Baltimore Ravens News: Pro Sports Daily

February 4

New York Post

"Are you ready for a lot more prime-time football? NFL commissioner Roger Goodell used his annual Super Bowl news conference yesterday to reveal the league is dramatically expanding the Thursday night package on its own network starting this fall. In what appeared to be a way to up the pressure in its long-running dispute with Time Warner Cable and Cablevision over New York-area carriage of the NFL Network, the league said that channel will now show Thursday games from Week 2 through Week 15. The NFL Network previously broadcast Thursday games the final eight weeks of the season, but Goodell said the expansion resulted from a desire to guarantee every team in the league at least one"

Bisciotti on the training camp move: 'It hurts me'

February 3

Baltimore Sun

"Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti and the team released a lengthy statement about the decision to permanently move training camp from Westminster to the team's headquarters in Owings Mills when that decision was announced in December. On Wednesday, Bisciotti was asked about appeasing the many disappointed fans. "It's our job to get them comfortable with things that we do," Bisciotti said. "We talked about getting out there and making some open practices at the stadium and in some other places. I'd like to get one down to Annapolis. It's my neck of the woods. So, maybe we can talk with Navy and maybe get it down there in the summertime, which would be good. We can get you all down to McGarvey's"

The state of the Ravens? There's a lot of work to do

February 3

Baltimore Sun

columnist Mike Preston

"It was almost near the end of the annual "State of the Ravens" address before general manager Ozzie Newsome talked about the team's most pressing needs heading into the 2012 season. He finally mentioned the offensive line and getting another pass rusher to complement outside linebacker Terrell Suggs. Most of Wednesday's news conference was devoted to team officials promising they were going to re-sign potential free agent running back Ray Rice and slobbering over quarterback Joe Flacco, who believes he has been underappreciated in Baltimore."

Ravens owner Bisciotti feels Cundiff's pain

February 3

Baltimore Sun

"At Wednesday's "State of the Ravens" news conference, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was asked about Billy Cundiff's missed field-goal attempt against the Patriots, a 32-yard kick that could have sent the game into overtime. He said he "dies with" players who experience such struggles because they have become like family to him. "When you work as hard as you do to put a team together like this, this is like watching your kids in high school play basketball. You don't scream at your neighbor's kid because he's not passing it enough. They become like sons to you, so you feel for them," he said. "This business is about managing your mistakes and managing your failures. Inopportune things like"

Goodell: If NFL expands, it'll add two more teams

February 3

CBSSports.com

"It's no secret the NFL wants to expand to Los Angeles. And while so much of the attention has been focused on which franchise would relocate to L.A. -- whether it's the Chargers, Vikings, Jaguars or Rams -- we haven't discussed much the possibility of the NFL expanding. Apparently, that's an option. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday on Costas Live on the NBC Sports Network that if the league places a team in L.A., the NFL probably would add two more franchises to make it an even 34. Goodell said the league "doesn't want to move any of our teams" and "we probably don't want to go to 33" if the NFL decides expansion is a good choice."

Retirement near, Birk hopes past will not cloud his future

February 2

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Matt Birk's itinerary speaks to his life's work and current cause, his worries and aspirations. Birk, the Cretin-Derham Hall alum and former Vikings star, just packed his belongings in Maryland and shipped them to Minnesota. He is traveling to Indianapolis for the weekend, which was his goal all along. But instead of playing center for the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl, he will, for the second time, attend the game as a candidate for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, given to the player who best combines good works and excellent play. When he returns to Baltimore, Birk will drive an RV filled with his wife, six kids and family dog to Florida, where he will contemplate"

Ravens' front office shows support for Cameron

February 2

Baltimore Sun

"Last week, Ravens coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that offensive coordinator Cam Cameron would be back with the Ravens next season. Bisciotti and Newsome also supported Cameron on Wednesday, though Newsome declined to say whether Cameron's contract was a one-year deal or longer. "I always look at a body of work," Newsome said. "Are we headed in the right direction with this offense? And Steve has some unbelievable numbers that he just showed me that prove that we are headed in the right direction. Are we satisfied with where we are right now? No, but we think the best way to get there is to maintain the continuity of having Cam and then to bring in someone like [quarterbacks coach] Jim"

