Hard To Let Go

by WestminsterRaven on Jan 25, 2012 10:01 AM EST

It’s a tough pill to swallow. The Baltimore Ravens’ 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game still stings and I’m sure the Ravens faithful all around the country are feeling the residual effects. Our entire season culminated into those last fateful minutes in Foxboro, where it seemed as though we could pull out a last second upset to claim a Super Bowl berth, only to have those hopes shattered not once, but twice.

In the end, the Ravens didn’t execute when it mattered most. As hard as it is and will be to let go of such a wonderful season, no amount of analysis, ‘what ifs’ or finger pointing will bring back what is already done. Billy Cundiff has taken his criticism in stride and Ravens LB Ray Lewis summed it up best by saying: "We win as a team, we lose as a team."

Football isn’t all about wins and losses, or even Championships. This game we all love provides us with a multitude of emotions and memories that we’ll remember forever. Every season is a journey full of moments. Little snapshots in time that will be forever ingrained in us. I urge all of you, as Ravens fans, to take a few moments at some point to look back on some of your favorite memories from this season before letting go. For some it will be our opening game when the Ravens dismantled the defending AFC Champions and hated rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, to the tune of 35-7. Maybe your favorite memory will be Torrey Smith’s breakout game against the St. Louis Rams when he tallied up 152 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 5 receptions.

Whether you decide to let go and move on today, next week or several months from now, keep these memories with you. When you look back on these flashes in time, try to remember the sights, the sounds, the tastes. Remember who you were with. Most of all, remember how these memories make you feel. That’s what this journey we call a "season" is all about.

Please share with me what your favorite moment of the year was in the comments section. Thank you!

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It all started

when it became obvious late in the third quarter of the Ravens 35-7 win over the Steelers in game one that we had that game in hand. Then when Flacco hit Torrey Smith to shock Pittsburgh in Heinz Field, I might have jumped higher than at any other time in my life. The win on Thanksgiving night on national TV showed the entire country we were among the best in the league.

I was also so sure we would end up winning this past Sunday that I was already preparing my schedule for Super Bowl week in Indy. My happiness and sadness has been tied to their fate for four months now and I wil get over this and remain a huge fan forever. We WILL be back!

Go Ravens!

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 25, 2012 10:21 AM EST reply actions

I think my best memory

is the second Pitt game. We were 92 yards away and things start flowing. Joe just keep hitting receivers on their hands. Even the dropped passes do not deter us. We just came back with the next play.

I think Torrey dropped one. Q dropped one. But it didn’t matter since we found a way to win at last. We prevailed despite mistakes against steelers in their house. That was very fond memories.

by Tassadar on Jan 25, 2012 11:30 AM EST reply actions

This.

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by organizedchaos52 on Jan 25, 2012 7:52 PM EST up reply actions

Still left wondering

What could have been. What a great season. However with a win at Jacksonville the championship game would have been home and I am sure a different result. Why, wasn’t the touchdown pass to Evans reviewed? Another homer call. Pats get all the breaks how many penalties did they have? It sure looked like he had both feet down and was turning to put the ball away securely. Isn’t that a completion when it is in the end zone. The league has sure screwed up the definition of a reception as well as a touchdown. Why doesn’t Harbaugh call a time-out at the end to dot the i"s and cross the t’s. Really depressed. I fear we will see many changes on this team due to fa and cap.

jklein

by jklein on Jan 25, 2012 12:03 PM EST reply actions

My favorite moment of the season

was when Ray Rice broke that second long run for the TD in the last game of the year.
That solidified the 6-0 in the AFCN, and the home field playoff game.
Huge play, and in typical Ravens fashion it was just plain smash mouth football.
Second favorite was the first play strip sack fumble TD by Ed Reed on Sanchez.
Third was the Haloti smash of Mendenhall and then landing on the fumble.

by RavensfaninTX on Jan 25, 2012 12:19 PM EST reply actions

So many memorable moments this year . . .

I agree with all of those already mentioned, but wanted to add Joe Flacco finding Kris “Who the Heck is That?” Wilson in the end zone against the Texans. Now that’s finding a way to get it done!

