Over the years, Ravens fans have had to sit through a lot of tough losses, especially to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Santonio Holmes “catch”, the 2008 AFC Championship game, and most recently the 2010 game where Troy Polamalu makes a hell of a play. But the one play that may stick with us for a long time and still hurts to this day happened just 6 months ago on this day.

On January 15th, 2011 I, along with 3 other friends, headed up I-70 W to see our beloved Ravens take on our arch rival, the Steelers. We had a good feeling going into Heinz Field. It was our time, we thought. After finally opening up the offense against Kansas City the week before, the Ravens were gonna go to Pittsburgh, win the game and advance to the AFC Championship. We could feel it.

It started off according to plan. The Steelers had a 1st round bye, and looked sluggish the 1st half. Mistakes and turnovers were costing the Steelers and the Ravens took advantage. Halftime came, 21-7, Ravens ahead. We were all smiles, taking pictures and having good natured smack talk with Steeler fans (we knew we had to get out of there alive, so no heckling from us!).

But as my friend Kiss and I waited patiently for the 2nd half, we had this feeling in our guts…. kinda hard to explain, but we knew it was far from over. We knew that the Steelers had our number, and if we didn’t keep our foot on the gas, they would find new life and start a comeback. We knew our Ravens all too well. This is the same team that put us through many a heart palpitations and anxiety attacks the entire season, despite their 12-4 record. We knew what was to come.

As the 2nd half proceeded it went from good to bad, in what seems like an instant. Ray Rice fumbles… Joe Flacco interception… and other careless mistakes. The Steelers have now scored 17 unanswered points going into the 4th quarter. And it looked like they were sucking the life out of my team, minute by minute.

We weren’t prepared with that happened next. With 2:07 left in the game, the Ravens and Steelers were tied at 24. Ben Roethlisberger was sacked for a 9 yard loss 2 plays prior, and had an incomplete pass on the last play. The down was 3rd and 19. The Ravens put pressure on Big Ben pretty regularly throughout the whole game, so we were confident Terrell Suggs was coming to get his 4th sack of the day.

When the defensive line came to the line of scrimmage, we instantly realized there were only 3 linemen there. It was pretty odd to us, but we figured, maybe they’ll blitz with LBs or even a DB, no sweating it, right?! WRONG!!! No one snuck up on line… not one extra defender. Just as I looked to Kiss and asked, “Why are they only rushing 3 guys??”, they snapped the ball. Then, it happened………

Antonio Brown runs right past LarDarius Webb for a 58-yard completion.

Shock

Disbelief

Anger

Torture

Those are just a few words that described what we felt after that pass. If there was ANY hope that the Ravens would come back before that play, it just flew out of the window with that completion. The Steelers eventually scored the go-ahead TD and the rest is history… 31-24, Steelers advance to the AFC Championship.

(to see my initial reaction on the game, click here)

Six months later, that play and that game STILL haunts Ravens fans. Every now and then, I’ll see a random Facebook update or a tweet that says those three words: “3rd and 19″, and nothing else. In Baltimore we all know what that means. It’s a symbol of the day our football hopes and dreams went right down the drain. It’s a symbol of what happened on that awful day of January 15, 2011.

The good news is the Ravens are still a good football team. Once a new CBA agreement is put together and football is back in our lives, the Ravens should be a contending team yet again. In 2011, they should have the chance to fight for the Lombardi Trophy. But if they have to play the Steelers again to get there, 3rd and 19 will ALWAYS come back to mind……..

When the Ravens and Steelers face each other in the playoffs, you always know a bet is coming. Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl (oh, the irony of his name) made a wager during last weekend’s Ravens-Steelers division playoff game. The loser would have to wear the other team’s jersey and proclaim them the “superior” team.

Well… we know how that turned out……………..

Mayor Rawlings-Blake went along with the bet, making this video, as she wore a Hines Ward jersey. She goes through her speech. Once she honors her bet, she puts back on her purple and black scarf and a change of clothes. Her stock just went up 40% with me just for changing midway into the video.

In addition to the video, she sent Ravenstahl some crab cakes from Faidley’s Seafood. If ever there were a silver lining of this bet, it’s that she didn’t have to eat that heart attack-in-a-bun that she would have received from Primanti Bros, the famous Pittsburgh eatery that would have been her prize if the Ravens won. Keep your girlish figure, Stephanie. You didn’t need that fattening food anyway!

BEAR DOWN!!!! No, seriously……….

