You could imagine the comments from many Ravens fans as soon as news broke Monday of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s three-year, $27 million contract extension that will take him through the 2017 season.

Were Joe Flacco and his agent Joe Linta paying attention to those figures?

If Brady will take less money for the team’s sake, why won’t Flacco?

I wish Joe would be a team player like that guy in New England, who is twice the quarterback he’ll ever be.

While it’s true that Flacco and any other quarterback due for a major payday in the next year or two will take a hit in the public eye because of the perception created by Brady’s reworked deal that clears cap room for the Patriots in each of the next two seasons, there’s really no comparison between Brady’s situation and the one for the current Super Bowl MVP.

First and foremost, the Patriots essentially turned the remaining years of Brady’s current contract into a five-year, $60 million contract with all money guaranteed, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network. It’s a sweet deal for a veteran wanting to finish his career with the Patriots, a team notorious for cutting veteran players with escalating salaries and declining skills. And while the numbers don’t sound as sexy as the recent deals signed by Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, the $60 million in guaranteed money sounds nearly as good as Brees’ contract even if it means Brady won’t make quite as much money over the entire life of the contract.

That much guaranteed money for a quarterback entering the final years of his career is a major accomplishment.

Second, Flacco is at a completely different stage of his career as the 28-year-old seeks his first large payday after completing his rookie contract signed in 2008. Brady will be 36 prior to the start of the 2013 season and just worked out the final contract of his career. Let’s not forget Brady signed a four-year, $72 million contract with $48.5 million in guaranteed money at the start of the 2010 season to become the highest-paid player in the NFL at the time.

Even if Brady presently remains the superior quarterback — though Linta will remind you his client outplayed the Patriots signal-caller in each of the last two AFC Championship games — the expectations over the next five years for each player differ. Flacco is projected to be entering the best years of his career while Brady will try to hold onto what he is right now for as long as he can.

Brady negotiated the extension knowing the Patriots have made a habit of purging veterans near the end of the career. He may have done the Patriots a favor from a cap perspective, but it also ensures that he won’t be kicked to the curb at some point over the next few years. In contrast, Flacco and Linta know they have all the leverage in the world over general manager Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens, who have no choice but to re-sign the quarterback with no other real option available to them.

Finally, Brady’s hometown discount that reduces the cap numbers but leaves the Patriots on the hook for a ton of cash over the next five years doesn’t eliminate the other quarterback deals signed over the last couple years. The good news for the Ravens is that Brady’s restructure reduces his 2013 cap number to $13.8 million, which is projected to lower the exclusive tag number to just under $20 million if the Ravens ultimately elect to go that route without a long-term deal in place by March 4.

The reality is that one player taking a deal like this doesn’t mean others will — or should — follow suit. And while Brady’s extension might linger in the back of Flacco’s mind when it boils down to the final minute details of how to structure the contract, it’s not going to have any substantial impact in moving the meter in terms of guaranteed money.

Total money is typically what makes people react, but guaranteed money is the substance of any NFL contract and Brady’s $60 million guaranteed is a very nice five-year retirement plan for one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history.

It has very little impact on the Flacco negotiations.

To suggest otherwise is just wishful thinking.

TOWSON TRAVELS TO GEORGE MASON FOR ROAD FINALE ON TUESDAY
Game Can Be Seen Live on Comcast SportsNet

FAIRFAX, Va. - Towson will play its final road game of the season on Tuesday as the Tigers travel to George Mason for a 7 p.m. contest that will air live on Comcast SportsNet.

Al Koken and Ron Thompson will be on the call from the Patriot Center as two of the top four teams in the league standings square off.

The game can also be heard on the Towson Sports Network with Spiro Morekas and Vince Angotti calling the action.

Towson (16-13, 11-5 CAA) has won six of its last seven games, including a dramatic 72-71 win over Drexel on Saturday. The win gave the Tigers their most victories in a season since 1995-96.

The Tigers have played extremely well on the road this season, picking up 11 wins away from the Towson Center, including a 6-2 mark in CAA play. However, Towson has lost its last 14 games played at George Mason and have not defeated the Patriots on the road since 1977.

