was TERRIBLE, and they've been their most consistent unit all year. It's not like the Ravens just accidentally won the game here.

Just another example of the "experts" getting their foot shoved into their own mouths, and doing everything they can to save face. Pathetic.

Chadiha must be Bronco fan....or a dumb a s s. What an excuse filled piece

[durango46]

Ravens deserve a lot of credit but if you think Denver didn't give them the game you're kidding yourself.

well sir, I totally disagree

Why do you feel that way ?

an even game that could have went either way.....The Ravens happen to make one more play than the Broncos

[ms maggie]

Nice article in Sunday NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/sp..._20130113&_r=0

[prairieaug]

I think he got hurt during the game in December.

I don't like to see anyone get injured but QB's that run a lot increase their risk. If they want to blame the Ravens that's fine but they are ignoring the root cause.

[Slidemaster]

Ravens deserve a lot of credit but if you think Denver didn't give them the game you're kidding yourself.

The Ravens' defense outplayed the Broncos.

The Ravens' offense outplayed the Broncos.

The Ravens were only even into overtime because their special teams unit gifted them TWO touchdowns. Please don't try to make it sound as if the Ravens just were handed the game when they made JUST as many big and costly mistakes. Both teams made mistakes and both teams capitalized.

Know what the real deciding factor was?

Prater missed a FG in his home stadium. Tucker, the rookie, didn't.

[durango46]

The Ravens' defense outplayed the Broncos.

The Ravens' offense outplayed the Broncos.

The Ravens were only even into overtime because their special teams unit gifted them TWO touchdowns. Please don't try to make it sound as if the Ravens just were handed the game when they made JUST as many big and costly mistakes. Both teams made mistakes and both teams capitalized.

Know what the real deciding factor was?

Prater missed a FG in his home stadium. Tucker, the rookie, didn't.

I thought our OLINE played it's best game all year and against that defense

actually I think our OLINE dominated their front 7

[Oriole Dave]

I thought our OLINE played it's best game all year and against that defense

actually I think our OLINE dominated their front 7

One sack and it was coverage sack. You don’t get to throw it 50-60-70 yards downfield without good protection. Those guys played their asses off. That’s was the #2 ranked defense in the NFL. Yanda was hammering people on the power.

[durango46]

I'm over on the ESPN message boards...game thread. What a joke

most Bronco fans aren't giving the Ravens any credit at all

[Ravens2006]

If he throws an incompletion they get blasted for not running the clock down.

You can argue either side. The Ravens were out of TOs, so the run basically burns a guaranteed 45 seconds off the clock. You struggle with the debate of increasing your chances of getting a first down, but possibly giving the opponent more time. Or you pretty much ensure an extra 45 or 50 seconds burns off, giving them less time to do anything (and limiting their playbook options further). They knew the Ravens would likely have to go 80-ish yards in the final minute, without any TOs, on the road against a top ranked defense, in "must pass" situations, with Miller and Dumervil working the edges against Oher and McKinnie.

When you really take time to consider that last bolded sentence... holy crap!

And as Joe pointed out after the game... yeah, the safety can certainly take heat for letting that play happen... but it's not like he was playing shallow to begin with. Joe just threw the ball far enough that it made it a tough play, and the smallest mistake there killed them. Moore could have played it better, but that was an incredible throw that Joe made as well. He saw the safety's depth, knew he had a chance to beat him over the top, and did it. That was a big money throw (figuratively and literally).

[OriginalColtsFan]

How are the Ravens blamed for RG3 issues?

His collision with Ngata caused the first knee injury.

[Ravens2006]

...Of course, something not mentioned enough: Flacco's pass was perfectly thrown between the defenders and right in Jacoby's hands. Jacoby could have easily dropped it too, aka Lee Evans.

I've sort of been hoping for Jones to fumble a return in some innocuous scenario late in the season, just to get it out of his system. You can only press your luck with him for so long.

[jamesdean]

The Broncos gave them the game? That's the loser mentality after being forced to do things they don't normally do by a team that's beating them. Maybe the Ravens made the game closer than it should have been. If you take away those two return touchdowns and Flacco connects with a wide open Torrey Smith racing towards the end zone, the final score is 42-21. The media(TV and press) made no secret that they wanted a Manning/Brady AFC championship and Gumble/Dierdorf were practically having orgasms over the Denver God-like quarterback. The ending was beautiful and thorough as scattered snow flurries danced in the bitter aftermath. And if you want to give a game away, I'm sure John Harbaugh will take it every time. On to New England.

[demopublican]

I don't see where they're wrong. The game tying td was an interception ball and the final interception was all on Manning. Sometimes you have to accept that you got a gift and move on.

We out played them everywhere except punt/kick coverage.

[demopublican]

Ravens deserve a lot of credit but if you think Denver didn't give them the game you're kidding yourself.

Every game is won in part because of mistakes on the other side of the ball. We made mistakes too but we OUTPLAYED them when it counts. Some people just do not understand what it means to win.

[durango46]

Every game is won in part because of mistakes on the other side of the ball. We made mistakes too but we OUTPLAYED them when it counts. Some people just do not understand what it means to win.

but those Bronco fans see things differently

[OriginalColtsFan]

Ravens deserve a lot of credit but if you think Denver didn't give them the game you're kidding yourself.

And if you think giving up TWO TDs on kick returns isn't giving away a game, you're an idiot.