Bears fans have been on a fire frenzy since yesterday’s Bears NFC Championship game loss to the Packers. QB Jay Cutler missed the second half due to a knee injury and never returned. While the Bears staff said they made the decision to sit Cutler out, current and former players called out Cutler and his toughness via Twitter yesterday. Maurice Jones-Drew said he played a whole season on a bad knee and Deion Sanders showed no mercy when questioning Cutler’s heart (not to mention regular tweeters who had a field day on Cutler’s absence). And while some folks have come to Cutler’s defense, they are in the minority. The consensus amongst most comments I’ve seen is simple: Cutler punked out.

The biggest Cutler foes at this point have been Bears fans. Website Bears Goggles On found a slew of videos showing Bears fan so irate about Cutler sitting (and standing) on the sidelines that they decided to burn his jersey. There are tons more on Youtube if you do a Cutler jersey burn search.

It reminds me of the LeBron Bonfire that happened after his departure from Cleveland. While the circumstances were different, the outcome is the same. The fans feel slighted by someone they relied on and they put their frustrations out on the jerseys they donned (which I think is pretty stupid, especially if the jersey is authentic. Sell me on burning something I paid good money for.. TUH!).

The fact that Cutler was seen standing during the 4th quarter of the game makes his injury even more hard to swallow. Philip Rivers played an AFC Championship game with a torn ACL, and Ben Roethlisberger, while being called a diva at times, has played with injuries time and time again, including a bad foot and broken nose this season. He’s going to the Super Bowl in 2 weeks.

After the game, it was reported that Cutler had tears in his eyes when told about the backlash he received from players. I know football players have feelings to. But if ever there was a time to “man up” until you had some alone time, that was it.

Is Cutler the new Bartman in Chicago sports???? Okay maybe I went too far with that comparison. But he may be the 2nd most hated sports figure in the Chi-Town right now.

And then… there were 4. It’s Championship Weekend. I, for one, am in a melancholy mood about this weekend’s games. I’m filled with joy because the Final 4 get to duke it out until only 2 stand to make it to the Super Bowl. Then I get sad because 1. My Ravens losing the way they did STILL stings (especially after New England lost last weekend), and 2. Because it means the end of the 2010 season is near. With the uncertainty of football for the 2011 season, it really makes me appreciate these final weeks a little bit more. At the end of the day, football is still going on and needs to be played for the Lombardi Trophy. Last weekend I was 2-for-4 in my picks. Lets see if I can get them all.

Packers at Bears

Last weekend’s AFC matchups were all divisional. And they didn’t disappoint. Nothing better than seeing the 3rd leg of 2 teams who know each other well battling for a chance to play in the championship game, along with bragging rights that lasts an entire offseason. This weekend’s NFC Championship matchup brings us the same game as Aaron Rodgers and Co head to Chi-Town to play Jay Cutler and the Bears. Both teams won a game against each other this season. And while Chicago won the NFC North, Green Bay were on their heels the entire season. The Packers beat the Bears in the final week of the season with a lowly 10-7 score, but the Bears kept their starters in, hoping to knock Green Bay out of the playoff picture (GB needed to win and they were in). The Bears know what everyone else does- Green Bay in the playoffs are a threat. They went to Philly and defeated the Eagles 21-16, then went to Atlanta (the #1NFC seed) and embarrassed the Falcons 48-21. The Bears know what they are facing. A hungry team that’s clicking on all cylinders right now.

The Bears aren’t a slouch either. Their 11-5 record was the 2nd best record in the NFC, giving them the #2 seed. Jay Cutler has been playing good ball, not turning the ball over like he’s been known to do in the past.

And now that the running game has become a factor again, the Bears offense has been able to move the ball while minimizing mistakes. The Bears defense is still Top 10 caliber, and with Julius Peppers playing at a high level, Chicago will look to get to Rodgers early and often.

No disrespect to the Bears. I simply think this is The Pack’s time to shine. They have the #5 defense in the league and it’s for a reason. Clay Matthews, AJ Hawk, Charles Woodson, all are great players for Green Bay and they will try to force Chicago to throw the ball. Throwing the ball means possible turnovers from Cutler. I picked the Pack to go to the big dance early on in my preseason picks and so far they’ve given me no reason to go against it. So I gotta go here…. Bear Down!!!  Literally… Sorry!