Ravens owner opens up about 2011 season

February 2

Baltimore Sun

"I came away from Wednesday's "State of the Ravens" news conference at The Castle with one thought: Don't you wish, Steve Bisciotti would open up a little? OK, I'm kidding. Who's better at these things than the Ravens' owner? He sits up there with Dick Cass and Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh for an hour and patiently answers every question. And here's the thing: Bisciotti doesn't just tell you what he thinks. He practically opens a vein and tells you what he's feeling, too. No wonder everyone in the NFL wants to play for him. Heck, if I didn't like what I did, I'd be firing off a resume to the big lug myself, begging him for a job. Or at least a ride on his yacht. And maybe some tanning"

Flacco receives praise from Ravens' Bisciotti, Newsome

February 2

Baltimore Sun

"Joe Flacco's performance in the AFC championship game might not have silenced all his critics, but in the minds of owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Ozzie Newsome, there is no question the 27-year-old quarterback is the man to lead the Ravens back to the Super Bowl. "The thing that I like about Joe — and I think in the end, in this business, you get judged on one thing: winning — Joe wins. He continues to win. If one pass was caught, he'd be in the Super Bowl," Newsome said. "I think he'll win Super Bowls, and I hope to be a part of them. The thing you cannot knock about Joe is he's a winner." At the team's annual season-ending news conference Wednesday — 10 days after Flacco threw"

Ravens go overboard with Joe Flacco love-fest

February 2

Baltimore Sun

columnist Mike Preston

"After nearly 30 minutes, it was apparent that the theme of the "State of the Ravens" address was about kissing up to quarterback Joe Flacco. In the weeks leading up to the AFC championship, Flacco had talked about being underappreciated here in Baltimore and was concerned about his role in the offense. Some of the national experts were saying he was nothing more than a clock manager, and you could see it irritated Flacco. Inside The Castle, the coaching staff knew that Flacco hasn't handled criticism well, and they were hoping he continued to grow in that area. And in case he hadn't, the Ravens were prepared to slobber all over him with love Wednesday."

Ravens lose two coaches to Indy, hire Martindale

February 2

Baltimore Sun

"As expected, former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano is taking a few coaches with him to Indianapolis. Pagano, who was hired as the Colts' head coach just four days after the Ravens' season-ending loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game, has hired Marwan Maalouf as his special teams coach and Roy Anderson as his safeties coach. Maalouf spent the past four seasons as the Ravens' assistant special teams coach while Anderson officially joined the team's coaching staff as a defensive assistant in April 2009."

Lewis will be back in 2012; no word on Reed

February 2

Baltimore Sun

"Linebacker Ray Lewis told reporters after the season-ending loss to the New England Patriots that he planned to return for a 17th NFL season, but the team is still awaiting word from free safety Ed Reed. "Ed doesn't give definitive answers," Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said, adding that he thinks Reed "still has the desire to play." Bisciotti said it would be difficult to replace both Lewis and Reed at their respective positions, but he believes the Ravens already have their replacements -- in terms of impact -- on the roster in linebacker Terrell Suggs, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and cornerback Jimmy Smith."

Ravens focused on extensions for Rice, Flacco; Grubbs' status unclear

February 2

Baltimore Sun

"Owner Steve Bisciotti made one thing clear at the annual State of the Ravens address Wednesday: The face of the Ravens' offense will not change this offseason. "Ray [Rice] and Joe Flacco will be part of this football team next year, guaranteed," Bisciotti said. Rice, who led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and scored a franchise-record 15 touchdowns, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Flacco, the much-maligned quarterback who was likely a dropped pass by Lee Evans away from leading his team to the Super Bowl, is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Their statuses will linger over what figures to be a busy offseason for the Ravens, who began personnel meetings this"

Ravens hope to lock up Flacco, Rice

February 2

Carroll County Times

"Wearing a blue sport coat, loafers and his trademark tan, Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has rediscovered his smile after a devastating AFC championship game loss to the New England Patriots. That doesn't mean the Anne Arundel County businessman isn't still feeling the hurt of a crushing defeat where wide receiver Lee Evans dropped a potential touchdown pass in the final minute and kicker Billy Cundiff flubbed a chip shot field goal in the final seconds. "No, I'm not over it," Bisciotti said Wednesday during a state of the team press conference at team headquarters. "The more you get into 2012, the more you realize the pain is going away. I don't think any of us are over it, but we"

