The Baltimore Ravens suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship last season. The game felt winnable from the start, but a lack of game plan execution and other failures did Baltimore in as they fell short.
Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken spoke to the media for the first time since the loss and was asked about his thoughts on how it all unfolded. He said that the team could have run the ball better and took accountability for his role in the defeat.
“You know, obviously. I try not to look back. I appreciate that, but it is what it is. We didn’t play well enough [and] didn’t coach well enough. [We] didn’t execute at a high level, and that starts with me. That’s the way it goes. Certainly, we could have run the ball better, could have executed better [and] not turn the ball over, but that’s what you do. The only way you look back is to learn and get better. What didn’t we do well? What was the plan we initially went in with? Was it execution or did we not stick with the plan? That’s part of it, just like it was the week before [and] just like it was the week before that. It just happened to be that [game], and we’re disappointed, but it’s on to 2024.”
The Ravens inexplicably abandoned the running game during the contest, only handing the ball off to their running backs six times despite being the top rushing team in the league. The hope is that the team has learned from its mistakes and can move forward on what hopefully can be a Super Bowl journey in 2024.