Towson is led by Lou Henson Award finalist Jerrelle Benimon, who is tied for the NCAA-lead with 19 double-doubles. The junior led the Tigers with 19 points against Drexel on Saturday and has scored in double figures in 17 of his last 18 games.

Tiger freshman Jerome Hairston was named CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday after scoring a career-high 20 points against the Dragons. Hairston shot 3-for-5 from beyond the arc en route to winning his fourth league award of the season.

George Mason (17-11, 10-6 CAA) has won three of its last four games, including a thrilling 60-58 triumph over William & Mary on Saturday. Sophomore Erik Copes hit a 13-foot jumper with less than a second remaining to push the Patriots past the Tribe.

Junior guard Sherrod Wright leads Mason in scoring at 16.6 points per game, while classmate Bryon Allen ranks fifth in the CAA averaging 3.7 assists per game.

Tuesday’s game will be the 41st all-time meeting between Towson and George Mason.

NEW ORLEANS — A running diary was needed this week to track the comments of Ravens safety Ed Reed as he prepares to play in his first Super Bowl on Sunday.

The 34-year-old started the week hinting that retiring teammate Ray Lewis might not be so serious about walking away from the game while also appearing to soften on his stance from last week stating he would play again next season. Reed also stated he felt former NFL linebacker Junior Seau had no regrets about playing football before committing suicide last spring.

However, his comments about wanting to play for New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick created quite a stir on Wednesday with Reed scheduled to become a free agent this offseason. Many running with the story failed to acknowledge Reed also expressed a desire to remain in Baltimore during the same interview session.

On Thursday, Reed clarified his remarks about Belichick while also scolding reporters who elected to pick and choose his words for their purposes.

“The bad part about this is that you all ask the question, but don’t write down everything that someone says,” Reed said. “People only get a part of what the comment was. I don’t have to say much about that. My heart is in Baltimore.

“The question is, ‘Would I play for Bill Belichick?’ Yes. What football player wouldn’t play for Coach Belichick? Will I be in New England? Most likely not. It’s just terrible that people get half of the story, and it’s even [worse] when you hear the comments that they make toward you, but it comes with it.”

Reed has dug plenty of holes for himself from a media standpoint, but there was nothing wrong with what he said in simply complimenting a coach who has expressed an affinity for the free safety over the years. With the Ravens almost certain to allow Reed to test the free-agent market, the veteran would be doing a disservice to himself by dismissing any potential suitors — even if only for negotiating purposes.

A return may not happen given the Ravens’ tight salary cap for the 2013 season and other priorities ahead of re-signing Reed, but anyone interpreting Reed’s initial comments about Belichick and the Patriots as anything more than an innocuous thought was reaching for a headline and nothing more. The reality is that Reed would — and should — be willing to play for a number of teams if he is unable to come to an agreement for a new deal in Baltimore.

As Reed has said on several occasions over the last few years, it’s a business.

“I always said when I came into the league and got drafted that I didn’t want to be one of those guys jumping from team to team,” Reed said on Wednesday. “If it was up to me, I would be right in Baltimore. If it happens to be somewhere else, I can play football on the moon.”

With players very accessible over this four-day period in New Orleans and Reed always being a colorful interview, the fact that he’s created headlines this week should come as no surprise to anyone.

As the Ravens begin preparations to play in Super Bowl XLVII, the finality has set in about inside linebacker Ray Lewis playing his final game on Feb. 3 in New Orleans.

The 37-year-old will offer his final pre-game speech prior to the game and, presumably, dance for the final time in front of the entire world as the Ravens seek their second NFL championship and first since Jan. 28, 2001. However, questions and concerns continue to exist about the daunting task of replacing Lewis’ impeccable leadership.

In addition to being regarded as one of the best defensive players in NFL history, Lewis is considered one of the greatest and most emotional leaders the sport has ever seen. Regardless of what happens against the San Francisco 49ers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, how do the Ravens fill that enormous void?

