RUNNING BACK FRANK GORE

(on the year he was at the NFL combine, his thoughts on not receiving as much attention as other running backs) “I didn’t care about that. I was just worrying about whoever asked questions, to say the right things and impress the teams who were in there.”

(on what he remembers about the game against Ohio State when he was hurt) “That year, when I got hurt, I was on the scout team because I was just coming back from my injury, so I was cleared to practice. I just was working. Me and [Ohio State running back Maurice] Clarett, the year we played Ohio State, I felt I was probably better [than] Clarett.”

(on how many surgeries he has had) “Four. Two knees and two shoulder surgeries.”

(on what makes him fight through injuries) “I love what I do. I feel that God blessed me with talent in football, and I love doing it.”

(on the faith, character, and leadership of the team this season) “Just being a leader – you have me, Pat [Willis], Vernon [Davis], Justin [Smith], Alex [Smith], Dashon [Goldson] – we just fight for each other. On this team, nobody [is] selfish. We got so many weapons that it could be anybody’s week. Whoever’s week it is, we just get behind him and just fight for each other.”

(on how being one step away last year helped the team win the NFC Championship this year) “It helped a lot. Knowing last year, it hurt. We didn’t get where we wanted to go, but when we got the opportunity to get back in the tournament, we looked at each other and told each other that we [have] got to walk in the door this year. And we did.”

(on what word best describes what this team is accomplishing) “Finish. We finish, and last year we didn’t finish. So we say we have to finish this year.”

(on how they are going to attack the Ravens’ defense) “They have a physical defense, but we also have a physical offense. We’re just going to keep chipping away, do whatever it takes, like we did all year to get where we’re at. [We have to] take those three to four to five [opportunities] – when we get opportunities to make big plays, we’re going to make them.”

(on if there’s anything they’re going to change between today and the Super Bowl)  “It’s going to be us. We got us in, it’s going to be us.”

(on how there doesn’t seem to be one player on the team that is concerned about being “the man”) “Coaches telling us if we want to go where we want to go, [we have] just got to be one. That’s what got us here at this point. Nobody [is] selfish. Whoever’s week it is, we’re going to fight for that guy. It could be Crab’s [Michael Crabtree’s] week, it could be my week, Vernon [Davis] – we’re all before each other. We all about winning, and I feel that if you want to get to a Super Bowl, that’s what you’ve got to do.”

(on what makes them different from other teams) “We went through so much, we went through so much. We got a lot of guys on this team [who] made the Pro Bowl, made All Pro, and we feel that it was everybody working together as one, and that will come, and we’ll get to the level where we’re at.”

(on what he thinks when he looks at the endzone from where he’s sitting) “I love it, I love it. Our logo, and in the last game of the season, the Super Bowl, I love it.”

(on what it was like to play with so many talented running backs at the University of Miami) “It was fun, competitive, but you had to be ready. Just pushing each other every day, helping each other. And our coach was one of the best for everyone one of us as we got a start. We got it done to make sure we got to the level we were at.”

(on why he decided on the University of Miami considering the running backs already there) “I just love competition. Coach CJ [Curtis Johnson], the receivers coach for the Saints, he told me if I wanted to be the best, why not play with the best?”

(on his late mother) “I love her. She was a hard worker, and she did everything to make sure her kids [were] satisfied, and she was a smart woman.”

(on how often he thinks about her) “Every day. Every day.”

(on what it was like when he found out that she had passed) “I couldn’t believe it. It was a like a dream, like a bad dream. It was a tough, man.”

(on when he scores a touchdown and points to the sky) “I point at her – that’s for her.”

(on what he is looking forward to the most from this week, besides the game) “Just coming out, getting New Orleans’ great food, and just relaxing.”

(on what it is about the team that has changed from the past six years to the last two)  “We’re one. We all for each other, we do whatever it takes to get a win, whether it’s throwing the ball, running the ball, kicking field goals, it don’t matter. We just want to win.”

(on Ray Rice) “I love Ray Rice, I love his game. He’s very tough, he can do anything. He can catch, run, block. I like that he’s a small guy. He’s tough.”

