Tag: ray lewis

Alex Singleton guarantees he’ll break the Eagles single-season record for tackles in 2021

Alex Singleton guarantees he’ll break the Eagles single-season tackles record in 2021

Tackles are the one statistic in football that has taken some time to fully grade and keep up with and it’s constantly debated.

You can see who completes a pass or breaks off a long run, but it can sometimes be difficult to properly score a tackle (solo/combo) and it’s something that the NFL has been working to perfect since 1994.

During a recent appearance on The Wooderboys Podcast, Singleton and the guys discussed his performance from 2020, when the talented linebacker guaranteed he’d shatter the Eagles’ single-season record for tackles.

During the 1988 NFL season, Reggie White logged 18 sacks and 133 combined tackles from his defensive end position.

Ray Lewis leads the NFL in the single-season tackles category, logging 156 during the 1997 season in Baltimore.

The best pick from each NFL draft class in Ravens history

We take a look back at each of the Baltimore Ravens’ drafts to find the best selection the team made.

The Baltimore Ravens have long been considered one of the best teams in the league when it comes to scouting, drafting, and developing players. The Ravens have been a part of 25 NFL drafts since being founded in 1996 and have earned their reputation by finding some real gems at a variety of rounds. In that time, Baltimore has drafted 31 players who have been to a Pro Bowl, 14 players who were named to the All-Pro team, and three players currently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

However, not every pick or even draft year has been outstanding for the Ravens, with some selections having clearly been better than others. But instead of looking at which players were the best overall, we want to break it down year-by-year to find the best player Baltimore grabbed in every draft throughout franchise history.

Let’s kick it off with that inaugural 1996 season . . .

Ravens’ Super Bowl XLVII win ranked among the best since 2000

The Baltimore Ravens second Super Bowl victory was dubbed 5th best of the last two decades and even that might be underselling it.

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will headline Super Bowl LV. In celebration of yet another champion being crowned, List Wire ranked every Super Bowl over the last 20 years. While the Ravens are naturally featured twice on the list, having won twice over that timespan, it’s Super Bowl XLVII that got the blood pumping.

According to Barry Werner of List Wire, Baltimore beating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII ranks fifth. It’s easy to see why when Werner breaks down the basic story of the game.

“The Ravens were a force and then there was a blackout that turned an apparent easy victory into a nail-biter. Baltimore boasted a tremendous defense that had all sorts of issues with Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers.”

Come on, that’s something you’d expect to see in a movie or made-for-TV special. The Ravens had gotten to a 28-6 lead early in the third quarter thanks to a Jacoby Jones 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. But a power issue caused the stadium to go dark for more than 30 minutes, ultimately seeing the 49ers rally in the second half to put the victor in question. As we all know, Baltimore prevailed, beating San Francisco 34-31 to claim their second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.

While the game itself was magical and full of twists and turns, the lead up to it was somehow even better.

The Ravens hadn’t been great throughout the regular season, finishing with a 10-6 record to squeak into the playoffs. But, between linebacker Ray Lewis announcing he’d retire at the conclusion of the season and quarterback Joe Flacco having arguably the greatest postseason in NFL history, Baltimore seemingly had everything fall in their favor in what can only be described as a Cinderella story.

The Ravens got matched up with Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts in the wild-card round, giving Lewis one final home game before riding off into the sunset. Up 24-9 in the closing minutes of the game, Lewis lined up at running back while Baltimore was in victory formation, doing his famous squirrel dance to close out his career at M&T Bank Stadium to the cheers of the crowd.

With one game down, the Ravens were matched up against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the divisional round. It would take double-overtime and a miracle to get the job done, however. Down seven points in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, Flacco heaved a pass to Jacoby Jones just over the outstretched arms of safety Rahim Moore, seeing him streak into the end zone untouched for an improbable 70-yard touchdown pass that has since been dubbed “The Mile High Miracle.” Kicker Justin Tucker put the final nail in the coffin after a Corey Graham interception gave Baltimore the ball in Denver territory, nailing a 47-yard field goal to win, 38-35, in double overtime.

Now in the AFC Championship, the Ravens needed to go through a familiar foe in Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. It was a rematch of the AFC Championship Game from a year prior that saw New England barely edge out Baltimore, 23-20. This time, however, there would be no Brady heroics. After a tight first half, the Ravens’ defense ratcheted things up in the second half, forcing four turnovers (including a turnover on downs). Meanwhile, Flacco and the offense feasted, putting up 21 unanswered points to win 28-13 to head to New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII.

Though other Super Bowls were ranked higher, the playoff storylines and the big game itself make the Ravens’ run something special. It’s certainly one Baltimore will never forget.

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8 years ago today, the Ravens won their second Super Bowl

On this day 8 years ago, the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, claiming the team’s second Lombardi Trophy

Super Bowl LV is set to take place in just a couple of days as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs to determine which team is the best in the NFL. But not too long ago, the league was under the Baltimore Ravens’ reign.