“He’s a guy who is ‘The Raven,’” safety Bernard Pollard said. “We respect him. When he speaks, everybody stops, everybody hears him. He’s kept this team together. He’s kept this organization together in so many ways, and we are all in this together. We want to go win this thing.”

The reality is that the Ravens won’t do anything differently to replace Lewis, in terms of his play on the field or his leadership. The talk in recent drafts of needing to find an “heir apparent” such as Dont’a Hightower or Vontaze Burfict or Manti Te’o has always been amusing in the sense that you never knowingly find a Hall of Fame player. Yes, someone will assume his position next season, but the Ravens will use the same approach they use for any other position on the field in looking for the right player at the right price or value, whether it comes via free agency or the draft.

Even more interesting is the discussion over how Lewis’ leadership will be replaced in the locker room. Candidates certainly exist such as quarterback Joe Flacco, running back Ray Rice, or even linebacker Terrell Suggs, but the Ravens cannot and will not alter their approach or ask any one individual to change who they are.

Lewis’ absence will be felt throughout the organization, and no one will replace the immense impact he provides in the same way. The post-Lewis era needs to be cultivated organically in the sense that the Ravens have other players they feel can be leaders — even if that leadership won’t include the same demonstrative theatrics or impassioned speeches.

The reality is the Ravens already have other leaders in their locker room, including players who have been drafted over the years and even free-agent signings. Flacco and Rice are leaders in a different sense than Lewis despite only completing their fifth season. General manager Ozzie Newsome has also combed the market in recent seasons for free agents who have provided leadership qualities in different areas such as center Matt Birk, defensive end Cory Redding (now with the Indianapolis Colts), and Pollard.

The Ravens will never look or feel the same way following Super Bowl XLVII, but that doesn’t mean the organization is obsessing over what to do in a life without Lewis. The transformation must happen naturally, just like it did with Lewis over the years after he was initially a 21-year-old rookie who entered a locker room that included veteran leaders such as Rob Burnett, Pepper Johnson, Eric Turner, and Vinny Testaverde in the spring of 1996. He didn’t become the leader that he is now overnight, and Lewis would be the first to tell you that.

“Everybody knows what kind of a player he is and what he has meant to this team and this organization,” said Birk, who could also be playing his final NFL game in New Orleans. “There is probably not another leader like him. There’s no one like him, someone that means as much as he does to this team. Everything that he has been through, being here from Day One and the way he plays and the emotion and the passion that he plays with.”

There’s simply no replacing Lewis, and the Ravens will continue to do things the way they always have and they’ll be just fine in the long run — even if it will never look the exact same way.

Caldwell staying as coordinator

The announcement by coach John Harbaugh at the end of Monday’s press conference that he would be retaining his entire coaching staff and, more notably, Jim Caldwell as offensive coordinator was hardly surprising as the Ravens won the AFC Championship.

The dramatic improvement of the Baltimore offense and quarterback Joe Flacco in the postseason made it easy to decide that Caldwell would be Harbaugh’s guy for the 2013 season.

The Ravens haven’t made any dramatic changes to what they do offensively, but Caldwell has offered a new voice, a calming presence, and an open line of communication with fellow assistants and offensive players. The former Indianapolis coach has taken very little credit, citing the execution and hard work of players and the tireless efforts of the rest of the offensive coaching staff as the explanation for the offense’s improved consistency.

Unlike former coordinator Cam Cameron who had a reputation for wanting things done his way and for not being receptive to suggestions from others, Caldwell has welcomed feedback from his players and other assistants, in part because of his lack of experience having never been an offensive coordinator prior to being elevated on Dec. 10.

He has identified the need to highlight Flacco’s strengths by being aggressive in the vertical passing game and moving the pocket to neutralize potent pass rushes. The Ravens have also used the middle of the field more effectively in the passing game, which was first evident when they scored 33 points against the New York Giants in Week 16.