(on if he takes a lot of pride in his blocking) “I do. Just comes up from my high school coach. I had to block then, in high school, and then going to the University of Miami, my coach told me if I couldn’t block, I couldn’t play. Coming here, Coach Rathman, that’s all he thinks about is blocking. He told me, ‘If you can block, you can play in this league a long time.’ When you look around, a lot of guys can’t do it at the position.”

(on when the last time was that he went back home) “I go home every offseason. After we have our parade, I’ll go back.”

(on how close the Madden Super Bowl simulation, which has him running for 101 yards and two touchdowns, will be to his actual performance) “I’m going to try. I hope. That’d be a good day for me. And a win – that’d be an excellent day.”

(on what the neighborhood was like where he grew up) “It was tough. Small neighborhood, rough neighborhood. A lot of good people, a lot of guys who I feel like could have been in the NFL but went down the wrong path. I love my neighborhood.”

(on why he didn’t go down the wrong path) “Just looking at the guys who confronted me, they felt like probably they [were] better than me. I just said if I want to get to this level, I have to do the opposite of what they did.”

(on how his mother came to raising a lot of different kids in one house) “My mom had to take care of her sister’s kids, my brother, and that’s how it happened. It was tough, it was tough. Sometimes you don’t know if you don’t get the bed, [if] you have to go on the floor or the mat. It was tough, but my mom, we got through it, and it helped me make the person [I am] today.”

RUNNING BACK RAY RICE

(on playing in the Super Bowl) “Honestly, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. My first time down at the Super Bowl was my second year in the League. I was down in Miami, and I actually had to do media day. I know this is not media day, but still I get to enjoy all the festivities and at the end of the day, we have to go play a game. I’m going to soak up every moment because this is something that some people only get to do once or twice. Some people get lucky, but not many people get to do this at all, so I’m just blessed to be where I’m at today.”

(on the fans’ sendoff in Baltimore) “Today our fans just showed us that they’ve always had our back, but it was raining and cold in Baltimore, and I think the streets were just jam packed flooded. They really just showed us today what it really is all about. They’re just proud of us, and we thank them because they come out there every week – ups, downs, highs and lows – and that’s what we get to look forward to, our fans. That’s who we have to answer to, and we just want to make them happy.”

(on running backs’ value in the League) “The running back position all comes with the change, and like I said, I’ve only seen myself as a complete player. You look at both running backs in the game, myself and Frank Gore, and they have a great back-up for him with LaMichael James. I have a great back-up in Bernard Pierce. You just look at the game and how it’s played today, and I think the value is still the same especially after what Adrian Peterson did. There’s no every-down back anymore. Adrian Peterson set the standard for every running back in the League. I see myself as an all-purpose guy, but what he did was amazing.”

(on Frank Gore) “He’s just like a bull. He goes downhill on you really fast. I think he’s more loose than people think he is. I have respect for his game because if you watch Frank Gore, he doesn’t take the hits. He actually delivers them because of his low center of gravity. You go ask Ray Lewis who he has respect for in that offense, and obviously he has respect for everybody, but the main person he’ll tell you right now is Frank Gore.”

(on Frank Gore’s injuries this season) “You know what, I’ve been blessed and fortunate enough to be healthy. I haven’t had those kinds of situations, but to battle through what he’s been through, he’s a warrior – hats off to Frank. I’m always a fan of the running back. We don’t have to hate each other. I like to win on Sunday, and I don’t want to see him do good on our defense, but any other day, I watch him and am happy for him.”

(on the running games of both teams) “What’s the famed position in the game? It’s the quarterback position, and we’re not going to shy away from that. Our quarterback is a great quarterback. The 49ers have done a great job this year, and it’s no surprise that you’ve got to run the ball to win the games, but you also have to balance the attack. And one thing we’ve been doing is balancing the attack. It’s not forgotten, the running game, but when you look at the criticism that Joe Flacco has been through and you look at what a young guy like Colin Kaepernick is doing, I would make that the headline too. I’m just being honest because our guys have been through a lot. We’ve been to three AFC Championship games. We’ve been to the playoffs each year, and we just haven’t got the job done, but now we’re here on the big stage, and Joe deserves all that credit.”

