It is not easy being a Ravens fan. I am a diehard fan, I watch every game, I listen to Baltimore sports radio and I read about them online. My friends and family know about my purple passion, I wear my heart on my sleeve, I support them through thick and thin and I will always be a fan.
Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots was hard to swallow. It was hard to be so close to something, yet feel like you are so far away. The loss felt like a breakup that came out of nowhere. While I knew that a breakup was possible, I held out hope that our relationship would last a bit longer. Sadly it ended abruptly and I felt like someone ripped my heart out.
I was speechless and curled up on my couch and wanted to be left alone. I couldn’t deal with people, I had nothing to say and didn’t want to hear what they to say.
My beloved Ravens played their hearts out on Sunday. They weren’t perfect, they never are, but they looked pretty good and hung in there till the bitter end. The end was painful to watch, but it didn’t kill me, I’m still here to talk about it.
I won’t cry over spilled milk. I will make myself crazy if I question everything that went wrong at the end of the game. There is no sense in rehashing it, yes, I wish things ended differently, but what happened, happened, I can’t change the outcome, I have no choice but to accept it and move on.
There are haters who like to poke fun of the Ravens for making the playoffs for four consecutive years and not reaching the Super Bowl. I let the bygones be bygones and ignore what they say. While it would be awesome to play in the big game again, I am just happy that the Ravens stay competitive to reach the playoffs year after year.
Before head coach John Harbaugh and QB Joe Flacco came on board, the Ravens were on a downward spiral and needed to be dug out from their impending doom. Harbaugh and Flacco are the pieces who turned the team around. Flacco has steadily improved each season and while he isn’t an elite QB, he is consistent and that’s what we need him to be.
This season we witnessed WR Torrey Smith emerge from a shaky rookie to a strong and reliable receiver. Next season he will no longer be a rookie and he will continue to grow, he has the potential to become an elite WR.
RB Ray Rice continued to explode on the field, he is the workhorse behind the Ravens offense and should have a new contract, one that will award him for his efforts and allow him to stick around for a long time.
The Ravens were undefeated in the division, a hard one to win when you have to play against two defensive powerhouses; the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens proved that they are a force to be reckoned with. Sweeping the Steelers was a big deal, it is something that the Ravens had not done since 2006 and it gave us hope that they will do it again.
Every game has a winner and a loser and unfortunately we were the losers in that game. LB Ray Lewis referenced a higher authority in the loss, that it was in god’s plan and he said that Flacco played his ass off.
Flacco did play his ass off, he had a better game than Patriot’s QB Tom Brady and even though the Ravens lost the game, it was exciting watching Flacco go head to head with one of the league’s elite QBs. I have been a long time Flacco supporter and will continue to support him next season, I don’t expect him to be elite, he doesn’t need to be, he just needs to do his job effectively and consistently.
So my dear Ravens, get some rest, you worked your butts off this season and deserve the down time. You can be assured that your loyal fans will continue to support you and we look forward to seeing you next season.
Keep playing like Ravens. They say good things come to those who wait; we will continue to hold out hope that we will be top dog again.
Zennie Abraham