On this day eight years ago, the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII to claim the second Lombardi Trophy in the franchise’s existence. It was a monumental moment for the team, not only because the Super Bowl is the pinnacle of achievement in the NFL, but because it was linebacker Ray Lewis’ last ride. Lewis had announced the 2012 season would be his last as Baltimore entered the playoffs, making Super Bowl XLVII the last time he’d step on the field in pads and a keystone moment in Lewis’ Hall of Fame career.

The game was filled with twists and turns befitting its stature. Baltimore got out to a 28-6 lead early in the third quarter after Jacob Jones returned the second-half’s opening kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown. But a power outage soon after caused the game to be suspended for over a half-hour, allowing the 49ers to rally and ultimately make it a tight game, bringing the score to 31-29 midway through the fourth quarter. The Ravens obviously prevailed, beating San Francisco 34-31.

While fans have often criticized Baltimore’s lack of postseason success since Super Bowl XLVII, the Ravens remain one of the best teams in the league. When looking at the rest of the league, an eight-year gap since the team’s last Super Bowl appearance is actually one of the shortest droughts in the NFL currently.

Take a look at where Baltimore sits on the list of longest Super Bowl/NFL Championship droughts:

Team Years
1 Detroit Lions 63
2 New York Jets 52
3 Cleveland Browns 48
4 Minnesota Vikings 44
5 Miami Dolphins 36
6 Cincinnati Bengals 32
7 Washington 29
8 Buffalo Bills 27
9 Jacksonville Jaguars 26
10 Los Angeles Chargers 26
11 Dallas Cowboys 25
12 Tennessee Titans 21
13 Houston Texans 19
14 Las Vegas Raiders (formerly Oakland) 18
15 Chicago Bears 14
16 Arizona Cardinals 12
17 New Orleans Saints 11
18 Indianapolis Colts 11
19 Green Bay Packers 10
20 Pittsburgh Steelers 10
21 New York Giants 9
22 Baltimore Ravens 8

The Ravens were the last team to represent the AFC North, quite a feat considering the Pittsburgh Steelers have also been one of the league’s best teams over the last decade. With the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns improving — the Browns made it to the divisional round of the playoffs as well last season — that could all change in the coming years. But for Baltimore’s fans, there hasn’t been much of a wait since past glory.

As we hear more about the Chiefs and Buccaneers this week, reflect back kindly on that dominant 2012 team.

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Ravens vs. Colts: 7 fun facts about this Week 9 matchup

Seven nuggets for you to impress your friends with regarding this matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts in Week 9

Week 9 of the 2020 season features at least one game between two teams firmly in the AFC playoff picture. The 5-2 Baltimore Ravens take on the 5-2 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, with the Ravens looking to bounce back after losing to the Steelers last week. The Colts meanwhile are coming off a comfortable victory over the Detroit Lions.

This matchup goes beyond the action on the field, both for the teams and the people of Baltimore. There are a host of connections between these two teams, some you may be aware of and others that may surprise you. Here are seven nuggets about this rivalry for you to drop into conversations leading up to the game, leaving your listeners blown away by the depth of your knowledge.

2021 College Football Hall Of Fame Ballot Released: Ranking The Candidates

The 2020 College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the 2021 class has been released. How do all the legends on the ballot ranked?

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The 2020 College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the 2021 class has been released highlighted by Michael Bishop, Carson Palmer, Bob Stoops, and other legends to choose from.

Ranking All Players On The 2021 Hall of Fame Ballot

2021 Hall of Fame Ballot Rankings
Hall of the Very Good | Hall of Maybe
Probably Should Be In | No-Doubters (Top 15)
Coaches

The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the names on the 2021 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, including 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision.

So who really deserves to be in?

The massive list of nominees from the NFF is always interesting, and sometimes a bit puzzling. Even more strange is how some players aren’t automatic slam dunks.

I believe in the Danny Ocean to Linus Caldwell approach to the Hall of Fame. Either you’re in or you’re out. Right now.

A Hall of Famer should be obvious, and it’s not just about name recognition. A player’s popularity doesn’t mean he had all-timer of an impact on the sport or was one of the true greats. Perspective is needed, eras and systems have to be considered, and there should be some test of time.

NFL production doesn’t matter in any way, shape or form – this is the COLLEGE Football Hall of Fame – and other factors shouldn’t matter at all. Being worthy of the Hall should only be about what happened on the field during that player’s college career.

Really … who were the best of the all-time best players?

Welcome to a ranking of all player FBS nominees and coaches based on how much they deserve to be in. A few things to keep in mind before going forward.

1. I know I’m supposed to care if a player was a NFF Scholar-Athlete, but I don’t.

2. Win a Heisman, get in the Hall. That should be an automatic.

3. If you have to make a case why a player deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, he probably doesn’t deserve to be in.

Not only do voters have to take into account all the different eras and all the different aspects of the game’s evolution, but there are also the rules to deal with.

According to the National Football Foundation, to shorten and sum up the criteria:

1. A player has to have been a First Team All-American on a list recognized by the NCAA. No Joe Montana.

2. He’s eligible ten years after his final year of playing.

3. Post-career citizenship is factored into the voting, and an extra boost is given to those who earned a degree. O.J. Simpson is still in.

