Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is having a good year. He was MVP of Super Bowl XLVII, then he received a five-year contract for $120 million and now he will portray former Baltimore Colts quarterback, Johnny Unitas in an upcoming movie about his football career.

Unitas is considered one of the greatest NFL players of all time. He led the Colts to victory in the 1958 championship game dubbed the “Greatest Game Ever Played”.

He died in 2002, now his son is producing ‘Unitas We Stand’, a movie about his dad’s life based on a book by Tom Callahan. Joe still needs to secure funding to produce the movie.

Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco

Flacco will play Unitas in scenes about the “greatest game” when the Colts beat the Giants 23-17 in sudden death overtime.

While honored and excited to portray Unitas, Flacco admits he is ‘a little nervous’ about it.

“I’m just excited that I get to go out and put on some kind of Johnny Unitas uniform and go out there and run around a little bit,” Flacco said. “I’m a little nervous about the fact that I’m probably not going to replicate him perfectly. I don’t know if they’re going to want me to go out there and just look like me, or if they’re going to want me to actually look like him a little bit. I’m sure that will be a little tough to do, but I’m going to try to do it.”

Joe casted Flacco because of the Baltimore connection and the way Flacco plays reminds Joe of his dad.

Unitas’ grandson, J.C. has issues with the Flacco selection calling it an “embarrassing choice” for the role.

Flacco is used to criticism and is likely un-phased by it.

Filming is set to start this summer with the release scheduled around next year’s Super Bowl assuming funds are available to complete the project.

Contract negotiations between the Baltimore Ravens and Super Bowl XLVII MVP quarterback Joe Flacco ended when they came to terms on a new deal. The news broke Friday evening by Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer. The new contract will be signed on Monday.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter later reported that the six-year, $120.6 million deal makes Flacco the highest paid quarterback in the National Football League, well at least until the Packers get their deal done with Aaron Rodgers.

Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco

The deal was reached well before the Monday deadline. If an agreement was not reached in time, the Ravens would have been forced to franchise tag Flacco.

Flacco’s five-year, $29 million rookie contract expired at the end of last season. Last July the Ravens tried to work out a new long-term deal for about $15-$16 million/year, but Flacco believed he could earn more and turned it down. He bet on himself and won, now he is smiling all the way to the bank.

The deal frees up space against the salary cap and now the Ravens can turn their attention to signing other free agents such as linebackers Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe and safety Ed Reed or using the franchise tag.

I did my happy dance when I heard the news. I always had faith that a deal could get done before the Monday deadline, but honestly thought it would come down to the wire. I have always believed in Flacco; now the Ravens do too, they put their money where their mouth is.

Congratulations Flacco! I am proud of you and I can’t wait to see you play again. Enjoy your payday, you deserve it!

Just four days after winning Super Bowl XLVII, the Baltimore Ravens held a press conference to discuss the state of their team.

When the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in 2000, they faced a salary-cap crunch and restructured the contracts of many veteran players to retain them. The plan backfired the next season when they lost in the divisional playoff round and were forced to make drastic cuts to their roster. The Ravens only made the playoffs once in the next four years.

This time they won’t mortgage the farm, instead they will aim for consistency.

General manager Ozzie Newsome is optimistic that they will reach an agreement with MVP quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco just finished the last year of his original five-year contract. The team failed to reach a new agreement before the start of the season.

They hope to come to terms on a new agreement instead of using the franchise tag on him.

Newsome said that the team is five weeks behind other teams in the National Football League (NFL) because of their Super Bowl run, then said:

“I will take that five weeks behind the league every year,” he said with a laugh. “We’ve started already.”

Baltimore Ravens World Champions

They will discuss personnel issues this week; then head to Florida to discuss the free agency including which players they will keep and who they will let go this offseason. Finally they will prepare for the NFL Combine and draft in April.

When asked if linebacker Ray Lewis, who just retired after a 17-year stint with the Ravens had coaching plans, head coach John Harbaugh said that Lewis wasn’t interested in coaching, he said that he asked him and was told “no”.