(on playing in the postseason) “The last few years have definitely helped out. I didn’t know what playoff football was about my rookie year. The second year was good, but after my third season, that’s when I really started to understand what playoff football was about. We started getting guys on the team that hadn’t been to the playoffs and they’ve been in the league 10 years. I’ve been blessed and fortunate enough to play in the playoffs five years – three AFC Championships and one Super Bowl. I just can’t even tell you how the experience has been because you grind all season, and everybody was talking about us when we lost a couple games, but we really knew we only needed one. You grind to get into the playoffs. And everybody knows when you get in those games, it’s totally different. You can wipe your schedule out, your yards, wipe everything out to start 0-0 in the playoff schedules. We knew it was two seasons.”

(on what will be key in this Super Bowl) “It all comes down to execution, and that’s what it’s going to be all about on Sunday, whatever the team executes, whoever goes out there and plays a more physical game and executes at a high level.”

(on if teams mirror each other) “Yes, you look at the structure of the defense, similar to ours. Take the pistol out of their offense, and you look at what they have and who we have on offense. They’ve got two running backs; we’ve got two running backs. They’ve got great receivers, speedy guys, tight ends – look at who we have. They have a big, physical offensive line – look at what we have. It’s just one of those games where I really, genuinely feel that there’s a lot of great teams in the NFL, but the two teams that deserve to play in the Super Bowl are in it.”

(on the sendoff in Baltimore) “It was great. I had fun. I thank our fans because it’s cold out there. They don’t have this kind of weather. The only time they feel this kind of weather is if they turn the heater on in their house.”

(on playing in the Super Bowl) “It’s been a great journey for me. I just have a lot in my life. I started playing football when I was seven years old. I actually got to watch Ray Lewis win the Super Bowl, and now I get to play with him. I think that’s pretty cool when you put it all in perspective.”

(on former Rutgers and current Buccaneers coach, Greg Schiano) “Coach Schiano did a great job. He’s always had my respect as a man, as a father and as a husband. I’ve seen the way not only that he took care of us as his kids, but you see the way he takes care of his family. He’s always about team first, and it reminds me of our coach. One thing about the Baltimore Ravens is that we have the guys that are stars or whatever you want to call them, but no one is bigger than their team, and that’s what makes the Baltimore Ravens special. We’ve got a general, Ray Lewis, that’s going to be a Hall of Famer, and Ray will be the first to tell you that he wants to be there to shine amongst others, and that’s how our team is. Coach Schiano implemented that same kind of format in us.”

(on hiring new run game coordinator, Juan Castillo) “Coach Castillo has a great respect amongst this league, and I got phone calls when he came in, and it was like, ‘You’ve got a great coach coming on staff, so your run game is going to get even better.’ I’m like, ‘Well, shoot, I’m all in!’ Every year you look to tweak it a little bit, fine tune it, and Coach Castillo is going to do a great job with us.”

(on if Castillo’s hiring was a surprise) “I never really get into the hiring and firing, but one thing I know is that Coach [John] Harbaugh makes a decision for the best of the program and for the situation. We’re not going to bring anybody that’s going to cause a distraction. He’s going to fit right in. We brought him in on the backend, so he can get right to work for next season. He’s probably breaking down film and going over the games. When the offseason comes, he’s going to be ahead of the ball. When we come in next offseason, we’ve got something to work on. Even though you go to the Super Bowl, believe it or not, you’re behind because everyone else stopped working. You’ve got the guys scouting and doing all that stuff, and we’re behind in terms of football right now because we’re still playing. He’s probably going to get a jump on everything to make it better for us during the offseason.”