Winner:

Jets at Steelers

This game doesn’t have the history that the Bears and Packers bring, but it’s just as intriguing. Two teams built on defense. Players and coaches are familiar with each other (Rex Ryan and Bart Scott were with the Ravens until the 2009 season). Not to mention the Jets beat the Steelers at home this season. So there is some familarity here. The pick I make in this game comes down to this: Experience.

I like Mark Sanchez, I do. He’s had an up-and-down season this season, but that’s to be expected from a 2nd year player. I think he has what it takes to be a very good QB in this league. He’s slowly becoming the leader of his team, which is very important.

The problem I have with Sanchez is this: His cold weather play and his lack of experience. Playing New England wasn’t a huge obstacle to him, simply because he’s played them frequently in his young career already. And while I’m sure it wasn’t 80 degrees when the Jets beat the Pats in Foxboro last week, the fact that it was division rival gave him an advantage, especially since they “can’t stop a nosebleed” on defense, like Scott later said. Another thing about this matchup. When the Jets beat the Steelers, they were also without S Troy Polamalu. And while Polamalu wasn’t much of a factor in last week’s division game against the Ravens, he automatically makes you change your game plan, whether he’s 100% or not. He’s THAT good, and Sanchez will be on the lookout for #43 at all times, which means changing up the calls at the line of scrimmage and possibly being baited into the Steeler’s defensive gameplan.

Say what you will about Ben Roethlisberger on whether he’s an elite QB or not. But ask his peers what they think of him, and I promise you more than half will tell you he is. His numbers aren’t like Brady’s or Manning’s. But he does win football games. He may not have a lot of skill players that you’ve heard of, but he knows what to do in order to gain yards. The Steelers are one of the best teams in the league when converting on 3rd and long, and that’s because of Ben. Although Ben has an awful habit of holding on to the ball longer than he should, he makes you pay for it when he gets it right. This is what I consider to be the difference maker in this game.

Notice that I didn’t mention neither defense. That’s because we all know what both defenses bring. There are stars on both sides of the ball, from Polamalu to James Harrison to Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis. But the X-factor in this game starts and ends with the QB. Whoever makes the less mistakes at the QB position wins this game. Ben is at home, playing with the crowd and his experience may be the key to winning the game. It hurts my heart to type this… I want to pick the Jets so bad…..but I’m going with Pittsburgh on this one (Sorry Jets fans… and hey if I’m wrong, I expect another awesome soundbyte from Bart Scott!).

Winner:

This past weekend, I went to Pittsburgh to see my Ravens play the Steelers for the Divisional Playoffs. Going into this game, I was confident that my Ravens would pull out a victory and advance to the AFC Championship game. They had the tools it took to go far, they just needed to be clicking on all cylinders.

During the first half of Saturday’s game, the Ravens looked like they were going to prove me right, going into halftime with a 21-7 lead. But as the 3rd quarter went on, I had a bad feeling overcome me. A feeling that the Ravens would lose this game. They did more than lose, they crashed and burned big time, losing 31-24 to their arch nemesis.

I put together a video to show you my journey, my analysis of the game and my thoughts and feelings afterward. To say I was hurting would be an understatement. So I’m sharing with you my trip to the ‘Burgh.. Hope you enjoyed the piece I put together. I’ll get over it…….. one day.

Ravens-Steelers 2010 Divisional Playoffs from The NFL Chick on Vimeo.

So my good friend Steelergurl (yes, we are friends even though we are frenemies come Saturday) asked me to take part in her video for this weekend’s picks for the Division round of the NFL Playoffs. I was more than happy to be a part of voicing who I think would win this weekend’s matchups (in case you were wondering, I’m at the 4:35 mark). Of course, she gives her picks as well, with other folks along the way. But she and I just so happen to be the cutest ones in the bunch (it’s true!).

With the 2010 Divisional Playoffs ready to kickoff this weekend, it’s hard to ignore that the top 4 teams remaining in the AFC are division rivals. The Ravens head to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers, while the Jets head to snowy New England to face Brady and the Pats. Four teams that can’t stand each other, whether it be quietly or to publicly, looking to advance to the AFC Championship game. To say this may be one of the most exciting playoff weekends in football would be well deserved. But this is more than just a playoff game to these 4 teams. Way more.

There is a different energy lurking between the 2 rivals, and for different reasons. The Ravens and Steelers have become one of the top rivalries over the past decade, while the Jets and Patriots have a renewed spark after the hiring of Rex Ryan. How these two rivalries operate are a bit different.. but not far off from each other. Allow me to break it down.