Figuring out a contract for Joe Flacco will be difficult

February 1

Baltimore Sun

"A little over 10 months ago, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti provided a timetable for negotiations with quarterback Joe Flacco on a long-term contract extension. "I would anticipate an extension that starts in 2012," Bisciotti told The Baltimore Sun. "Our goal is to get it done for 2012 for sure." The clock is officially ticking. The Ravens start the offseason with numerous questions to answer. They have 13 unrestricted free agents, including star running back Ray Rice and Pro Bowl left guard Ben Grubbs. They have gotten older in several key spots on both sides of the ball and their offensive line appears headed for another shake-up. But as usual with the Ravens, much of the attention this"

Ravens should wrap up Flacco sooner than later

February 1

Baltimore Sun

columnist Peter Schmuck

"This may sound strange, but whatever doubts that may have lingered about Joe Flacco's future as the Ravens franchise quarterback should have been stripped away the moment New England Patriots rookie Sterling Moore stripped Lee Evans of what should have been an AFC-title-winning touchdown catch. Sorry to have to remind you of that awful moment. It probably still stings to think about it. But Flacco outplayed Tom Brady and put the ball right where it was supposed to be with the Super Bowl on the line in a hostile stadium against a team that was a decided favorite going into the game. It doesn't get much more clutch than that, though that pass to Torrey Smith in Pittsburgh was pretty"

Jim Caldwell joins Ravens as quarterbacks coach

January 31

Baltimore Sun

"Three days after he confirmed that offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will be retained, Ravens coach John Harbaugh gave his offense -- and Joe Flacco -- an additional voice, hiring Jim Caldwell as the team's quarterbacks coach. Caldwell, who was fired two weeks ago as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts after the completion of a 2-14 campaign, has been a quarterback coach for 15 seasons, most recently for Peyton Manning and the Colts from 2002 to 2008. "After spending considerable time with Jim over the last week, we think he will be an excellent fit with our team, coaching the quarterbacks and helping with our offense," Harbaugh said. "We believe he enhances our staff. Jim has a"

Ravens coach John Harbaugh a finalist for Salute to Service Award

January 31

Baltimore Sun

"Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who helped institute the team's annual Military Appreciation Day and was among the first coaches to partake in the NFL-USO Coaches Tour, could have another armed services-related honor on his résumé by Saturday: the inaugural Salute to Service Award. Harbaugh and Tennessee Titans owner K.S. "Bud" Adams Jr. were named finalists today for the honor, which the USAA will present during the inaugural "NFL Honors" event on NBC at 9 p.m. Saturday, for their work in honoring and supporting members of the military community. "We should never take for granted the tremendous sacrifices made daily by our nation's military," said Steve Speakes, executive vice president of"

Cameron's next task: spice up the passing game

January 31

Baltimore Sun

columnist Mike Preston

"Now that Cam Cameron has been appointed offensive coordinator by Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti and head coach John Harbaugh again, hopefully they demanded he tweak the passing game. It needs more flavors than just vanilla. There needs to be more creativity and more variety. If he adds a few wrinkles the Ravens could be more explosive next season and make it to the Super Bowl providing receivers catch the ball. For the past four seasons, Cameron has suffered a lot of criticism from just about everybody in town, and a lot of it justified because he was determined to turn the Ravens into the Green Bay Packers or the New England Patriots, minus an Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady. But midway through"

Bright side to Pagano leaving for Colts

January 30

Baltimore Sun

"The Ravens' loss of defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to the Indianapolis Colts might actually be a big gain in the long run. Not because Dean Pees is replacing Pagano, but because Pagano just hired Bruce Arians, former Steelers offensive coordinator, to the same job in Indy, and he will interview Keith Butler, Steelers linebacker coach, to be defensive coordinator of the Colts."

