The battle-scarred fullback has been through the epic playoff clashes of the past between the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans, witnessing Ray Lewis stealing the football from an overmatched Eddie George, Al Del Greco’s meltdown, Anthony Mitchell’s scamper to the end zone and Brian Billick’s trademark swagger and loquaciousness as the Ravens strutted out of Nashville, Tenn., along their road toward a Super Bowl championship.
Now, it’s time to write a new chapter in the history of a fierce rivalry punctuated by high stakes.
For Neal, who was on the losing side of the Ravens’ divisional playoff victory over the Titans during the 2000 season along with fellow ex-Titans in wide receiver Derrick Mason and cornerback Samari Rolle now playing for Baltimore, it’s time to earn some new dents on the helmet.
It’s time for the Ravens (12-5) and the top-seeded Titans (13-3) to kick off another AFC divisional playoff encounter today at LP Field with the winner advancing to the AFC title game against the winner of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
"We’re on a mission," Neal said. "You’re in our way. We’re in their way. Both teams are in each other’s way. If you can’t get along, you might as well get it on. Let’s go. It’s one and done. If we lose it’s over. There is no tomorrow.
"They say it’s not always the crash that kills you. It’s the sudden stop. We’ve got to match their emotions, go in their loud and proud and match their intensity from the jump. Like I said, let’s get it on."
For the sixth-seeded Ravens, the parallels to the 2000 season are undeniable.
Once again, the Titans are the top seed and the Ravens want to knock them off their pedestal.
Once again, the Ravens will be facing off with former New York Giants quarterback Kerry Collins, whom they victimized in Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, Fla., which just so happens to be the Super Bowl site this year.
For Lewis, though, dwelling on nostalgia has no purpose this week. Not with a potential trip to the Super Bowl only two wins away.
"For me to go back there, that’s too far," Lewis said. "That would really take away from what we’re trying to do this week. We’re trying to go play a complete football game. We’ve got a totally different mindset.
"We’re a totally different team than we were in 2000, and totally different people on their side as well. Our job is to stay focused on the now. Yesterday is gone. Let’s leave it there."
Meanwhile, the Ravens have a chance to match the 2005 Steelers’ unlikely path to the Super Bowl when they became the only sixth seed to ever topple a top seed by upsetting the Indianapolis Colts.
With the exception of Pittsburgh, sixth seeds are 0-10 against top seeds in NFL playoff history with an average margin of defeat by 19.4 points.
"When it’s rough and hard for everybody else, that’s just how we like it," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "There’s no half-stepping here. It’s never supposed to be easy. You want to earn every meal you get."
The confluence of events and the Ravens looking to avenge a 13-10 loss to the Titans earlier this season in Baltimore has convinced Rolle that something’s at work here beyond mere coincidence.
"Destiny, I believe," Rolle said.
"It’s crazy, it’s ironic," Neal said. "I didn’t win my Super Bowl down there, so I might as well try to get mine up here."
Like Neal, Rolle has adopted the approach of if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
After being a salary-cap casualty years ago in Tennessee and overcoming a bout with epilepsy last year and neck surgery earlier this season, Rolle remembers the feelings of being on the losing sideline against the Ravens and is doubly determined to advance at his old team’s expense.
"It hurt more than losing the Super Bowl the year before that, just because we knew whoever won that game would probably win the Super Bowl," Rolle recounted. "But they deserved it. That was the best defense in NFL history, and they outplayed us that day. I’m glad I’m on this side now."
One aspect of the rivalry that has become less spicy is the lack of trash talk other than a few barbs traded between linebacker Bart Scott and Titans running back LenDale White throughout the season.
Scott called the burly runner "plump" prior to the first meeting, and White responded by saying of Scott: "He talks a lot for no reason. It’s one thing to talk when you win, but when you talk and lose, it makes no sense," adding that "Scott has popcorn muscles, too."
Yet, this week the Ravens and Titans’ locker rooms have been devoid of those kinds of inflammatory comments.
Regardless, the Titans have circled free safety Ed Reed’s bold declaration after he intercepted two passes in a 27-9 victory over the Miami Dolphins last week where he exclaimed: "Here we come, Tennessee, the team you don’t want to see."
That definitely caught Titans defensive end Jevon Kearse’s attention.
"One of their players said, ‘We’re coming, Tennessee. We’re packing our bags. We’re coming,’" Kearse said. "I’m like, ‘You need to enjoy this win first,’ and we’ll get to that when it happens."
After winning 10 of their past dozen games, the Ravens are riding a crest of momentum. They aren’t intimidated by the Titans, who hold the best record in the NFL.
It has been a tense series with 10 games decided by four points or less.
"The history is definitely there," Ravens kicker Matt Stover said. "We’ve had some nail-biters, and that’s what you like to see out of two proud football teams."
Ultimately, the outcome of this game is likely to be determined by which team has made the greatest strides since their Oct. 5 meeting at M&T Bank Stadium when the Ravens were narrowly edged after dominating the game for nearly four quarters only for the second-ranked defense in the NFL to be improbably outdueled by Collins at the end.
Collins overcame a pair of interceptions to engineer a game-winning drive capped by his touchdown pass to tight end Alge Crumpler after a controversial roughing-the-passer penalty was assessed on Suggs to keep the Titans on the field.
"Yeah, it left a sour taste in our mouths," running back Willis McGahee said. "So, we’re looking forward to it."
Since that loss and a subsequent 31-3 defeat against the Colts, the Ravens have been on an impressive roll. So have the Titans, who feature an intimidating defensive line led by Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch as well as a strong running game headlined by swift Pro Bowl rookie Chris Johnson and a hard-running inside runner in White.
"I think both teams are a lot better at this point," rookie quarterback Joe Flacco said. "It’s the playoffs now, so it’s going to be a little bit different kind of atmosphere. We’re going to go out and play our game. We’re going to try to win by as many points as possible, but we’re going to be prepared if it comes down to the end like that.
"I think we’re playing with a lot of confidence. We have been for a while now. We’ll go in there and have the same confidence that we’ve had the last handful of weeks."
If that continues to be the case with Flacco, who has improved markedly since the first Titans game to emerge as a dangerous passing threat, then the Ravens could find themselves back home Sunday waiting to learn whether they’ll be preparing for a third game against the AFC North champion Steelers after losing to them twice this year or heading to the West Coast to play the surging Chargers.
"Look at Joe’s personality, he has the personality to come up big in a playoff game," offensive tackle Willie Anderson said. "He has a great demeanor for the playoffs. He’s ready for this. We’re ready for this. It’s time to get excited."
Aaron Wilson cover s the Baltimore Ravens for the Carroll County Times and the Annapolis Capital.