Owner Steve Bisciotti mentioned that the team plans to honor Lewis by putting up a statue in the next year or two:

“The fact that you said ‘maybe,’” Bisciotti said, referencing the question, “I’ll say absolutely maybe. Yeah. We have to work that out.” “I think he set himself apart in Baltimore sports history and we will certainly look into it,” Bisciotti said. “I would not be surprised if there is one there in the next year or two.”

The Ravens are ready to get back to work and look ahead to next season:

“We talked to our team about [how] we’ve got to improve,” Harbaugh said. “We have to get better next year as a football team. That’s always going to be our goal.

The Baltimore Ravens won their second Vince Lombardi Trophy Sunday night defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII. The game lived up to the hype; high-scoring with a nail-biter ending plus the added drama of a power outage in the third quarter.

The win was a story book ending for Ravens’ Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis. Lewis, the 17-year veteran announced he would retire after the season. There was no better way for him to end his life-long career as a Raven than with his second championship win.

Lewis said of the win:

“It’s no greater way, as a champ, to go out on your last ride with the men that I went out with, with my teammates,” Lewis said. “And you looked around this stadium and Baltimore! Baltimore! We coming home, baby! We did it!”

Flacco Named MVP

Quarterback Joe Flacco was named MVP. He was outstanding this postseason with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. Sunday he went 22 of 33 for 287 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Wide receiver Anquan Boldlin had six catches for 104 yards and one touchdown. Receiver Jacoby Jones had one catch for 56 yards and one touchdown. He also scored a touchdown on the kickoff return at the start of the third quarter.

The Ravens dominated in the first half with a 28-6 lead at half-time. After Jones’ kickoff return for a touchdown, there was a power outage and some of the lights went out in the Superdome causing a 34 minute delay of game.

The break in play deflated the Ravens’ momentum while the 49ers come out firing when the game resumed. They fought hard to come back, scoring 17 points to make it 31-29, then another field goal.

The Ravens’ defense saved the day at the end of the fourth quarter. The 49ers made it to the Ravens’ eight yard line; the defense had to make four stops at the 7 yard line to prevent them from scoring.

Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh said of his defense:

“I think it speaks to our resolve, speaks to our determination, speaks to our mental toughness,” John Harbaugh said. “That is what wins and loses games.”

The game was the longest in Super Bowl history at 4 hours and 14 minutes. It was also the most watched in history. It was the second championship for the Ravens in 11 years.

While the win was exciting for head coach John Harbaugh, it was also bittersweet losing to his brother Jim whom he said is the best coach in the National Football League.

The Ravens will hold a victory parade on Tuesday.

I am still horse from screaming my head off after the win. I have never been more proud to be a Ravens fan. It is not easy bleeding purple; this season was a true test of determination, hard work and perseverance, one they passed with flying colors.

After losing the last four of five games in the regular season, they fought an uphill battle when they faced the top teams in the playoffs. Many people counted them out and picked against them, they were underdogs in the Super Bowl, but the Ravens thrive in that role and proved their critics wrong.

Congratulations coach Harbaugh and the entire Ravens organization with a shout out to Flacco on his MVP award. I can’t wait to celebrate with you today at the victory parade and rally.

Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco

As the Baltimore Ravens prepare to play in their second consecutive AFC championship game, the talk has turned to quarterback Joe Flacco’s contract extension. Flacco is in the last year of his contract, he will be an impending free-agent after this season.

Since Flacco and the Ravens could not agree on a contract extension before the start of the season, they tabled the talk, but soon it will be time to talk again.

Flacco is wrapping up his fifth season with the Ravens; he has taken his team to the playoffs every year. While he has been inconsistent at times, he steps up when it matters the most; the playoffs. He did it again Saturday night when he outplayed veteran Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning in the AFC divisional playoff game.

The Ravens are about to play in a rematch of last year’s title game against the New England Patriots where Flacco will square off against quarterback Tom Brady.

Flacco’s agent Joe Linta told the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:

“He’s a top-five guy, if not better, If you don’t think that’s an elite guy, then you’re crazy. The guy has won 54 (regular-season) games; (the) guy is eventually going to get respect,” Linta said. “The great thing about Joe is he doesn’t care.”

