Baltimore Ravens and their Super Bowl hopes
The Baltimore Ravens had overcome all hurdles in their aim to make it to the Super Bowl this year. It was considered to be very possible before their American Football Conference (AFC) championship game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, on Sunday, January 22, 2012
A win over the Patriots could have guaranteed their berth in the Super Bowl event, to be held in Indianapolis next month.
The team was more ambitious this time around than ever before. Almost all of their players had expressed their hopes of making it to the event.
The veterans saw this current run as the last opportunity of their football career, in some cases were even over-optimistic.
It was the mater of just one game that was enticing them into some sort of an ambitious positivism rather than realism.
Their running back, Ray Rice, for example, who had played the New England Patriots before and won, foresees the Super Bowl as the only highest achievement left for him.
Hence, the weekend’s game was not as important for him as the Super Bowl game.
Equally hopeful are the Ravens' other players.
One of the reasons for their excitement about reaching the Super Bowl event was that the team had been through to playoff season three times before. They had lost all their previous opportunities.
It was for the first time that they had played the playoff game and won that. Their past attempts had failed in the wild card round.
So, having come so far and so near, the team felt th reaching the Super Bowl event is a must. Many of their players, as earlier said, already felt home against the Patriots.
Another reason behind their Super Bowl ambitions was that they were almost there. It was a matter of one game despite that the loss on the weekend ruined all their ambitions, optimism, hopes and efforts.
They are settled back, down to the win in the playoff game and the American Football Conference (AFC) North division title.
A win on the weekend could have fulfilled all their wishes and ambitions.
The Ravens were in a situation similar to the one Houston Texans had been in, a couple of weeks ago. Their loss against the Ravens had ended all their hopes for the championship games.
Even though there was nothing at stake for them, they were still struggling with the loss. Many of their players still feel the pinch that they could have made it to the championship game.
Their game did not show that they had played badly.
Obviously, they were against a better outfit and the game was a road game for them. Since the Ravens have a perfect record at home, a win was seen more likely for them.
The Ravens were at the similar turn in their 2011 NFL journey. A win was must for them to reach Super Bowl, but the game was a road game and Ravens' record in road games was not as impressive as their home record.
It were the Patriots who hold the historical edge over them. The only point in favour of the Ravens was that their only win against the Patriots was in the playoff round. Most importantly that was a road game that they won.
Inspite of the odds being slightly in favour of the Patriots given their strong offence line, the game was all open and in front of the Ravens.
According to their hopes and ambitions, they went into it for a must win, but could not manage to do so.
The Super Bowl event was not set to become their destiny this year, again.
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