Ravens' Domonique Foxworth laments another lost season

January 30

Baltimore Sun

"The sinking feeling surfaced in the stomachs of many Ravens as Billy Cundiff's field goal attempt hooked wide of the left upright Jan. 22. But for cornerback Domonique Foxworth, the heartache began back in September, months before the team's 23-20 loss in the AFC championship game. "My heart's been broken all season," Foxworth, carefully choosing his first words, said last Monday. The Ravens placed the Randallstown native on injured reserve Sept. 28, his season ended by a right knee injury for a second season in a row. On the first day of training camp in 2010, Foxworth tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a non-contact drill. His season over minutes after it started, his focus switched"

Report: Caldwell to join Ravens as quarterbacks coach

January 30

Baltimore Sun

"The Ravens, who last week retained offensive coordinator Cam Cameron but said they would be looking to hire a quarterbacks coach, apparently have found their man, according to an espn.com report. Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell will be joining the Ravens' coaching staff, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Caldwell was fired after a 2-14 season in which Colts owner Jim Irsay made sweeping front-office and coaching staff changes. The Pittsburgh Steelers, looking for an offensive coordinator, interviewed Caldwell over the weekend, according to multiple reports."

Reaching 2013 Super Bowl a realistic goal for the Ravens

January 29

Baltimore Sun

columnist Peter Schmuck

"Here's a little advice as we enter what – for some – will be a difficult week of Super Bowl hype and unrequited Purple Passion. Buy a couple of squares in your office grid pool so you have a rooting interest in the big game and, as the song goes, don't stop thinking about tomorrow. The hardest thing to deal with after such a dramatic and disappointing finish is the knowledge that an opportunity that promising doesn't come along every day, but it really won't require all that much heavy lifting for the Ravens to position themselves for another strong run at the Lombardi Trophy next year. There is always change and uncertainty from one NFL season to another, so nobody ever knows quite what"

There's a reason Ravens draw from their pool of coaches

January 28

Baltimore Sun

columnist Peter Schmuck

"The Ravens don't make sweeping changes. They don't generally go looking for someone to throw to the wolves after a disappointing finish. That's the kind of thing the Oakland Raiders do, not this team. If you were waiting to hear at Friday's news conference that the Ravens had done anything other than promote a new defensive coordinator from within the organization and give a vote of confidence to everyone else on the coaching staff, you probably haven't been paying close enough attention during the Steve Bisciotti era. The Ravens don't make sweeping changes. They don't generally go looking for someone to throw to the wolves after a disappointing finish. That's the kind of thing the Oakland"

Ravens make it official, promote Pees, bring back Cameron

January 28

Baltimore Sun

"Dean Pees is the first to admit that he's been pretty spoiled over a 39-year coaching career. In his first job, as the defensive coordinator at the University of Findlay in Ohio, Pees celebrated a Division II national championship. He's coached under Lou Holtz, Nick Saban, Bill Belichick and now John Harbaugh. In eight seasons as an NFL assistant, Pees hasn't had to deal with anything worse than a 10-6 regular season. Pees' latest opportunity – one that Harbaugh and some of his players said couldn't have been any more deserving – came Friday when the Ravens handed Pees the key to their vaunted defense, and empowered him with the task of making sure the group's tradition of dominance"

Ravens say they never considered replacing Cameron as offensive coordinator

January 28

Baltimore Sun

"Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will be back with the Ravens next season. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Friday, though, that Cameron was never going anywhere in the first place. "I don't know that an announcement is necessary," Harbaugh said. At the news conference introducing linebackers coach Dean Pees as the team's next defensive coordinator, other members of the coaching staff, there to support Pees, sat in the back of the auditorium. Cameron was one of them. When Harbaugh opened the conference to questions from the media, the first one asked was not about Pees, but Cameron's status for the 2012 season."

Plenty of reasons to bring back Cam Cameron

January 27

Baltimore Sun

columnist Kevin Cowherd

"So now Ravens Nation waits with bated breath to see if Cam Cameron stays or gets the ax, this being the hot topic now that Chuck Pagano has flown the coop to be the head coach for the Indianapolis Colts. What a crazy week it's been for Cameron. Word from inside the Castle on Monday was that Cam was telling people he was a goner, that he was more or less a Dead Coach Walking down in Mobile, Ala., where he was helping John Harbaugh evaluate talent at the Senior Bowl. Now we hear he's been calling his assistant coaches and giving them their marching orders for the coming weeks, which doesn't exactly sound like a guy about to clear out his office. Personally, I don't understand why Cameron is"

A closer look at Pees' time with the Patriots

January 27

Baltimore Sun

"Nothing has changed regarding the Ravens' defensive coordinator vacancy and the feeling remains that the team's linebackers coach, Dean Pees, is the clear front-runner to replace Chuck Pagano who is now the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Back in 1983, Pees was the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Miami of Ohio in 1983, mentoring a young defensive back by the name of John Harbaugh. As a coach, Pees has worked for Nick Saban, Lou Holtz and Bill Belichick. He was the Patriots' linebackers coach under Belichick in 2004 and 2005, and then took over as defensive coordinator in 2006 after Eric Mangini left to coach the New York Jets."