Linta is sure to command top dollar for his client, but the Ravens may not come to terms on a dollar amount; if that happens, the Ravens will franchise-tag Flacco for next season; he would earn approximately $14.5 million for the year.

The big question still remains, is Flacco elite? Flacco and his agent think he is, so does former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner.

Warner appeared on the NFL Network’s “Around the League” Tuesday night. He believes Flacco deserves to be paid like a franchise quarterback and said that while he may be inconsistent during the regular season, he always elevates his game at the big moments.

Flacco has another chance to prove himself Sunday night, let’s see if he shines again.

Baltimore Ravens Beat Denver Broncos

Few believed that the Baltimore Ravens could beat the AFC’s No. 1 seed Denver Broncos at Mile High on Saturday, but the Ravens proved the doubters wrong by winning 38-35. It was the fourth longest playoff game in NFL history.

After the game, Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio “Nobody gave us a shot. Nobody”.

Thankfully the game ended better than it started for the Ravens. The Broncos scored on the opening drive when Broncos’ return specialist Trindon Holliday returned the punt 90 yards for a touchdown.

The Ravens quickly responded when wide receiver Torrey Smith scored a 59-yard touchdown and with a blink of an eye they scored again when cornerback Corey Graham picked off a pass and ran it 39 yards for a touchdown.

There was more back and forth and the teams were tied at 21 before half time.

The start of the second half felt like déjà vous when Holliday returned the kickoff 104 yards for another touchdown. It was the longest kickoff return in NFL post season history.

Both teams scored touchdowns in the third quarter, then with 7:11 left in the fourth quarter, the Broncos scored another touchdown to take a 35-28 lead.

Late in the fourth quarter at third and three and 31 seconds left in the regulation game, quarterback Joe Flacco threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jacoby Jones and the game went to overtime.

The Ravens’ defense stepped it up at the end of the first OT when Graham intercepted Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning. At the start of the second OT, the Ravens reached field goal range and rookie kicker Justin Tucker hit a 47-yard field goal to win the game.

With the win, the Ravens will head to New England to play the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game in a rematch of last year’s title game.  The Patriots won and advanced to the Super Bowl, hopefully it will have a different ending this time.

Flacco was nearly flawless; he outplayed Manning. Flacco threw for 331 yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions, one fumbled snap and a quarterback rating of 116.2.

Running back Ray Rice had 30 touches for 131 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Torrey Smith shined with two touchdowns.

The Ravens defense forced three turnovers and held Manning to 290 yards and three touchdowns. Manning did not have any deep throws in the game.

I will never forget this game; it was a nail biter and there were several times when I thought the Ravens would go home with a loss, thankfully they proved me wrong.

The “good” Flacco show up and destroyed any doubt anyone ever had about him and made them eat crow. The Ravens’ defense did an outstanding job containing Manning and his offensive weapons.

The Ravens had everything going against them in that game, but they “played like Ravens” and stepped up to the challenge. I have never been more proud to be a part of Ravens Nation.

Baltimore Ravens Win AFC North 2012

After losing three games in a row, the Baltimore Ravens finally gave their fans something to smile about when they beat the reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants 33-14 on Sunday.

The win crowned the Ravens AFC North champions for the second year in a row; it also gave them a home playoff game in the wild-card round of the playoffs to be played in two weeks. They will face the Indianapolis Colts or the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC wild-card game.

The Ravens surprised everyone with a much improved offense and defense. They came out firing and scored touchdowns on their first two possessions.

Quarterback Joe Flacco had one of his best games of the season. He went 25 of 36 for 309 passing yards and two touchdowns. He ran for one score with a quarterback rating of 114.2. Flacco did not throw any interceptions or have any fumbles.

Head coach John Harbaugh had high praise for his quarterback:

“I think it says that he’s a very good quarterback, number one,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “It also says that he has a lot of determination, a lot of pride, and he was able to handle that. That’s probably the biggest thing. You have to have think skin, skin like an armadillo.”

