As the Ravens get ready to board a long flight to Seattle, we received these observations from Ron Benamor, a sportsblogger from the University of Maryland… we hope to bring Ron on board as a staff writer. Here are his thoughts on the Ravens and their quarterback coming out of Pittsburgh with a huge win…
The final drive of Sunday night’s battle showed maturity from Joe Flacco and company
by Ron Benamor
Rookie wide out Torrey Smith learned to forget things quickly Sunday night.
In the final minute of regulation against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith dropped Joe Flacco’s pass down the sideline for what would have been the game-winning touchdown. After the play, Smith put his head down and the Baltimore Ravens looked to be just short of a victory.
Steelers fans flash back to a similar scenario last year, when Bills receiver Stevie Johnson dropped a wide open pass in the end zone in overtime, ultimately resulting in a Steelers win.
However, Smith and the Ravens’ offense refused to let Pittsburgh relive that moment.
In what seemed to be the most improbable decision, Flacco and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron elected to go back to Smith.
“After dropping those couple of balls, I was down for a second,” Smith said. “But my teammates were on me, like ‘go on to the next play, go on to the next play’. You’re going to make a big one”(Baltimoreravens.com).
With 14 seconds remaining, Flacco capped a 92-yard drive by delivering a strike down the sideline to Smith who out ran double coverage by safety Ryan Clark and cornerback William Gay. In addition to the spectacular grab, Smith was held on the play.
It was an up and down game for Smith, who dropped a few balls and was caught holding Ike Taylor, negating a 76-yard touchdown run by Ray Rice on the first play of the game.
Yet, on the last play of the game, he showed that he has learned some things during his brief NFL career.
Flacco stated after the game that the play was designed for Smith to run an out route and get out of bounds. However, the rookie receiver saw that he had space behind Gay and checked into a fly route. A veteran decision allowed Flacco to deliver the ball with precision in the end zone for the game winner.
Smith had a similar performance last week against the Arizona Cardinals. The receiver dropped a bullet from Flacco, who had the ball roll off his hand and intercepted by a Cardinals defender, resulting in a Cardinal touchdown going into halftime. Yet, Smith showed poise in the final drive of regulation, catching a deep ball from Flacco to set up the game winning field goal.
Without a doubt, the Baltimore Ravens have shown immense confidence in their rookie receiver. “For him to keep coming back to me, that meant a lot,” Smith said following the victory.
Torrey Smith’s vertical presence will prove to be a huge factor for the development of Joe Flacco, who has been under intense scrutiny for inconsistent play.
All in all, this game proved many doubters wrong.
On ESPN’s show First Take, linebacker Terrell Suggs and Skip Bayless were involved in a friendly dispute about Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense. Bayless claimed that “Joe Cool” loses his cool in high-pressure situations. He looked at T-Suggs and alleged that the Ravens “don’t have confidence in their quarterback.”
Following the win Suggs tweeted “I wonder what @RealSkipBayless excuse is gonna be tomorrow???????”
NFL analyst Keyshawn Johnson felt that the Baltimore Ravens’ receiving corps was too “inexperienced” and that Flacco was overmatched by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ number one ranked pass defense.
Joe Flacco’s execution of the two-minute drill showed that the quarterback could keep his composure in high-pressure situations; even against the daunting secondary of the Pittsburgh Steelers. This drive gives the Ravens even more confidence that Joe Flacco can lead this team to a world championship.
Nevertheless, the Ravens aren’t a team that acknowledges media criticism.
An elated John Harbaugh said in the press conference following the game that, “It’s not the critic who counts. It’s the man who is in the arena, whose face is covered with blood, sweat and dust. He will never be with those poor and timid who know no victory or defeat.”
The Baltimore Ravens proved that exactly.
However, doubters cannot refute the fact that the Ravens can win in many different ways.
Come from behind games like last weeks face-off against the Arizona Cardinals. Exceptional offensive performances against the Steelers in week one and the Rams in week three. Defensive battles in the Monday night showdown versus the Jets. And then there’s Sunday night’s Brady-esque performance from Flacco.
“This was the kind of victory that can catapult a team into the stratosphere, the AFC is there for the taking,” writes Baltimore Ravens blogger Sarah Ellison.
The Lombardi Trophy is floating up in the Stratosphere and the Ravens are flying towards it.
The anticipated arrival of injured wide receiver Lee Evans combined with the presence of Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin will make the Ravens pass attack extremely versatile with deep threat capability.
Combine that with Ray Rice and a number one ranked defense…scary right?
A potential clash between the gritty Ravens defense and the high-powered offense of the Green Bay Packers is almost too good to be true, but it’s looking more and more promising as Baltimore solidifies itself as one of the NFL’s elite teams.
—Ron Benamor
*all quotes were taken directly from post game press conferences, interviews, and ESPN
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