Ray Lewis will be back on the field at M & T Bank Stadium when the Ravens take the field for the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Lewis is apparently healthy enough to play but is playing it safe. The Ravens are smart to do this.
The potential impact of Ray Lewis playing in Sunday’s game against the New York Giants did not outweigh the risk of re-injury and the Ravens were assured of a playoff berth no matter what the outcome of the final two regular season games. Ray Lewis’ presence for the playoffs is key to making a real run at the Lombardi.
Now it appears that many Ravens may get their well-deserved respite in Week 17 as the team is almost surely going to be the No. 4 seed in the AFC Playoffs. Players like Anquan Boldin, Terrell Suggs, Dannell Ellerbe, Haloti Ngata, and Bernard Pollard may spend the majority of their time in Cincinnati on the sideline and that’s alright with me.
The so-called ‘best teams’ heading into the playoffs have not fared well in recent years and the Super Bowl champions have been teams that got hot at the right time and became healthy when they had to. Delaying the return of Ray Lewis is a prudent move.
Can you imagine the roar of the crowd when Ray Lewis walks out of the tunnel for what may be his last dance in Baltimore?
I’m getting chills just thinking about it.
That is the kind of thing that can propel a team and city to a championship. This is a golden opportunity to swing the momentum back in our favor.
Add all that to the fact that many Ravens may come into the postseason with fresh legs and I think there is reason to be optimistic. This year is as good as any to go get the franchise’s second Super Bowl title.
One thing is for sure…
Ray Lewis will be leading the Ravens in January, and it will be a privilege to watch.