Colts introduce Pagano as head coach

January 27

Baltimore Sun

""Wow. It has been a whirlwind. Words can't describe the emotions that I'm going through right now and the feelings. Coming off probably the most devastating loss that I've ever been a part of in the AFC championship game and to go in that locker room and see those faces and we all know how hard it is to get to that stage and to see the tears. It's an all-time low, and the last thing I ever expected came across my table and now I sit here at an all-time high." Those were Chuck Pagano's first words after he was introduced as the next coach of the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, four days after the Ravens' season ended with a crushing loss to the New England Patriots. The Ravens' former"

Ravens keeping quiet about coaching staff changes

January 27

Baltimore Sun

"On a day where Chuck Pagano was introduced as the new head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, the Ravens remained mum on the status of their own coaching staff. However, all indications are that linebackers coach Dean Pees remains the clear front-runner to succeed Pagano as the Ravens' defensive coordinator, and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will stay in his current position. A definitive announcement could be made before owner Steve Bisciotti and the organization's top decision makers hold their annual State of the Ravens address next week. Pees and Cameron both spent part of the week with coach John Harbaugh at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala, which is significant considering several"

NFL won't investigate scoreboard issue at end of AFC championship game

January 26

Baltimore Sun

"The NFL is not currently investigating the apparent scoreboard discrepancy at Gillette Stadium that caused confusion on the Ravens' sideline in the final seconds of their 23-20 loss to the Patriots in the AFC championship game. A source close to the situation said Tuesday night that the league has not received a complaint from the Ravens, and that its on-site football operations crew did not notice anything that would warrant follow-up. Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff appeared to rush onto the field before missing a 32-yarder that would have tied the game. He would later confide to Stefan Fatsis, writing for Slate and Deadspin, that his pre-kick routine -- which is based on what down it is --"

Harbaugh: fans don't need reassurance

January 26

Baltimore Sun

"The Ravens are the only team in the NFL to have reached the postseason in each of the last four years and the only team to win a game in each of those playoff years. The club has also been to two AFC championship games. But that's where the good vibes come to an end. The Ravens are 0-2 in AFC championship games under coach John Harbaugh, and Sunday's 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots may be the bitterest pill to swallow. Still, Harbaugh disputed the notion that Ravens fans need a shoulder to cry on."

Pagano is out but Cameron may return for another season

January 26

Baltimore Sun

"As the Ravens said goodbye to one coach Wednesday, they appeared ready to promote one from within and possibly retain a controversial one for the 2012 season. The Indianapolis Colts hired Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to become their new head coach Wednesday morning, and the front runner to replace Pagano is linebackers coach Dean Pees. Meanwhile, according to a league source, Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron called the offensive assistants Wednesday morning and gave them instructions for the upcoming weeks, a sign that he will return next season. Neither Cameron nor Ravens head coach John Harbaugh returned phone calls Wednesday night, but the source was confident that"

Two potential internal replacements for Pagano

January 26

Baltimore Sun

"The Ravens have a long history of promoting their defensive coordinators from within. Mike Nolan replaced Marvin Lewis. Rex Ryan replaced Nolan. Greg Mattison replaced Ryan. And Chuck Pagano replaced Mattison. Now that Pagano is leaving the Ravens after one season as defensive coordinator to become the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Dean Pees and Clarence Brooks are two names to remember in the coming days. Pees just finished his second season coaching the Ravens linebackers, including Pro Bowl players Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. He joined the Ravens in 2010 after spending four seasons as defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. In his four seasons as coordinator, the"

Chuck Pagano hired to coach the Indianapolis Colts

January 26

Baltimore Sun

"All season, Chuck Pagano, the Ravens' brash first-year defensive coordinator, had dismissed questions about his potentially landing a head coaching job, saying his sole focus was helping the defense be the top unit in the NFL and getting to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl. Pagano is headed to Indianapolis after all, but it won't be with the Ravens. Three days after their stunning AFC championship loss to the New England Patriots, the Ravens were dealt another blow when they learned that Pagano has been named the new head coach of the Colts. The 51-year-old will be introduced at an afternoon news conference Thursday by Colts owner Jim Irsay and new general manager Ryan Grigson."

