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ExtremeRavens: The Sanctuary

Its Time to change History


cravnravn

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BALTIMORE, Md. -- Joe Flacco doesn't care.

 

He doesn't care he's one of five quarterbacks, along with the Los Angeles Rams' Pat Haden (1976-78), Miami's Dan Marino (1983-85) and Cleveland's Bernie Kosar (1985-87) and Otto Graham (1950-52), to start a playoff game in each of his first three seasons in NFL history.

 

"It doesn't really mean anything to me," he said. "At the end of my career when I'm all done, hopefully there are some things that are a little better than that. Hopefully, I can be one of a couple of guys to win multiple Super Bowls rather than just make the playoffs."

 

img14537173.jpg Will Joe Flacco be the one to help Baltimore end its Pittsburgh postseason blues? (AP) Flacco has won 36 games, including the playoffs, during the first three years of his career, equaling the post-NFL-AFL 1970 merger record set by Marino.

 

But when Flacco leads the Ravens (13-4) into Heinz Field, surrounded by an expected capacity crowd of more than 65,000, he and the Ravens will face an opponent perhaps even more daunting on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 than the six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4).

 

They'll be against history, 40 years of it.

 

For Flacco to supplant Marino atop the record book, he and the Ravens must accomplish a feat no team from Baltimore -- not the Orioles or the Colts -- has ever done.

 

They'll have to eliminate a Pittsburgh team from the playoffs.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/14537151/flacco-baltimore-again-face-pittsburgh-roadblock

 

 

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No time like the present, absolutely no time like the present. We win both Pitt games this year if not for two plays. The Flacco fumble and the missed tackling by the Ravens defense. We controlled the entire game. We're as close as we've ever been to beating em!

 

We did have them on the ropes in M&T but this will be an entirely different game. I don't expect the Steelers offense to play as poorly in Heinz field as they did in Balitmore- not with the crowd on their side and the comforts of home. I'm just hoping that with a healthy Heap and an ever improving Flacco, our offense will step up even more than theirs will.

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I am convinced this team will have to be play maybe the best collective game of its 15 year history to win. All planets will have to align, no tunovers on offense, stealth play and poise from Joe for 4 full quarters, suffocating D on Ben and a shutdown of his weapons, including Miller, Ward and Wallace, superb ST play from Koch and Cundiff, and no substantial bonehead, game altering plays (late hits, helmet to helmet, etc.), esp in the 4th Quarter.

 

Too much to expect ? Maybe. Necessary to win ? Absolutely.

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I'm more concerned that our secondary step up. Particularly corners. And even moreseo that Oher has the game of his life.

 

The key to our secondary playing well all season has been the pass rush. The Ravens have had great pressure against the Steelers' QBs in both games this season, and I expect that to continue this week. It has to. Besides Roethlisberger, the Steelers biggest offensive weapon is Wallace. Wallace's most effective play has been the deep bomb (just look at where he ranks in YPC). The best way to put a stop to that shit is to get in Ben's face and make sure he doesn't have enough time to wait for Wallace to get deep.

 

I am convinced this team will have to be play maybe the best collective game of its 15 year history to win. All planets will have to align, no tunovers on offense, stealth play and poise from Joe for 4 full quarters, suffocating D on Ben and a shutdown of his weapons, including Miller, Ward and Wallace, superb ST play from Koch and Cundiff, and no substantial bonehead, game altering plays (late hits, helmet to helmet, etc.), esp in the 4th Quarter.

 

Too much to expect ? Maybe. Necessary to win ? Absolutely.

 

I don't know that we need to be perfect to win - the Steelers aren't a perfect team. We do need to limit or completely avoid turnovers and Joe needs to be solid in the clutch. These games usually come down to the wire and the QB that is clutch under pressure is going to win. Flacco was clutch in game 1 but not in game 2 when he short-armed that 4th and short pass to Dickson. Big Jen almost always plays well in the clutch - it's why the Rust Buckets have had the edge when he starts in this series.

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I think you guys have nailed it, the past couple of games have been close because we have kept constant pressure on Ben. He is not a slant quick release QB. He's a good QB, and he can make throws obviously, however Pitt doesn't want to rely on Ben throwing slants all day. He's not a West Coast QB, if Ben is throwing slants all day, there will be INTs. We keep in his face and he doesn't get the deep ball or, even better, he throws and ill advised deep ball to Reed's side.

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