Anyone else still surprised?

[FadeToBlack]

This team can't win on the road, yet that's all they did in the playoffs.

Flacco was wildly inconsistent all season, yet he posts 11 TDs and 0 INTs against the best teams in the league for 4 consecutive weeks.

The team got WORSE as the year went on, yet was at their BEST in the post-season.

I've heard all the explanations (we had our ideal OL personnel, we had injuries all year, etc.) but it still seems highly unlikely this team would wind up winning the Super Bowl given what we saw against the Eagles in the 2nd half, against the Texans, against Charlie freakin' Batch, against the Broncos in the first game, etc.

Pretty awesome surprise.

[Jayc00]

A lot can change when the OC that's been holding the team back get's fired.

[Paintballguy]

A lot can change when the OC that's been holding the team back get's fired.

+1 Jim Caldwell is my most favorite Raven. I laughed when these "analysts" kept saying it was going to be an issue that he's never called plays in the NFL. He's much more of an offensive mind then people give him credit for. Since Caldwell took over, Flacco has thrown 15 tds 1 int.

[kronusthebonus]

Caldwell + McKinnie. I'd say that 75% of it. The other 25% was the focus that was brought when Ray announced he was going to retire.

[Section 502 Raven]

it was an incredible ride. i'm still enjoying it and leaving the reality of why the incredible ride happened for a later date.

[ballhawk]

Everybody got healthy at the right time.

Plus, once the handcuffs came off Joe, the offense finally reached the potential that we have seen glimpses of over the last two years. That's why I think it is so important that they keep both Jacoby and Boldin, and hopefully pick up where they left off going into next season.

[RavenScallywag]

Whoever said we can't win on the road?

Joe Flacco has the NFL RECORD for playoff road wins!

[alienrace]

After the win over the Giants, I told many friends(who were still skeptical) that this team was going to do some damage. I just didn't know quite how much

[FadeToBlack]

After the win over the Giants, I told many friends(who were still skeptical) that this team was going to do some damage. I just didn't know quite how much

I went apeshit there too. And then I got sucked into the awkwardness of that 2nd Bengals game.

I sincerely predicted a win over the Colts and DONE.

Yet here I am waiting for my Super Bowl champs DVD to show up in March.

[bacchys]

I wasn't surprised. Shocked, but not surprised. The shock was because you hope for this every year, and when it happens (finally!) there's a definite blast of emotion.

I've always said this team was capable of beating any team on game day. Even after some of their less-than-stellar wins or bad losses. The Ravens have, for the last five seasons, dictated whether they won or lost. Other teams didn't impose their will on them. Last year they led in every single game. That's an amazing feat. It would have been more amazing if they'd led at the final gun in every single game, of course, but even coughing up the four they did it's an amazing feat.

This year wasn't quite as amazing in that regard, but the Ravens were still their own biggest opponent in every contest.

I disagree with the characterization of Flacco as "inconsistent." The offense was inconsistent, and Flacco isn't a QB who overcomes his offense's inconsistencies. I don't know if there's ever been such a QB, but Flacco ain't it. I think he personally has been quite consistent. Not perfect, by any means. Even after this amazing postseason run he still has areas of his game he could improve on. But he's earned the nickname "Joe Cool" with his demeanor and approach to the game.

[darb72]

Surprised we won the Superbowl? Yes.

Surprised at how much better our offense was after firing Cam? No.

[alienrace]

I sincerely predicted a win over the Colts and DONE.

That was my feeling too, but I felt that we did have a chance against the Broncos, just not a great one. After that though, I knew nothing was stopping them from winning a Lombardi.

[BohBalmer]

Super bowl champions! Not suprised after we beat denver

[IBleedPurple2127]

Surprised we won the Superbowl? Yes.

Surprised at how much better our offense was after firing Cam? No.

I felt all year long, even after every injury, the 3 game losing streak, and all of the doubt that this team would come through in the long run. I just personally couldn't stand all the talk about being blown out vs Denver and New England. I had no problem with anyone picking those 2 over us as long as it was by 3 points.