Offense missed opportunity before heartbreaking ending

January 26

Baltimore Sun

"After taking a 17-16 lead late in the third quarter, the Ravens appeared primed to stretch that advantage to eight points after LaQuan Williams stripped the New England Patriots' Danny Woodhead of the football on a kick return and Emanuel Cook recovered the loose ball at New England's 28-yard line. But the offense failed to get into the end zone as safety James Ihedigbo sacked quarterback Joe Flacco on third down-and-8 from the Patriots' 9. Flacco also appeared to miss a wide-open Vonta Leach two plays earlier, opting instead to aim for tight end Kris Wilson, who was well-covered in the end zone."

Pagano's departure leaves several questions for Ravens to answer

January 26

Baltimore Sun

"With Chuck Pagano being hired as the Indianapolis Colts' new coach, the Ravens are now looking for their fourth defensive coordinator in five years. Linebackers coach and former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees is the front-runner for the job, but there are other questions in the wake of Pagano's departure. How will this affect safety Ed Reed's decision to retire or return? Pagano and Reed are extremely tight and have been for a while. It was Pagano, then a secondary and special teams coach at the University of Miami, who recruited Reed to Coral Gables. "He is like a dad, friend, brother," Reed said earlier this year. "When I shed tears, he sheds tears. He and I are"

Miss-information on Billy Cundiff kicks around

January 26

Boston Herald

columnist Ron Borges

"Does anybody just make a mistake anymore? No conspiracy theories. No JumbotronGate. No mysterious external forces. Just a kick that went awry. Simple as that. The latter is what should have been the story after Sunday's AFC Championship Game in Foxboro, and really was, but this is 2012, the age of antisocial media and mass misinformation. This is The MisInformation Age, where everything is overblown and nothing is as it seems, even when it is exactly as it seems."

Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano named new Colts head coach

January 26

Indianapolis Star

"The Indianapolis Colts have settled on Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano as their next head coach, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Pagano, 51, was the Ravens defensive coordinator in 2011 after serving as defensive backs coach the previous three seasons. This will be his first head coaching position at any level. He replaces Jim Caldwell, who was fired Jan. 17. Pagano emerged from a long list of prospects that included New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel, Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman and San Francisco 49ers special teams"

Bernard Pollard hopes the Giants thrash the Patriots

January 25

Baltimore Sun

"A day after the Ravens lost to the New England Patriots, 23-20, in the AFC championship game, Ravens strong safety Barnard Pollard revealed to the world -- well, a Houston radio station -- which team he will be pulling for in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. I'll give you a hint: It won't be the team that beat the Ravens on Sunday. "I really hope the Giants, I just hope they just put a thrashing on the Patriots. I really do," he told Houston radio station KILT on Monday. "To lose to a team like that the way we played. We played a good game." The Ravens outgained the Patriots, 398-330, and intercepted quarterback Tom Brady twice. But the Patriots survived when Lee Evans dropped a pass in the end"

Key to Patriots defense was bottling up Rice

January 25

Baltimore Sun

"While quarterback Joe Flacco and wide receiver Anquan Boldin enjoyed success in the Ravens' 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots in Sunday's AFC championship game, the same could not be said for running back Ray Rice. Rice managed just 67 yards on 21 carries. His longest run was 12 yards, and he accounted for just four (one via catch) of the offense's 19 first downs. Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said New England – after bottling up the Denver Broncos in the AFC divisional round – was intent on doing the same to Rice. "Then coming here, Ray Rice andRicky [Williams], we knew we had to slow those guys down," Wilfork said. "We did that and we knew we had a pretty good chance to win the"

Ravens coaches feeling heat after failing to reach Super Bowl

January 25

Baltimore Sun

"These are nervous times for the Ravens coaching staff because a year ago most of them were given one year deals, and many of those on offense were told they had to get to the Super Bowl, or they might be dismissed. According to a team source, no coaches have been dismissed yet, but that could happen in the next two to three weeks. The source also said that offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has not been told whether he will return next season, but he drew criticism from team officials for throwing the ball to receiver Lee Evans in the end zone late in the game instead of to other prominent receivers."

