Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens Fulfill Destiny

(Originally posted at coachsspeak.weebly.com 2/5/13)

 Too often when a team go on a championship run they anoint themselves or the media anoint them a 'team of destiny.'  Retired Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis was criticized by national pro-football pundits for "playing the religious card" too heavily, much like the same critics admonished Tim Tebow last season, for saying "no weapon formed against" his Ravens "shall prosper" in press conferences during this run, borrowing the mantra of Mega-church tel-Evangelists, such as T.D. Jakes and Baltimore's Jamaal Bryant.

Lewis also received criticism from CBS Analyst Boomer Esiason during use of Philippians 4:13 before he fired up the team with the "Dogs-in-the-house" chant that NFL Films, and whatever network that televised the Ravens' game, made sure they got footage of before the game.

The negative vibes continued with the Deer-Antler Velvet controversy and Safety Ed Reed saying he would love to play for a coach like New England Patriot's head man Bill Belichick during Super Bowl XLVII Media Day last Tuesday had the national Media dooming the Ravens again.  But this team showed the resilience to overcome every obstacle placed before them this post season.

Even @NFLJesus, of Tebow-time fame last year, anointed Lewis and Joe Flacco as his/her favorite tweeting subject during the Ravens' Super Bowl run. 

So, the Baltimore Ravens were destined to win the Super Bowl this season right?

I have five reasons that suggest maybe so!

 1.   Ray Rice's 4 & 29 Conversion in San Diego:

Down 13-10 at the two-minute warning, Rice converted a first down on 4 & 29, coined in Baltimore as Hey-Diddle-Diddle-Ray-Rice-Up-the-Middle.  Rookie kicker Justin Tucker made a 38-yard field goal to send the game into overtime, and eventually made the winning field goal in overtime to escape San Diego with a 16-13 win, a 9-2 record and controlling their playoff destiny.  The Ravens lost four of their last five games, won the AFC-North over the Cincinnati Bengals with a tie-breaker, and was few people's "sexy pick" to win the Super Bowl.

In hind-sight, Rice does not make that first down to extend the game, the Ravens would be losers of five of their last six--one game behind Cincinnati in the win column--and would miss the playoffs.

 2.   The Cam Cameron Firing:

Ravens' Head Coach John Harbaugh fired Offensive Co-coordinator Cam Cameron the Monday after losing to the Washington Redskins despite the Defense knocking Rookie of the Year Quarterback Robert Griffin III out of the game with a knee injury, and losing the game 31-28 with Rookie back-up QB Kurt Cousins.

The organization was roundly criticized for the bold move as reactionary.  ESPN's Sal Palantonio called the move "knee-jerk," while Skip Bayless said the move would be among the reasons why the Baltimore Ravens would not win the Super bowl this season.

The offense was becoming predictable and stale towards the end of Cameron's tenure.  They would go insane stretches where the offense would be stymied.  The Ravens could not get a first down on the Cleveland Browns from the start of the third quarter until the mid-point of the fourth quarter when they realized they were playing the Cleveland Browns.

You a change was needed when a football fan watching the game at home could predict what the Ravens were going to do based on formation down-and-distance and the check-offs Quarterback Joe Flacco would bark to the receivers.  If a casual fan can accurately predict what they were going to do, how do you think professional players and coaches were predicting their offense with the benefit of game film and tendency reports.

The most damning criticism of Cameron was his under-utilization of Rice.  The Ravens have a ridiculous record when Rice gets 20-plus carries a game, like 40-2 or something to that effect.  During the two-game losing steak prior to Cameron's firing Rice had 12 carries for 78-yards and a TD in their 23-20 loss to Pittsburgh and 20 for 121-yards and a TD in their loss to the Redskins according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. 

The coup-De-ta was Rice had one carry from the mid-third quarter to the end of the game.  Head have to roll when the Ravens lose to the Redskins or the Browns.  The last time the Ravens lost to the Browns in 2007 Brian Billick got fired. The Ravens lost to the Redskins in 2012...

The offense got more balanced when Jim Caldwell was promoted to OC from QB Coach in the aftermath of the firing.  Rice got his touches, they returned to using the no-huddle and stop calling the 7-step drops that was not suited for this offense.  This was the biggest change that positively affected the Ravens' Super Bowl chances. 

Getting Rice his touches didn't hurt either.

3.   The Re-Shuffling of the Offensive Line:

The starting offensive line for the majority of the season was Michael Oher at left tackle, Jah Reid at left guard, Matt burk at center, Marshall Yanda at right guard and Kelechi Osemele at right tackle.  Flacco was sacked 35 times with this offensive line

Harbaugh started Bryant McKinney at LT, moved Oher to RT, and moved Kelechi Osemele to LG in the Wild Card game against Indianapolis and they allowed one sack against the Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, considered one of the top edge-rushers in the league.  This line-up not only allowed seven sacks during the Revens Super Bowl run, but also allowed Flacco to have one of the best pasing post seasons in the Super Bowl Era with 11 TD's and 0 interceptions--putting Flacco in the same class as Joe Montana's 1988 Super Bowl run. 

Funny how a solid offensive line will allow a QB to put up 'elite' numbers.

 4.   Ray Lewis' Retirement Announcement:

When Lewis announced his retirement during the week leading up to the Indy wild Card Game, pundits such as Bayless, Esiason, and Bill Cowher proclaimed it would be too much of a distraction for the Ravens to make a serious run at the Super Bowl. 

What the announcement did was wake this team up to the reality that their window to win a Super Bowl would close once Ray's Last Ride was over.  BleacherReport.com's AFC North lead writer Andrea Hangst reports that the Ravens will be $9-million under the salary cap with Flacco, Ed Reed, LB's Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbie corner back Cary Williams and tight end Dennis Pitta set to be unrestricted free agents this off-season, and TE Ed Dickson, LB Sergio Kindle and wideout LaQuan Williams set to be restricted free agents this off-season.

Anquan Boldin, Vontae Leach, Oher, CB Corey Graham, and defensive tackle Terrence Cody are entering the last year of their current contracts, so the locker room may look very different when the Ravens report to OTA's this spring.

 5.   Jacoby Jone's 70-Yard TD in Denver:

Down to the Broncos 35-28 with 41-seconds to go, according to pro-football-reference.com, and facing elimination, Flacco connected with Jones down the right side for a 70-yard TD--ESPN personality Chris Berman pegged this play the Mile-High-Rainbow--to this  to tied the game and send the game into overtime.

Three things were working against the Ravens' odds of winning this game:
1) Peyton Manning was 9-0 versus the Ravens up to this point;
2) Denver kick-returner/punt returner Trindon Holliday ran a 90-yard punt return for a TD in the first quarter and a 104-yard kick-off return  for a TD  to start the third quarter (the odds are usually pretty good that if a team run back two returns for a TD they will win the game);
3) What are the chances of Flacco connecting with Jones against a prevent defense?  Conventional coaching wisdom says you have to dink-and-dunk a prevent (see The Drive).  And  Broncos safety Raheem Moore broke the position's number 1 rule: get deeper than the deepest receiver, especially in prevent-mode.  C'mon man, coaches teach safeties that in Pop Warner.

Despite all of the odds against them the Baltimore Ravens are hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

This marks the third straight season that a team from the Wild Card round won the Super Bowl!