Flacco spread the love by throwing to seven receivers. Wide receiver Torrey Smith had five receptions for 88 yards and one touchdown and Anquan Boldin had seven receptions for 93 yards.

Running back Ray Rice had 24 carries for 107 yards.

Offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell can be credited with the up-tempo passing game leading to the Ravens offensive high of the season with 553 total yards, 289 yards in the first half.

Even the banged up Ravens defense  stepped it up and sacked Giants quarterback Eli Manning three times; hit him nine times overall and held the Giants to 186 yards of total offense.

Ravens safety Ed Reed is waiting on the National Football League’s reaction to his hit on Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz. They claim Reed lead with his head. He could face suspension, but is likely to be fine. He received a personal foul penalty for the hit.

Truth be told I was pleasantly surprised by the Ravens performance on Sunday. I wasn’t sure which team would show up, I’m happy the “good” one hit the field and gave us a long overdue win.

My big question is where has this team been most of the season? As much as I support and defend Flacco, I still don’t understand how he is so inconsistent. Sunday he proved his critics wrong by exploding on offense.

Jim Caldwell did a great job with the offensive play calling; he got the message about using Rice and the offensive line stepped up to protect Flacco.

I am proud of my Ravens; their win gave me a renewed faith for the playoffs. I hope they find a way to keep this up and make a deep run.

Congrats on winning the AFC North; I’ll see you in January.

Baltimore Ravens to Take on Super Bowl Champion NY Giants

The Baltimore Ravens fight isn’t over yet. While they clinched a playoff spot last week, they still have a chance to win the AFC North. It is simple, win Sunday and they win the division; though it is easier said than done.

Sunday they face the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. After suffering a 34-0 beat down against the Atlanta Falcons last week, the Giants are still fighting for a playoff spot.

Meanwhile the Ravens are coming off a three-game losing streak and they are hungry to win. A win would put them in the No. 4 playoff seed.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco have been inconsistent all season; both are coming off bad performance last week.

The difference between the quarterbacks is that Manning is considered “elite” with two Super Bowl rings. Despite his recent struggles, Manning still knows how to win games; he has demonstrated his potential to come back and win.

If Manning can get the ball moving, the Ravens will need to stop the Giants passing game. Wide receiver Victor Cruz is one of the National Football League’s top receivers and he could give the struggling Ravens secondary problems.

The Giants defense is a different story; they only had two sacks in the last three games.

While Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is expected to play in the game, the team has yet to make a final decision on his status.

When asked about Lewis’ status on Friday, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he’s “coming along.”

Lewis has been out since week seven when he tore his biceps and had surgery to repair it. The Ravens have until 4pm Saturday to activate him and add him to the 53-man roster.

The Ravens continue to be plagued by injuries; the list is still quite long.

Some notable players listed as questionable include wide receiver Torrey Smith who suffered a concussion last week and guard Marshall Yanda who has an ankle injury. Both were limited in practice on Thursday and Friday.

Running back Bernard Pierce also suffered a concussion last week and full back Vonta Leach has an ankle injury.

Safety Bernard Pollard is recovering from a chest injury, he missed last week’s game and did not practice this week.

Linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Alert McClellan were both limited all week.

Once again I am nervous about the game, a feeling that has become all too familiar lately. While I want to believe that Flacco can rebound and explode offensively, I don’t have faith in offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell’s ability to make the right calls. Last week was his first week calling plays after the Ravens fired former O.C. Cam Cameron.

The defense is still banged up and if Manning gets the ball moving, the Ravens are sure to struggle to protect their house.

I will hope for the best, but expect the worst. At least the Ravens aren’t playing for a playoff spot, but they still have a chance to win their division.

Baltimore Ravens to face the Washington Redskins in “Battle of the Beltways”

The Baltimore Ravens do not have far to travel this Sunday. It’s a quick 50 minute trip down I95 to play the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.

The match-up is an unofficial rivalry, dubbed the “Battle of the Beltways” this game is more about bragging rights than anything else. The teams have played four times with the Ravens leading the series 3-1.