I was almost ready to lose hope but the second I heard Cam was fired...I thought back to 2010. That team without Cam would have easily been AFC champions, but that 2nd half play calling in Shittsburgh was AWFUL...and we coughed that one up. Jim Caldwell took risks, let Joe throw over the middle, was a bit puzzling with the running in the playoff denver game but usually let Joe throw on early downs. The biggest problem with Cam was making Joe throw in 3rd and long situations.

I'm mostly shocked we beat Denver...I thought it'd be a close game. The second we turned the ball over on downs I went back into my "here we go again" mode that I'm sure we're all accustomed to from the Polamalu pick 6, Housh drop, and Cundiff miss. I actually even moved my remote to right next to me so I could turn off the game the second our season ended lol.

To sum it up: I'm surprised at how we did it but I'm not shocked that we did do it. Health is probably the most important key to winning in the playoffs aside from skill...and we got lucky down the stretch. GO RAVENS!!!

[AirFlacco]

I was concerned about JOe's "road syndrom" but posted we matched up better with SF and we did.

It was a blow out until Ngata went down but Joe did so well in the first half he just needed two 4th qtr FGs
to ice it. All during the POs on the road he played well especially in Denver and NE. Let's see if he
can duplicate it next year.

[Ravenswintitle]

When they went into Denver and won that game, which I was pretty confident they could do, I knew they had a good chance to win it all. But yes, I'm still mentally pinching myself that they actually did it.

Gonna be a different team next year and likely will only have Caldwell one year. Gotta enjoy this win a while

[JAB1985]

I think I called the team getting players back and synching up for a SB run around the Pitt loss. I didnt see it happening the way it did with the losses in a row and shuffling everything around but with all our woes i never really thought we couldnt beat just about anybody in the AFC. After the Broncos loss i certainly questioned how likely that was but i still thought they could. Obviously I didnt think they were the favorites but i thought they were certainly capable of winning.

I think the playoffs have pretty much showed us its not about how you get there but what you do when you are.

[myfavoriteboxer]

Caldwell + McKinnie. I'd say that 75% of it. The other 25% was the focus that was brought when Ray announced he was going to retire.

McKinnie is so important because putting him in instantly upgraded 3 of the 5 line positions. And Flacco played the best five-game stretch of his career (NYG + playoffs) which you probably can't definitively say is Caldwell taking over, but man, what a correlation.

[bt12483]

I'll put it this way: Cam's consistency was the reason for the offense's INconsistency. His refusal to adapt game plans, means every time we trotted out the same game plan against different opponents we got different results. It appeared inconsistent on tape, because the things that worked against Oakland didn't work against Houston. Obviously Cam's game plan works better against certain teams than others. His reluctance to adapt meant that the consistent game plan was known by opponents. Just like Boldin said in SD, the defense was just sitting waiting because they knew what routes would be called. So...Cam's consistency (aka stubbornness) was the reason for our inconsistency because he refused to adapt. That showed up week-to-week depending on our opponent.

Also, I am a strong believer that Flacco playing all those tough games on the road in Pitt hardened him and made him ready to face any challenge. Flacco is much more battle tested than someone like Matt Ryan, who has done nothing but face jello defenses in cozy confines.

IMO, part of the reason why Flacco is asking for #1 money (besides the obvious that of course you start off asking for #1 money from a negotiation standpoint) is that he has seen it all. He has seen 3 AFCCG's. He blew his first as a rookie with a horrible pick, in a very tough environment against a very tough defense. He has played in tough venues, in outdoor elements (NE, Denver, KC, Pitt, etc.). He has been through it all, and is now entering his prime, with so much knowledge and experience to fall back on. That is what you are paying him for in part. You are paying him because he knows what it feels like to lose, and also what it feels like to be on top. Meaning he is ready for any situation.

[Ravens44]

This ^^^.

There were a number of things that came together at the same time for the team to make it all the way and win a Lombardi.
But I think Joe's outstanding play is a huge reflection of Caldwell knowing what to do, and magnifies what Cam REFUSED to see or do or listen to or to simply adapt. I don't think it will matter where Joe plays, home or away, since he will be able to perform due to the handcuffs coming off.