Baltimore Ravens refute suggestions of strife in team following Reed’s Flacco comments – NFL News
Baltimore Ravens played down the hype generated by their safety, Ed Reed's comments on the performance of their quarterback (QB), Joe Flacco, saying there was no strife in the team, and that it is not likely to distract them from their focus on the conference
championship game.
Ed Reed in a radio show on Tuesday, January 17, 2012, said that Flacco was a kind of ‘rattled’ by the Houston Texans' defence, in their playoff game at the M&T Bank Stadium, on Sunday, January 15, 2012.
He went on to elaborate that the QB will need to perform better than the New England Patriots attack to help his side claim a win over their rivals in their American Football Conference (AFC) championship game to be played at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough,
on Sunday, January 22, 2012.
The comments led to a media-hype around the issue, leading to the suggestions if there was strife within the team, as resultant of the comments.
Both, the players and coach, John Harbaugh, in their respective remarks have refuted the impression. Even Reed said he has talked to Flacco and apparently there was no issue with his statement.
Reed earlier defended his comments saying they should be taken in the context, otherwise, he added, it will be an exercise to prove him wrong.
His words have received the backing of his coach, who said there was no strife in the team and that they were focused on their weekend game.
"I understand where Ed's heart is at," Harbaugh said. "We're together all the time. We know each other. We know where each other is coming from. I'm sure there are some things he would have liked to have said better. The way you read them, I'm sure he's
not real happy about that."
The coach’s statement coincides with the similar views expressed by Joe Flacco himself. He confirmed he has talked to Ed Reed and called the issue not a big deal.
"When I first saw it, I was like: 'What's going on?,' " Flacco said. "Like I said, we talked about it. We're a team around here. It's not that big of an issue. I really don't take things that bad. It's Ed. It is what it is."
Ravens linebacker, Ray Lewis, also denied if the issue was affecting their training and focus on the weekend game. He was speaking on the sideline of their practice session on Wednesday.
"It's not an issue," he said. "The only issue we have as a team is going up and trying to get a win in Foxborough.”
The Ravens face one of the toughest of their challenges on the weekend and game of their QB, Joe Flacco, will be at the centre of their performance to pull off a possible victory.
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