The Redskins are coming off a three game winning streak and the Ravens lost at home last week to their rival Pittsburgh Steelers. While the Redskins hope to continue their winning streak, the Ravens hope to clinch a playoff spot.

Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) is having a good season and the Ravens need to apply pressure and contain him.

On the flip side, the Redskins secondary ranks next to last and the Ravens need to exploit it by giving quarterback Joe Flacco opportunities to throw the ball down the field. Historically Flacco plays better after a loss, but he also struggles on the road.

Ravens running back Ray Rice needs to have way more than the 12 carries he had last week. The more he carries, the more likely the Ravens are to win the game.

Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs is questionable; a game-time decision after tearing his biceps in last week’s game. When asked about playing on Friday, he said “We’ll see on Sunday.” He was limited at practice Thursday and Friday.

Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and tight end Dennis Pitta are both out for the second week in a row.

The complete injury report lists eight players as probable, all are expected to play. Notable players on the list include safety Ed Reed, wide receiver Jacoby Jones and fullback Vonta Leach.

Redskins linebacker London Fletcher and cornerback DeAngelo Hall are both questionable. Cornerback Josh Wilson is probable.

The Redskins are favored to win the game, but the Ravens stand a chance of winning if they can contain RG3 and find ways to explode offensively.

I am hopeful that the “good” Flacco will show up and that the Ravens will give the Redskins a heavy dose of Rice. I also hope that Suggs will play; he will make a huge difference, the Ravens need all the help they can get to contain RG3.

AFC North rivals Baltimore Ravens face the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday

For the second time in three weeks the Baltimore Ravens will face their AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Ravens won the first contest 13-10 in Pittsburgh. It was an ugly win, but a win is still a win.

Sunday’s game promises to be a tough one between these two defensive powerhouses. The Steelers are looking to end their two game losing streak and the Ravens are hoping to win the AFC North. The Ravens can win the division with a win and a Cincinnati Bengals loss.

The Ravens also hope to continue their winning streak at home. With 15 consecutive wins, they have the longest winning streak in the National Football League (NFL). They also have a 12 game winning streak against AFC North opponents.

While the Ravens are favored to win the game and quarterback Joe Flacco plays better at home, there are no guarantees between these teams and it is likely to be another close one as suspected by CBS-TV’s Phil Simms:

“It doesn’t matter if Big Ben plays or doesn’t play, I think this game will be close,” said CBS-TV’s Phil Simms. “That’s what these two teams do. That’s why they have Jim Nantz and me and CBS’ No. 1 production crew here. Baltimore and Pittsburgh are two of the NFL’s best teams, and they play each other like there’s no tomorrow. We love being part of an event like this.”

Despite their injuries, NFL.com ranks the Steelers defense number one; they still hold opposing teams to 275 yards per game, over 50 yards less than any other defense in the Conference. However they do a poor job forcing turnovers with only ten in the last eleven games, second lowest in the NFL.

Meanwhile the Ravens continue to struggle on offense, scoring only one offensive touchdown in the last ten quarters.

Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe is questionable for Sunday; he is a game-time decision. He has ankle, knee and finger injuries and did not practice this week.

Also questionable is cornerback Chris Johnson with a hamstring injury and defensive end Pernell McPhee. Both were limited in practice this week.

Tight end Dennis Dickson is doubtful after suffering a knee injury in last week’s game against the San Diego Chargers.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is ruled. He still has pain from shoulder and rib injuries. Third string quarterback Charlie Batch will get the start. It will be the second time the Ravens face Batch this season.

Also out for the Steelers is linebacker LaMarr Woodley with an ankle injury he suffered last week against the Cleveland Browns.

Tackle Mike Adams and left guard Willie Colon are both questionable.

Safety Troy Polamalu is listed as probable though he is likely to play, but not for every snap.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown is also probable.

Despite Flacco playing better at home, the Ravens are still facing the number one ranked defense and I believe it will be a close game. Both teams are hungry to win and it is likely to be a classic defensive brawl between these fierce AFC North rivals.

I won’t lie, it would be nice to win the AFC North this Sunday, but if that doesn’t happen, I’d settle for a win over the Steelers.