(on firing offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron) “Cameron was a great coordinator, and he’s done a lot for us. Coach Harbaugh made the decision, and when he made that decision it was based on what he felt was best for us. Jim Caldwell has kept it simple for us. One thing that he’s doing is utilizing the weapons we have. We have the talent, but we had a hard time sometimes trying to get everybody the ball, but right now everyone’s touching it and we’re happy. We’ve always said that execution was one of the defenders. We’ve been executing better, and that’s what it’s all about.”

(on Joe Flacco) “He’s our leader. I’ve always said that we go if Joe goes, and this year he just took off. He went out there and everyone was talking about the run game, but everybody follows somebody. I follow Joe Flacco. I can’t go out there and throw the ball. I can only go out there and do my job. He’s done it for us, so we go out there and do it for him. One thing I love about Joe’s approach is that he never gets too high or too low, he stays on that even keel. I think in football you have to do that because if you get too high or too low, you find yourself riding the wave, and Joe Flacco never rode the wave this year. When we had bad games, we took it on the chain and got ready for next week.”

Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv,  Twitter: @BovadaLV). The big list of props will be sent out on Thursday.

Super Bowl XLVII Odds

Baltimore Ravens           +4

San Francisco 49ers       -4

“Looking back at this NFL season, it has been very strange for the book. We might have had our best start to an NFL season ever and then Week 9 was the worst NFL week for us that I have ever seen, so Baltimore winning twice as double digit underdogs against Manning and Brady does not surprise me.  However, Baltimore cost us on the weekend and are the only big loser for the book on our Super Bowl odds. Despite the bettors being enamored with Kaepernick over his last five starts, the Ravens covering all three playoff games easily has 60% of the bettors siding with Baltimore early on in the week.”

Kevin Bradley, Sports Book Manager, Bovada.lv

SUPER BOWL XLVII – Odds to Win MVP?         

Colin Kaepernick (SF) QB           7/4

Joe Flacco (BAL) QB                 5/2

Ray Lewis (BAL) LB                   6/1

Frank Gore (SF) RB                   17/2

Ray Rice (BAL) RB                    12/1

Michael Crabtree (SF) WR          16/1

Anquan Boldin (BAL) WR           18/1

Torrey Smith (BAL) WR              20/1

Vernon Davis (SF) TE                 22/1

Aldon Smith (SF) LB                  25/1

Dennis Pitta (BAL) TE                33/1

Ed Reed (BAL) FS                     33/1

Randy Moss (SF) WR                40/1

Terrell Suggs (BAL) LB               50/1

LaMichael James (SF) RB          50/1

Patrick Willis (SF) LB                 66/1

NaVorro Bowman (SF) LB           66/1

Dashon Goldson (SF) FS            66/1

David Akers (SF) K                    66/1

Bernard Pierce (BAL) RB            75/1

Justin Tucker (BAL) K                75/1

Delanie Walker (SF) TE              75/1

Ted Ginn Jr. (SF) WR                 75/1

Alex Smith (SF) QB                   100/1

Field                                         22/1

At some point over the final seven minutes of regulation in Denver on Saturday night, Steve Bisciotti saw the big picture while everyone else wondered if the Ravens’ season was coming to an end after Peyton Manning threw a touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas midway through the fourth quarter.

Under the weather and unable to make the trip to Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the Ravens owner did something he’d never done before by reaching out to John Harbaugh as the fourth quarter pressed on. Bisciotti knew the head coach wouldn’t see the text message until after the game, of course, but he wanted Harbaugh to know how impressed he was with such a valiant effort against the No. 1 seed Broncos.

“I’ve never texted you during a game,” Harbaugh read to his team following the 38-35 double-overtime win. “We are down 35-28. And I think it’s the best game I’ve ever seen us in the playoffs since 2000. Win or lose, I am so proud of the team and proud of you.”

Though not prophetic in the sense that Bisciotti predicted the final outcome or could foresee what would unfold, the gesture was just the latest in a list of special occurrences that make you wonder about these Ravens. Harbaugh and inside linebacker Ray Lewis have consistently referenced their faith and while I don’t subscribe to the idea that God or any divine being is concerned with the outcome of football games, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence to support that notion if you so choose.

