The Ravens have had a very unique year. Perhaps no other team could do what the Ravens have done and Saturday night was a microcosm of their season.

How many teams could respond to the special teams mistakes the Ravens made? Those returns should have been momentum builders for the Broncos and momentum killers for the Ravens. Yet, the team, and more importantly, Joe Flacco responded in a game that many will remember for a very long time.

In addition to overcoming big plays, they have dealt with heartache in the passing of Art Modell and Torrey Smith’s brother, and a three game losing streak that had many writing them off.

Injuries on both sides of the ball but particularly on defense have been a theme of the season. Before the season even started, the team lost Terrell Suggs, the reigning defensive player of the year.

But things only got worse for the defense. At one point, Dean Pees had to use fifth and sixth string players at the cornerback and inside linebacker positions.

Injuries were so bad that Carry Williams and Ed Reed were the only two starters on defense that did not miss any time due to injury.

But the defense survived and got better as the season progressed.

Despite all of this, the Ravens get their chance at redemption this Sunday. While the Ravens beat the Patriots in week three, a playoff rematch is what the Ravens have really wanted. This will be a fantastic game and would be fitting if it came down to a field goal once again.

In last year’s game, Joe Flacco outplayed arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL. That is not debatable. But Flacco was aided by a Patriots defense that was among the worst in NFL history, especially against the pass. This year, the Patriots defense is much better, particularly at the cornerback position with the addition of Aqib Talib.

Even though the Patriots defense has improved, Flacco will have a lot of confidence from his performance against the Broncos. While the Patriots will have a better game plan to defend the deep ball, Flacco will have success with shorter to intermediate passes to Anquan Bodin and Dennis Pitta.

Flacco should also be aided by tremendous pass protection. The team has finally assembled their best offensive line and it has payed off. McKinnie and Oher neutralized the most dangerous pass rushing duo in the NFL and the interior of the line is better with Osemele at left guard.

As always, the running game needs to be a big factor for the Ravens to win this game. Ray Rice must be aggressive, unlike his performance against the Broncos. Rice had a great game but was not hitting the holes with the explosiveness in which he usually does.

I am not going to predict this game just yet. But expect a fantastic game that will come down to a photo-finish.

WNST.net Ravens insider Luke Jones joined us for “The Nasty Purple Postgame Show” late Saturday night after the Baltimore Ravens’ unbelievable 38-35 2OT win over the Denver Broncos.

Emotions were high in the Zone Superstore Studios of WNST.net. It was hard to have a legitimate conversation. A group of us had gathered to sit and watch the game and just found ourselves shouting “no way” and “unreal” at the television as the Ravens delivered perhaps the most miraculous victory in franchise history.

It was hard to discuss anything beyond the emotion of the moment, the will of the football team, the observations related to the Ravens truly being a team of “destiny”.

Even Head Coach John Harbaugh was caught up in the moment, once again tying the success of a football team to a level of divine intervention in his postgame press conference.

(I have no idea if the Messiah has any interest in determining the outcomes of football games. Perhaps maybe he (she?) felt as though the Broncos had to pay a price for parting ways with the known prophet Tim Tebow in the offseason. And if the Ruler of the Universe really does have concern related to the pigskin, I would vastly prefer a divine preference for the Ravens myself.)

I wish I could tell you what Luke’s response was. More than 24 hours later, I don’t fully remember. What I believe I remember him saying was something about Joe Flacco and then more about the will of the football team. I’m completely in agreement, but it didn’t necessarily answer my question. I’m sort of glad for that.

There’s a well known joke that says “Joe Buck is to baseball what the Catholic Church is to sex. It’s okay that it’s happening just as long as no one is enjoying it.” I’m glad Luke didn’t ruin the beauty of the moment by going all “Nate Silver” and killing us with football nerd-dom. It’s much better that we had a full 24 hours to enjoy and celebrate perhaps the greatest non-Super Bowl win in franchise history before we returned to a more X’s and O’s based discussion of what happened for the Baltimore Ravens Saturday and what they’ll need to do to win moving forward.

(This is the part where you say, “that’s a nice set-up Glenn. You’re a real pro’s pro.”)

The Baltimore Ravens DID win Saturday because of their will. They DID win Saturday because they believed in each other and never lost hope. They DID win Saturday because they have tested veterans who simply refuse to give up or allow a beloved teammate to step into retirement without leaving every last ounce of effort they’re capable of giving on the field.

It’s not just hyperbole. There’s absolute truth to it. It’s just not the entire story. In fact, it’s not even close to the most important part of the story. We go to that stuff first because it’s more likely to get clicks. We’re not stupid.

(Continued on Page 2…)

I’m not sure if you have noticed, but not many people are giving the Ravens a chance this Saturday. Many have told me they are going to get crushed by the Broncos. But that, to me, is hard to believe.

Yes, I recognize the Broncos beat the Ravens pretty badly in week fifteen but the game was close until halftime. In case you missed it, Joe Flacco threw a ninety-plus yard pick-six that turned the tide of the game. If that did not happen, and the Ravens scored a touchdown, the Ravens might not have won the game, but it would have been much closer.