Ravens/Steelers

This rivalry is the new wave rivalry of the NFL, compared to Packers/Bears and Redskins/Cowboys. The Ravens have only been around 15 years, but many believe that Baltimore inherited the rivalry when the team moved from Cleveland (a longer, more known rivalry) after the 1995 season. While the Ravens weren’t too good the first few years of existence, they picked up the pace once they won Super Bowl XXXV. The Steelers have the slight advantage over the Ravens, with a 13-9 record since 2000 (including the playoffs). What makes this rivalry special are the similarities between the 2 teams. Both are known for their strong defense and good running game, along with a very good front office and ownership. Both cities are labeled, “blue collar” and carry inferiority complexes. Add the fact that the 2 cities have a history of being sports rivals (the Steelers-Baltimore Colts battles in the 70s as well as the Pirates beating the O’s in the World Series) and you have a recipe for a great rivalry. There was a point in time where this rivalry was downright ugly. Remember the Ray Lewis/Joey Porter feud?

Over the past couple of years, the Ravens and Steelers have quietly stopped their verbal attack and simply taken it on the field. They all say they hate each other, but some say it’s not as much hatred as you think. Coach Harbaugh and Tomlin talk during pregames, and Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu admitted once before that they text each other. The mantra as of late has been, “We hate each other, but we respect each other”. And while Hines Ward and Terrell Suggs and found ways to keep it funky with the little things they still do and say to the media, the trash talking has been put aside to actions speaking louder, with the blood bath they lay out on the field and even 3 times a year.

Jets/Patriots

This rivalry, while an older one, has become a renewed rivalry thank to the likes of  Rex Ryan. These two cities flat out cannot stand each other. Red Sox Nation can’t stand the Yankees and vice versa. People from New York don’t like people from New England. It’s a power struggle between the 2 cities that has been trickled down to sports. And from the day Rex Ryan stepped foot on the Jets podium as their head coach, he continued the trend.

The Jets and Patriots have a much closer rivalry record than the Steelers/Ravens (they are 51-51-1 overall), but there are those who still find the term laughable when discussing the 2 teams. The Patriots have dominated the past decade and has won 8 times in a row before the 2009 season. Rex Ryan has never met a microphone he didn’t like, and his blunt approach towards the Patriots has trickled down to his players. Darrelle Revis has made comments about Pats players in the past, and most recently Antonio Cromartie said Eff Tom Brady. Even Ryan took some shots at the Patriots star player. Nevertheless, Belichick and company respond to the Jets antics with predictable, robotic answers that are too boring to quote. They do, however, respond out on the football field. Case in point, the last time these 2 teams played, the Patriots dismantled the Jets in the 45-3 rout. While Belichick loves to hit you where it REALLY hurts, Rex is a sound byte genius when it comes to the pregame antics.

Four teams, 2 rivals, 1 weekend. The rivalries are different, but not by much. This is what we’ve been waiting for. And I, for one, cannot wait! Thank God for rivalries!

Then this one would surely say that Ravens LB Terrell Suggs isn’t a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. During Wednesday pressers for the media, Suggs decided to wear a shirt that was pretty vocal on his feelings towards the guys in Black and Yellow.

Suggs was asked about his shirt of choice and the message it was sending. His answer was pretty simple,

“Nah, there ain’t no message. Like I always say, I put on for my city. They rep their city and I’m repping mine. So, here we go.”

When asked if he were worried about the response he would get to wearing the shirt, he came with an even better response, answering,

“Do I look worried?”

Suggs is one of my favorite Ravens and history shows he has reason to talk. He’s been a thorn in the Steelers side, particularly the past couple of years. One of Suggs’ biggest games came in the 2008 AFC Championship game, in which he had a field day against Ben Roethlisberger with only one healthy arm. While most players on both teams usually keep it quiet during Ravens-Steelers Week, Suggs has been the most vocal through his clothing, sporting another shirt directed to the rivals during training camp.

Saturday cannot get here fast enough!!!

I dunno about you, but I’m as excited as a fat kid with birthday cake on their plate. Wild Card Weekend is here and I cannot wait to see the games. Everytime I think of the NFL Playoffs, extra hard fist pumping comes to mind!

Eagles, Ravens and Colts… OH MY! So much going on. 8 teams, 4 games, but only 4 teams advance to the divisionals. Who will live to see another week? It’s time to pick the Wild Card Weekend games.