If for no other reason, Caldwell deserved to remain as offensive coordinator because of the outstanding play of Flacco, who was the best quarterback in the AFC in the postseason and is on the cusp of joining a select group of NFL quarterbacks if the Ravens can topple San Francisco. It remains to be seen what type of stamp Caldwell will put on the offense with a full offseason of work, but his efforts are a significant reason why the Ravens are making plans for a trip to New Orleans.

McPhee finally making impact

CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE >>>

Following every Baltimore Ravens game this season, Ryan Chell and I will take to the airwaves Tuesdays on “The Reality Check” on AM1570 WNST.net with a segment known as “The Five Plays That Determined The Game.”

It’s a simple concept. We’ll select five plays from each game that determined the outcome. These five plays will best represent why the Ravens won or lost each game.

This will be our final analysis of the previous game before switching gears towards the next game on the schedule.

Here are the five plays that determined the Ravens’ 28-13 win over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in the AFC Championship Game…

(Note: not all pictures are always of actual play)

Glenn Clark’s Plays…

5. Nate Solder called for holding, negating Danny Woodhead 4 yard run on 3rd & 2 (3rd quarter)

4. Stephen Gostkowski 25 yard field goal after Patriots called third timeout (2nd quarter)

3. Tom Brady pass intended for Wes Welker incomplete on 3rd & 8 from Baltimore 34 (3rd quarter)

2. Dannell Ellerbe intercepts Tom Brady pass intended for Aaron Hernandez, tipped by Pernell McPhee (4th quarter)

1. Arthur Jones recovers Stevan Ridley fumble forced by Bernard Pollard (4th quarter)

(Ryan’s Plays on Page 2…)

Last year it was Tom Brady’s wife Gisele Bündchen ranting after the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLVI loss to the New York Giants, but the wife of wide receiver Wes Welker may have topped her comments in trashing Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis following Sunday’s AFC Championship.

Anna Burns Welker took to Facebook to bash the future Hall of Fame linebacker following the Ravens’ 28-13 win over New England, citing Lewis having children with four different women and the events in Atlanta 13 years ago.

“Proud of my husband and the Pats,” she wrote. “By the way, if anyone is bored, please go to Ray Lewis’ Wikipedia page. 6 kids 4 wives. Acquitted for murder. Paid a family off. Yay. What a hall of fame player! A true role model!”

Despite her claim, Lewis has never been married.

She apologized for those comments on Monday evening and has since deleted her original Facebook post. She is a former Miss Hooters International winner.

“I let the competitiveness of the game and the comments people were making about a team I dearly love get the best of me,” Welker’s wife said in a statement to Larry Brown Sports. “My actions were emotional and irrational and I sincerely apologize to Ray Lewis and anyone affected by my comment after yesterday’s game.

“It is such an accomplishment for any team to make it to the NFL playoffs, and the momentary frustration I felt should not overshadow the accomplishments of both of these amazing teams.”

Welker caught eight passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, but New England was shut out in the second half of Sunday night’s game. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Interestingly enough, it was Welker who took jabs at Rex Ryan over the Jets head coach’s foot fetish scandal two years ago.

Thankfully, we can now go back to talking about more important topics such as the Ravens preparing to play in their second Super Bowl in franchise history.

We spent the better part of five seasons acknowledging the accomplishments of Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens, but the focus would inevitably revert to what they hadn’t done in the John Harbaugh era.

Flacco had never led the Ravens to a Super Bowl as many wondered even just a few short weeks ago whether the fifth-year quarterback really had the ability to do.

Baltimore was the only team in the NFL to have advanced to the postseason and won at least one playoff game in each of the last five seasons, but the Ravens were always a bridesmaid but never the bride to represent the AFC on the biggest stage in professional sports.

Despite coming within a Lee Evans catch of toppling Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in last year’s conference championship, Flacco didn’t take the quantum leap many thought he would during the regular season. His Week 15 interception returned for a touchdown in a blowout loss at home to the Denver Broncos appeared to be the lowest point of his career.