Through five seasons, I have never seen Flacco play as badly as he did against the Broncos. Despite that performance, Flacco did come back and play one of the best games of his career against the Giants.

If the Ravens want to win this game, Flacco is going to have to have a big game pertaining to short and intermediate throws. You can’t beat Peyton Manning by trying to score more points than him. That strategy rarely works and the Ravens have the personel to beat Manning.

The classic strategy to beat a legendary quarterback is to keep him off the field with long drives. That means Ray Rice (who will be motivated after the two funbles), Bernard Pierce, Dennis Pitta, and Ed Dickson are going to have big time games. Rice is a superstar, we know that and Pierce has developed into a very good backup (Pierce could be starting on several NFL teams). Pitta and Dickson are crucial because they mostly contribute to the short and intermediate throws.

In week fifteen, Pitta had a big game. Catching seven passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

The offensive line should help Flacco in this game. They did give up three sacks in week fifteen but the Ravens have made changes to the offensive line that many have been calling for. With Bryant McKinnie moving to left tackle, Oher to right tackle, and Osemele to left guard, the offensive line looked good against the Colts.

With the amount of time the Ravens defense was on the field against the Colts, many are saying that is a disadvantage going into this week’s game against Denver’s no huddle offense. Being the optimist that I am, I think this has a positive effect for the Ravens as well. With all the injuries this defense has suffered, younger players have been forced to step in and play larger roles. Players like Chyke Brown, Albert McClellan, Courtney UpShaw, Corey Graham, and others all gained valuable experience against the Colts that will be helpful come kickoff on Saturday.

While I am not picking the Ravens to win this game, it will be much closer than many are predicting. This game could come down to a field goal and if it does, the advantage would have to go to Matt Prater.

If the Ravens want to win the Super Bowl, these six players will have to step up big time.

Joe Flacco
Did you expect anyone else to be at the top of this list? Flacco wants a long term deal and thinks he is an elite quarterback. He has all the potential in the world but has not put it together yet. After all the injuries on defense this team has suffered, the passing of Art Model, and the knowledge of Ray Lewis’s retirement, Joe Flacco has a tremendous opportunity infront of him to become a leader on this team and earn a big contract.

Ray Lewis
Call me crazy, but the triceps injury Lewis suffered against the Cowboys might be a blessing in disguise. Lewis has lost a step but he is still playing well. His decline was more evident as the season went on so a break might be a good thing. He will have fresh legs and will be extremely motivated.

Ed Reed
Reed, like Lewis has lost a step but Reed has a way of making big time plays in big time games. He has had a lot of success against Tom Brady and Peyton Manning who he might face later in the playoffs. I have a feeling that Reed is going to intercept Luck multiple times this Sunday.

Ray Rice
Ray Rice will be running very hard for Ray Lewis. The two are very close and Rice will be motivated to play well for Ray. Rice is one of the best all purpose backs in the NFL and at times, can be unstoppable.

Michael Oher/Kelechi Osemele
They will face a tough test against Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney but Oher and Osemele have performed at a high level at times throughout the season. Expect to see a game plan much like the game against the Giants; a lot of quick passes to set up longer passes to Torrey Smith.

Jimmy Smith
The Raves have suffered a myriad of injuries in the defensive side of the ball. Smith, a former first round pick has the potential to become a shut down cornerback but injuries have hampered his development. When Smith was healthy at the end of last season, he played very well, especially against Andre Johnson in the playoffs. He has played on special teams for the last few games and has seen limited playing time not because of his performance but because the Ravens might be trying to get him back slowly. Smith’s addition to this list may be surprising but if he plays, he must play at a high level.

Honorable mention: Tandon Doss
What? Tandon Doss? Doss could be a player that breaks out in some way to give this team that extra piece. Over the past few weeks, Doss has seen more playing time and while he has not made much of an impact on offense, the Ravens love his potential. Doss has great hands and his strength has the ability to be a great slot receiver. Watch out for Doss, his addition to this list is pretty bold but Doss can make an impact.

After Baltimore Ravens victories, Ryan Chell and I award players who made positive contributions with “Pats on the Ass” during the “Nasty Purple Postgame Show” on AM1570 WNST.net.

The Ravens fell to the Cincinnati Bengals 23-17 Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, meaning there were no Pats to be awarded.

So instead of offering “Pats on the Ass”, Ryan and I again offered “Slaps to the Head” postgame. A slap on the side of the head from a coach tends to come along with them saying something along the lines of “you’ve gotta do better than that.”

Same rules as there were with Pats. Two offensive players, two defensive players, and a Wild Card (Special Teams player, coach, or another Offensive or Defensive player). One player gets “two slaps” (or a slap on both sides of the head), it’s the opposite of a “Player of the Game” honor.” Ryan and I select five different players/coaches after each game.

Here are our five Ravens that have “gotta do better than that.”

Glenn Clark’s Slaps…

5. Tyrod Taylor

4. Chykie Brown

3. Terrence Cody

2. Bryant McKinnie

1. John Harbaugh (Two Slaps)

(Ryan’s Slaps on Page 2…)