The Ravens’ run to a second consecutive AFC championship game may not be fate, but it sure feels like a storybook tale, filled with trials, tragedy, and triumph. Perhaps that’s what Bisciotti was acknowledging in reaching out to his head coach in those closing minutes of regulation on Saturday night. Harbaugh couldn’t help but share it with his team following one of the greatest wins in the history of the franchise.

“It was just something I thought the team needed to hear, coming from him,” Harbaugh said. “He is a great leader. Our players love him. They love when he is around. He is an inspiration to all of our guys. To me, this organization, he sets the tone here. It’s a great organization because of his vision. The guys needed to hear that in that moment. I’ll tell you, I think they appreciated hearing it.”

And why wouldn’t they after such a remarkable season, filled with highs and lows?

The Ravens lost their original owner Arthur B. Modell just days before the start of the regular season. The man responsible for the very existence of the franchise here in Baltimore has been memorialized with a simple patch reading “Art” on the team’s jerseys all season long.

Personal tragedy struck young wide receiver Torrey Smith when his younger brother Tevin was killed in a motorcyle accident the night before the Ravens’ Week 3 meeting with the New England Patriots. Unsure if he would play earlier in the day, Smith caught two touchdown passes to lead the Ravens to a 31-30 victory as a national audience marveled at his courage on that Sunday night in September.

Injuries that would have devastated most teams have only strengthened the Ravens’ will as only two defensive players started all 16 games this season. Linebacker Terrell Suggs overcame a torn Achilles tendon in the offseason to return in mid-October before having to play through another debilitating injury when he suffered a torn biceps to begin the month of December. Playing nowhere near full strength all season, Suggs’ two sacks of Manning were critical in Saturday’s divisional-round win.

Ray Lewis, the face of the franchise playing in his 17th season, tore his right triceps on Oct. 14 as nearly everyone but the linebacker thought his season — and potentially his career — was over. Instead, the 37-year-old returned to action just in time for the playoffs and announced he would retire at the end of this “final ride” in the postseason.

A three-game losing streak in December that included the dismissal of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and the promotion of quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell threatened to dismantle the good vibes of a 9-2 start, but the Ravens rebounded to beat the New York Giants in convincing fashion to clinch their second straight AFC North division title in Week 16. An offense described as schizophrenic for most of the season has looked as potent as any in the NFL in disposing of the Indianapolis Colts and outscoring the powerful Denver Broncos in two playoff wins.

It’s rarely been easy or pretty, but here the Ravens stand in the middle of January, one of four remaining teams with a chance of raising the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the first Sunday in February.

“I don’t think a lot of people expected us to be here,” defensive tackle Haloti Ngata said. “For us to overcome a lot of things, not only injuries but some family problems with Torrey’s family, everything that has happened with our team, I think we all just understand that we’re a family here, and we can lean on each other and depend on each other.”

The highs have been as fun as any in franchise history as “Fourth and 29″ and “The Prayer in Thin Air” are words that will now live forever in Baltimore football lore.

Under-the-radar performers such as Corey Graham and Jacoby Jones, signed largely for their special-teams abilities, have been critical to the Ravens’ success in ways few would have envisioned in the offseason. Even the former punchline of the 53-man roster, veteran offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, has finally regained his starting job to bolster an offensive line playing better now than it did all season.

Rookie kicker Justin Tucker, anointed by the Ravens to replace Billy Cundiff after a heartbreaking 32-yard miss in last year’s AFC Championship, rewarded the organization for its decision by nailing the game-winning 47-yard field goal in double overtime Saturday to send Baltimore back to the conference championship game.

CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE >>>

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.

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. This week, Luke Jones joined us as well.

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’ 38-35 double overtime win over the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Sunday in a AFC Divisional playoff.

Glenn Clark’s Pats…

5. Pernell McPhee

4. Ray Lewis

3. Ray Rice

2. Jacoby Jones

1. Justin Tucker (Pat on Both Cheeks)

(Ryan’s Pats on Page 2…)