Anyone who watched these Ravens play over the course of the 2012 season would agree that they weren’t the best team in the conference. They certainly weren’t the most talented as critics dismissed a 9-2 start while pointing out their many flaws and shortcomings due to a significant number of injuries. An inconsistent offense and a diminishing, aging defense didn’t exactly scream “Super Bowl contender” in the eyes of even the most optimistic Ravens fans.

A three-game losing streak to start the month of December that included the firing of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron appeared to be a death sentence. Instead, it was the precursor to three straight wins in the month of January as the Ravens flattened New England in the second half Sunday night to win 28-13 and advance to their second Super Bowl in franchise history.

Even if they weren’t the AFC’s best from September through December, Flacco and the Ravens proved to be the superior quarterback and the superior team when it really mattered.

As Harbaugh preached about the entire team’s effort following Sunday’s game, pointing to a second half when the Ravens outscored New England 21-0 to turn a 13-7 halftime deficit into a comfortable 15-point victory in Foxborough, the biggest story was once again Flacco. Arguably scrutinized more than any quarterback in the league, Flacco followed up an outstanding performance against Peyton Manning in the divisional round with a brilliant second half at Gillette Stadium while Tom Brady wilted against the Baltimore defense to lose the first home game of his career in which the Patriots led at the half.

In the Ravens’ path to Super Bowl XLVII, Flacco has thrown for 853 yards, eight touchdowns, and no interceptions for a 114.7 passer rating in three playoff wins. He hasn’t tossed an interception since that fateful day when he laid face-down on the turf at M&T Bank Stadium following Chris Harris’ 98-yard return for a touchdown on Dec. 16.

The question really isn’t whether Flacco is an “elite” quarterback as so many like to ask. The University of Delaware product has been the best the AFC had to offer in the playoffs and is now 60 minutes away from an invitation to join a select group of Super Bowl winners that includes Manning, Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, and Drew Brees.

Instead of chastising him for what he’s not, it’s time to recognize Flacco for what he is — a great quarterback with an unwavering ability to remain cool under pressure. His demeanor over this last month never changed as he adjusted to Jim Caldwell’s new role as offensive coordinator and put the Ravens on his back to land them in the Super Bowl for the first time in 12 years.

This is far from Harbaugh’s most talented group of players, but the difference is the Ravens have a quarterback not only capable of leading them to the Super Bowl, but they have one who did it with an exclamation point on Sunday night.

For years, the vaunted Ravens defense was always looking across the field at a Brady or a Manning or a Roethlisberger and could only wonder what might have been if the unit had a signal-caller like that on its side. Baltimore no longer has to do that as many teams around the league will now begin to look at Flacco with a similar kind of reverence.

If we’ve learned anything about him over these last three weeks, it’s not only that he’s a great quarterback, but we now expect — not hope for — him to be great on the biggest stage. The Ravens will once again be underdogs against Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans, but the confidence once enjoyed only in places like New England, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh is now bursting at the seams in Baltimore over its quarterback.

They will have a great chance to win because they have a great quarterback. It’s that simple, even if it’s been a long time coming for the Ravens.

It doesn’t matter that Flacco wasn’t the best quarterback and the Ravens weren’t the best team in the AFC in the regular season.

They’re standing at the top and they earned it by toppling the best the conference had to offer in January.

After every Baltimore Ravens victory, Ryan Chell and I take to the airwaves on “The Nasty Purple Postgame Show” on AM1570 WNST.net to offer “Pats on the Ass” to players who have done something to deserve the honor.

We give pats to two defensive players, two offensive players and one “Wild Card”-either another offensive or defensive player, a Special Teams player or a coach. We offer a “Pat on Both Cheeks” to someone who stands out, our version of a “Player of the Game.” Ryan and I select five different players/coaches each.

Here are our “Pats on the Ass” following the Ravens’ 28-13 win over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in the AFC Championship Game to clinch a trip to Super Bowl XLVII…

Glenn Clark’s Pats…

5. Jim Caldwell

4. Pernell McPhee

3. Marshal Yanda

2. Bernard Pollard

1. Joe Flacco (Pat on Both Cheeks)

(Ryan’s Pats on Page 2…)