2012 Baltimore Ravens: Farewell to a Legend

2012 Baltimore Ravens: Farewell to a Legend

[paypal_donation_button]2012 Baltimore Ravens: Farewell to a Legend

The 2012 Baltimore Ravens won the AFC North with a 10-6 record. They ranked 10th in total points scored, and for the first time since 2007, they ranked outside of the top ten in points allowed. The defense, which was central to their identity, was aging and wasn’t as effective as they had been in the past. The Ravens lost four of their last five games and limped into the playoffs. The playoffs began and suddenly they looked like a different team.

Before the end of the regular season, Ray Lewis, who debuted as a middle linebacker when football returned to Baltimore in 1996, announced he would retire at the end of the year. Ray Lewis wasn’t just any player. Since the Ravens’ inception in Baltimore, Lewis has been their heartbeat. He’s the all-time leader in tackles and he was the MVP of the Ravens’ Super Bowl XXXV victory. Lewis was the leader of the team. Before announcing his retirement, Lewis had been on the sidelines since Week 6 due to a triceps injury. The team thought it was the end of his season, but Lewis would return for the Ravens’ Wild Card game against the Indianapolis Colts. His emotion and intensity drove the Ravens for 17 years and he hoped he could do it again one last time.

Lewis returned against the Colts and led the team with 9 tackles. The defense forced two turnovers and kept the Colts out of the end zone. The Colts scored three field goals and the Ravens’ offense took care of the rest. Joe Flacco threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Anquan Boldin caught 5 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens’ running backs, Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce, combined for 170 yards rushing and a touchdown. The Ravens won handily 24-9.

The Denver Broncos and their potent offense led by Peyton Manning waited for the Ravens in the Divisional round of the playoffs. It was a high-scoring game with both teams scoring three touchdowns in the first half. The Broncos’ kick returner, Trindon Holliday, broke the tie early in the 3rd quarter with a 104-yard kickoff return touchdown; his second of the day. Ray Rice tied the game with a 1-yard touchdown with seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter. Peyton Manning answered with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas with seven minutes remaining in the game. The Broncos led 35-28 when Joe Flacco found Jacoby Jones for a 70-yard touchdown with 30 seconds left to play. The game went into overtime and then a second extra frame until Justin Tucker nailed a 47-yard field goal to send the Ravens into the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots.

The game would be a rematch of the 2011 AFC Championship game which the Patriots won 23-20. The game would be played in Foxboro again, but the result would be different. Joe Flacco continued his excellent play in the playoffs. Flacco threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns. He also failed to throw an interception for the third consecutive playoff game. In fact, the Ravens didn’t commit a single turnover against the Patriots. The defense held the Patriots scoreless in the second half and Flacco threw all three of his touchdown passes in the 3rd and 4th quarter to lead the Ravens to a 28-13 victory.

The Ravens advanced to the Super Bowl for the second time in their franchise’s history. They faced the San Francisco 49ers. For Ray Lewis’ last game, the Ravens carved out a 28-6 lead early in the 3rd quarter thanks to a Jacoby Jones 108-yard kickoff return touchdown. The 49ers fought back to score 17 consecutive points to cut the deficit to five points entering the final quarter. The 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick scored a 15-yard rushing touchdown to cut the lead to two points with less than ten minutes to play. That would be as close as the 49ers would get as Justin Tucker would add a field goal. The Ravens won 34-31 and gave their franchise’s greatest player the farewell that he deserved.