It was 2013. The Ravens were the reigning Super Bowl Champions. The buzz from their victory in New Orleans on February 3, 2013, was in the air. I remember taking my wife to see Matchbox Twenty at The Lyric Opera House just three weeks later. The band’s front man, Rob Thomas, congratulated us all and reminded the 2,500 in attendance that the victory gave each of us license for the entire season to be a-holes to NFL fans worldwide.
But it felt a lot shorter than a full season. The 2013 victory campaign never really got off the ground.
Humble pie was served during the season’s very first game – a game that was supposed to be played in Baltimore on a national stage but due to scheduling issues stemming from the inability to move an Orioles game with a gate count of 17,383, the game was played in Denver where Peyton Manning and the Broncos exacted a measure of Divisional Playoff revenge and waxed the Ravens at Mile High by the score of 49-27. Manning threw for 7 TD’s and 462 yards. The Ravens, without the retired Ray Lewis; without All-Pro safety Ed Reed who moved on to the Texans; without star wide receiver Anquan Boldin who was sent packing for a 6th-round draft pick; and arguably without an identity were annihilated, embarrassed.
That season never seemed to get off the ground. The Ravens finished the campaign at (8-8). Joe Flacco had a career worst 73.1 passer rating during 2013, throwing just 19 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions. Hardly the work you might expect from a Super Bowl MVP. But for a moment in time, Joe tapped into some of that 2012 postseason magic on December 8, 2013.
The Ravens hosted the Minnesota Vikings during a day that featured swirling snow. For nearly 53 minutes the game was an absolute snoozer, until the Ravens, trailing 12-7, took over with a new set of downs at their own 36 with 6:32 left in the contest. But 11 plays later, at the game’s 2:07 mark, Dennis Pitta corralled at 1 yard toss from Flacco to put the Ravens up 13-12. And then, things got a little crazy.
Sit back and enjoy the fireworks and snowballs!
The victory moved the Ravens to (7-6) on the season, a mark that improved the following week to (8-6) on the heels of an 18-16 win in Detroit. But hopes for more playoff thrills were completely dashed on December 22nd when Tom Brady and the visiting Patriots gave Baltimore a little payback of their own, skull-dragging the Ravens by the score of 41-7.
It was a forgettable season, one that would be the last for Ray Rice and his career. But for 127 seconds of game clock on a snowy December afternoon, 10 years ago yesterday, it was absolutely unforgettable.
One Response
That was the year the SB team was completely dismantled and an unheralded WR Marlon Brown led all receivers with 7 TD passes! And, despite the talent dearth, the Ravens came within one game of making the playoffs, thanks in no small measure to the talented QB, Joe Flacco! Brown, incidentally, spent 4 more seasons in the NFL and never caught another TD pass!