Saints (-11) at Seahawks: This started out as one of the most lopsided games on paper earlier in the week. The Saints are 11-5 headed to Seattle who ended the season with  a dismal 7-9 record. I’m blown at the fact that the Seahawks, or any NFC West team for that matter, is taking up good playoff space. But that’s another story for another day. It just became really real this week in the Big Easy, however, when RBs Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas were put on IR. This means the Saints have pretty much NO running game coming into this weekend’s match up (please don’t insult my intelligence and remind me that Reggie Bush is on the roster…. he’s done very little at Tailback). To add insult to injury, New Orleans is 0-3 in road playoff games and Seattle is known to have one of the league’s loudest stadiums. Seahawks QB Matt Hasslebeck gets the nod this week as the starter, and the Seahawks have every reason to believe they can come out with a win with him at the helm. He’s had recent success against New Orleans. That being said… I’m too petty to pick Seattle. They shouldn’t even be in the dance if you ask me. I’m taking New Orleans because they’ve earned the right to be there, and will find a way to prevail over the obstacles they are facing.

Winner: 

Jets at Colts (-3): Despite the Colts finding a way to make the playoffs after losing so many key players this season, the Jets have reason to worry. They lost to Indy in the AFC Championship game last season and a Rex Ryan-led defense has had no luck in beating Manning and Co in recent memory. Ryan said earlier this week that, “it’s personal”, regarding this weekend’s match up. And it should be. Mark Sanchez has been hot and cold this season, but the Jets are a run-heavy offense that can attack the Colts’ depleted D. Manning will always be Manning, he can make wine out of water. And he’s done just that with the castoff of players he’s had this season. But one has to wonder if the injuries are too much to handle, now that it’s playoff time. Beating the Titans was cool, because the Titans weren’t really that good this year anyway. But the Jets are better than the Titans. And they have more skills players that are healthy than the Colts, including Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and LaDainian Tomlinson. Rex and that sweater vest finally gets the monkey off his back this weekend.

Winner:

Ravens (-3) at Chiefs: Of course, I hold a real interest to this game, because I’m a Ravens fan. Dan Kolko from MASN Sports broke down the rankings between the Ravens and Chiefs on paper and they seem to be very neck and neck (except overall offense.. my Ravens really tanked in that dept). But if you lookpast the stats, it’s not that simple. Case-in-point: In addition to playing the Steelers twice a year, the Ravens also played the Jets, Patriots, Falcons, Saints and Bucs, while finishing their division with a 4-2 record. The Chiefs played the NFC West (and y’all KNOW how I feel about that division) while playing the likes of Houston, Tennessee and Buffalo. They finished 2-4 in their own division, and was blown out at least once by the Broncos, Chargers and Raiders. Not to discredit what KC has done this season…. they took helm of a division previously OWNED by San Diego. But it’s hard to ignore the schedule and division differences. Baltimore knows how to play on the road and win, and KC may be prematurely playing with the big boys. I think KC is a strong team, and they will find some success running the ball against the Ravens. But I think Baltimore is better built for the playoffs while having experience on their side.

Winner:

Packers at Eagles (-3): This one will be a good one. Both of these teams are built for post season football. There is no real advantage for this game. The Packers have a losing road record, and the Eagles are 4-4 at home this season. But there are 2 key elements that may make a difference in this game- health and momentum, both of those in Green Bay’s favor. Aaron Rodgers has played well since going down with a concussion last month. He had a great game in the 45-17 routing of the Giants, and did just enough to beat the division rival Bears last weekend. The Eagles, however, haven’t been so lucky. They ended the season on a 2-game losing streak and have seen some key players go down with injury, including Vick who was hurt during the Vikings game. Vick will start this weekend and of course Philly has the likes of DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy to take the pressure off of #7,  but the Eagles offensive line isn’t that good. Packers LB Clay Matthews may have a field day this weekend if Andy Reid doesn’t find a way to protect his QB. I expect Matthews to get into Vick’s face often this weekend. As good as the Eagles have been, Green Bay was the one team I didn’t like them to be matched up with so soon. Well, they are. With health and momentum on their side, I expect us to wave goodbye to Vick’s great season, a tad bit premature than expected.

Winner:

There you have it. Let me know your thoughts. Agree, disagree? If so why? Feel free to chime in your thoughts. In the meantime, have a wonderful Wild Card Weekend and if your team is playing (like mine), I hope you get the outcome you wanted!