The chance to hoist another Lombardi trophy may have come to a close for now, but the urge to fight and compete won’t. Front office staff and players alike will have their eyes on the Oregon/Ohio State game, where the stars of tomorrow will get a chance to show their skills off to the world. They will begin their quest to find the next hidden gem in the spring draft and players will rest for a month or so before training regimens commence. Though out, they aren’t down. Something Coach Harbaugh relishes in.
Most likely the best factor to take away from this year, is the relationships built throughout the organization. The brotherhood that Ray Lewis and Ed Reed used to speak of now has a new identity in Baltimore these days and the leaders are less quiet but just as effective it seems, as the aforementioned Future hall of famers. Joe Flacco has taken over as the definite leader of the team and Steve Smith Sr. stamped his name all over the Ravens offensive playbook. With budding young stars and journeyman players, fans can be certain a healthy team next year will absolutely result in a playoff competitive club that is more than capable of a 2nd Super Bowl championship in four years. Debate all you want about the legitimacy of Flacco and his uncanny ability to win tough postseason games, the man is a great quarterback. Numbers don’t lie in sports and his are no exception. Hardware that includes a ring and Super Bowl MVP award, makes it hard to deny that he is a true clutch performer.
So in conclusion, do not hang your heads in shame RavensNation. Be proud of the accomplishments and goals exceeded this season. Discard the obvious injuries and media crisis that was the Ray Rice debacle. Ignore the analysts feasting on Flacco as if he were a full time bust like so many other players filling his role before him. The Cutlers, Rivers, Ryans and Staffords of the NFL are no match for the Former Pittsburgh Collegiate star. The heavy armed gunslinger will aim high in the years to come, that alone is enough to be thankful for in the appropriately named “Not For Long” league that is the NFL.
Give credit where credit is due, the Pats ended a dream that was far from coming to fruition. What’s not a dream? The fact that for as long as Joe and John are captaining the ship, there will always be a brighter tomorrow.