Michael Oher is so fast off the ball that he only appears to be off-sides.

by Raveness on Jan 25, 2012 12:35 PM EST reply actions

I agree with TX up there. That strip sack fumble by Reed on Sanchez was awesome. Torrey’s big game is one of my favorites….I had a hard time hanging up my Torrey jersey in the closet Sunday night.
Any of Leach’s big blocks. Haha. I could just watch him pummel people all day.
Lots of good memories.

"Don't throw it, don't throw it, don't throw it. I know y'all going to throw it, they going to throw it anyway. I wouldn't throw it. Don't do it." - Ed Reed

You say tomato, I say tomahto. You say Six, I say Sweep.

by WestminsterRaven on Jan 25, 2012 12:55 PM EST reply actions

When he smashed Pat Willis that was my best Leach block. He has to be the best asset that we added this season.

by Raven_all_day on Jan 25, 2012 1:36 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Torrey’s big game is one of my favorites

Which one? He tore it up this season in multiple games (STL, Cinci, Houston, Pitt)

Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.

Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang

by Mr MaLoR on Jan 25, 2012 2:23 PM EST up reply actions

The first one in St. Louis. I was screaming as loud as I could: “That’s why we fu#$ing drafted you!”. It was my Birthday as well. That was a good present. Haha.

"Don't throw it, don't throw it, don't throw it. I know y'all going to throw it, they going to throw it anyway. I wouldn't throw it. Don't do it." - Ed Reed

You say tomato, I say tomahto. You say Six, I say Sweep.

by WestminsterRaven on Jan 25, 2012 2:34 PM EST up reply actions

My Favorite

Jarret Johnson trucking Hines Ward -clean and legal.

"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."

For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind

by vlad755 on Jan 25, 2012 2:41 PM EST reply actions

there are no good memories..only pain.

by raven on Jan 25, 2012 3:43 PM EST reply actions

I hear you. Gotta take the good with the bad though and try to look at the positives.

"Don't throw it, don't throw it, don't throw it. I know y'all going to throw it, they going to throw it anyway. I wouldn't throw it. Don't do it." - Ed Reed

You say tomato, I say tomahto. You say Six, I say Sweep.

by WestminsterRaven on Jan 25, 2012 3:46 PM EST up reply actions

I find it difficult to come up with just one favorite play/game

so I’m going to reflect on the whole season and say, for me, it was awesome to see Ladarius Webb grow up before my very eyes as one of the best corners in the league. I don’t recall a single bad game that he played. He always had shown flashes of potential in recent seasons, especially after coming off of injury, but this season he was a monster. That was really cool to watch.

You like Thai? Tie good. You like shirt?

by Dynamo38 on Jan 25, 2012 3:54 PM EST reply actions

I have to agree with the growth of Webb

Last year, I thought opposing QBs were targeting him, as it seemed he regressed a bit from his rookie season. However, it just might have been that he needed that full year to get his torn ACL completely healed. He def deserved Pro Bowl mentioning, at least as an alternate considering Andy Dalton just got in the game!

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 25, 2012 3:56 PM EST up reply actions

webb is a diamond. best find in 5 years.

by raven on Jan 25, 2012 4:08 PM EST reply actions

Give McPhee a minute to catch up.

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by organizedchaos52 on Jan 25, 2012 7:53 PM EST up reply actions

webb needs to open a tackling school. he’s the best at it on the whole team.

by raven on Jan 25, 2012 4:09 PM EST reply actions 2 recs

+1

Not to mention he is fearless with regards to tackling guys bigger than he is.

You like Thai? Tie good. You like shirt?

by Dynamo38 on Jan 25, 2012 4:10 PM EST up reply actions

for some reason im not too disappointed of the lost the ravens had against the patriots.

I thought I be mad but the ravens accomplish alot last year and if they can build on what they did last year and go forward with that this year they can be a very scary team

by jazz20 on Jan 25, 2012 7:50 PM EST reply actions

Oh I think my favorite moment of the ravens was when boldin caught that one handed catch against the cardinals

by jazz20 on Jan 25, 2012 7:52 PM EST reply actions

Favorite moment was probably the pick 6 by webb against sanchez. The day our D had that game was just unreal.

On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu

by AV23 on Jan 26, 2012 9:00 AM EST reply actions