Cundiff deserves respect after owning up to missed kick

January 25

Baltimore Sun

columnist Mike Preston

"Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff reminds me of his predecessor, Matt Stover. He'll never be as accurate, but he was just as professional Sunday night when he missed the 32-yard field goal in the closing seconds which would have tied the game. Instead, New England beat the Ravens, 23-20, for the AFC championship and the right to play in the Super Bowl. After the game, Cundiff spoke at the podium. As expected, his tone was somber but he didn't back away from any questions or become frustrated while being scrutinized by the media."

Report: Ravens defensive coordinator Pagano will interview with Colts

January 24

Baltimore Sun

"ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday night that the Indianapolis Colts will interview Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano for their vacant head coaching job on Tuesday. In Pagano's first season as defensive coordinator, the Ravens finished third in the NFL in scoring defense and third in yards allowed. The Ravens were fourth in rushing defense and second in pass defense. And in Sunday's AFC championship game loss to the New England Patriots, the Ravens forced Patriots quarterback Tom Brady into two interceptions. Brady had a 57.6 passer rating. Pagano, who was promoted from secondary coach to defensive coordinator when Greg Mattison left for Michigan after the 2010 season, is a fiery"

Suggs says there was miscommunication before Cundiff's missed kick

January 24

Baltimore Sun

"In a Monday morning appearance on ESPN, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs revealed that there was miscommunication on the sideline before Billy Cundiff missed a game-tying field goal attempt in the closing seconds of Sunday's 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. According to Suggs, some players thought the Ravens had picked up a first down when Anquan Boldin fumbled out of bounds after a nine-yard reception on first down. But the fumble was correctly spotted at the New England 14-yard line. Suggs said there was a discrepancy between the scoreboard at Gillette Stadium and what the officials were saying about what the down and distance was after Boldin's fumble."

The heartbreak of what might have been

January 24

Baltimore Sun

"On a gray day that matched their mood, Baltimore football fans spent Monday with the two saddest words in the English language echoing in their heads: If only. Psychologists call this counterfactual thinking, imagining an entirely different outcome if only for a different turn of events. It's why, they say, the Ravens' loss in the final minutes of the AFC championship on Sunday is so much more devastating than if it had been a blowout from the start. If only, goes our counterfactual scenario, Billy Cundiff had made that 32-yard field goal, or Lee Evans had held on to that touchdown pass, the Ravens would be headed to the Super Bowl. Instead, the Ravens emptied their lockers two weeks"

Ravens try to make sense of loss to Patriots, and move on

January 24

Baltimore Sun

"There was a dense fog hanging over The Castle when the Ravens returned to their training facility for one last team meeting on Monday. It was just the kind of melancholy morning you'd expect after the crushing disappointment of the night before. "It's tough," said defensive tackle Haloti Ngata as his teammates packed up their personal possessions and began heading for the parking lot. "You think you made it or you're going to go and you just don't make it." It was also tough to believe that it was the same locker room that was so alive just a few days ago — the one where a very close and competitive team staged cornhole tournaments and set up makeshift baskets so they could slam dunk over"

Free agents Ray Rice, Ben Grubbs, Jarret Johnson missing during locker room availability

January 24

Baltimore Sun

"The Ravens' laundry list of free agents is highlighted by running back Ray Rice, left guard Ben Grubbs and linebacker Jarret Johnson, but that trio did not appear Monday when media was allowed in the locker room. However, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs said keeping Rice, a two-time Pro Bowl player, is a "no-brainer." "We're really good about that, guys who are truly Ravens, keeping them Ravens," Suggs said. "There's no one better in the game to do it than [Ravens general manager] Ozzie Newsome.""

Suggs says there was miscommunication before Cundiff's missed kick

January 24

Baltimore Sun

"In a Monday morning appearance on ESPN, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs revealed that there was miscommunication on the sideline before Billy Cundiff missed a game-tying field goal attempt in the closing seconds of Sunday's 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. According to Suggs, some players thought the Ravens had picked up a first down when Anquan Boldin fumbled out of bounds after a nine-yard reception on first down. But the fumble was correctly spotted at the New England 14-yard line. Suggs said there was a discrepancy between the scoreboard at Gillette Stadium and what the officials were saying about what the down and distance was after Boldin's fumble."