4. Players must have played within the last 50 years. So to be eligible for the 2020 class, the player had to have finished his career by 1971.

5. A coach is eligible three years after retiring or if he’s older than 70, and active coaches are eligible after age 75. He had to be a head coach for at least ten years and had to have coaches at least 100 games with a .600 minimum winning percentage.

NEXT: Hall of the Very, Very Good, and then Hall of Maybe, Hall of Should Be In, The No-Doubters (Top 15), Coaches

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Derrick Henry should be offseason focal point for Raven’s defense according to Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis going a podcast in order to discuss why the Baltimore Ravens defense should be focusing in on Derrick Henry as they enter 2020.

The Baltimore Ravens lost in the AFC Divisional round of the 2019 NFL playoffs to the Tennessee Titans, an offense that relied heavily on former Alabama star running back Derrick Henry.

Henry, the 2015 Heisman winner, ran the ball 30 times for 195 yards, had two receptions for seven yards and even included a touchdown pass in the Titan’s 28-12 win to send them to the AFC Championship.

The Ravens will host the Titans during Week 11 of the 2020 NFL season, a game that Baltimore will likely view as a revenge game for knocking them out of contention for the Super Bowl.

Seeing that Henry was the biggest factor in the loss, it’s clear that they will need to focus on him if they want to make some stops on defense.

Baltimore’s linebacker corps has one of the all-time greats as a former member, and current mentor, Hall of Famer Ray Lewis.

Lewis joined “The Lounge Podcast” where he spoke about his losses while with the Ravens and his experience with the team. He utilized that as an opportunity to let the current group of linebackers hear his thoughts on what they can do during the offseason to ensure that Week 11 is not a repeat of their 2019 postseason which was cut shorter than many had anticipated.

“If I’m anybody that’s playing linebacker right now, I’m saying, ‘Listen here man, Derrick Henry got to deal with me,'” Lewis said on “The Lounge Podcast”. “That’s a personal thing for me. I don’t like the way it went down and I got to see him. I’m going to dedicate this whole offseason to the person that ended my dreams. That’s what we did with (Tom) Brady. Prepare ourselves enough to get me back to that one position and lock that door and throw away the key. You ain’t getting out of here this time. It’s the process of never getting comfortable with losing.”

As Lewis mentions, when he was an active player they would take the offseason as time to study a player that gave them issues on the field and learn what they can alter in order to put a stop to it.

Henry, who is under a one-year contract with the Titans is still seeking a long-term deal with the team. If he is unable to agree to terms with the franchise by the start of the season, we are left to believe this will be treated as a contract year wherein Henry will look to perform at an all-time high in order to increase contract value as he heads into free agency.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on Derrick Henry throughout the 2020 NFL season!

 

The complicated history of NFL Draft trades at the No. 10 pick

The complicated history of NFL Draft trades at the No. 10 pick includes some superstars, busts, a former Browns icon and more

If the Cleveland Browns are interested in trading the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they will find lots of precedents. Trading back from the No. 10 pick is the norm of late.

Teams have traded back from the ten spot in three straight drafts. Based on the outcomes, the Browns might want to stay put. It’s been a decidedly mixed bag of outcomes for the trades.

Here are the last three No. 10 picks and trade outcomes, plus some notable older moves that also involved the 10th pick.

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Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray was a Ray Lewis fan growing up

At the 2020 NFL Combine, Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray said Baltimore Ravens legend Ray Lewis was his favorite player growing up.

One of the Baltimore Ravens’ biggest needs this offseason is at inside linebacker. After seeing C.J. Mosley leave in free agency last offseason and Patrick Onwuasor not live up to expectations, Baltimore is left still searching for a definitive starter in the middle of their defense. One such option could be Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray, who many mock drafts have the Ravens selecting in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

At the 2020 NFL Combine, Murray was asked who his favorite player was. As is often the case for linebackers, Baltimore’s Ray Lewis was the name that came up.

Murray is just 21 years old and Lewis retired after winning the Super Bowl following the 2012 season. Just in case you needed to feel any older, that means Murray last saw Lewis play when he was just 14 years old.

For many players entering the 2020 NFL Draft, Lewis was a larger-than-life player who already earned league-wide respect and praise by the time they were able to really watch and understand football. So it makes sense Lewis is still a favorite, especially among defensive players.

For Murray, it would be a fitting story if he ends up being selected by the Ravens in the 2020 NFL Draft come April.

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History suggests Seahawks could find star with No. 26 pick

The Seattle Seahawks are selecting 26th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, and history suggests they could find a hidden gem.

The 2020 NFL draft order has been set, and the Seattle Seahawks hold the No. 26 pick in the first round.

The Seahawks have selected 26th one other time, back in 2005 when they took center Chris Spencer out of Mississippi – two spots behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers and just before receiver Roddy White and tight end Heath Miller.

However, Seattle is known for wheeling and dealing on draft day, and it is entirely possible the team will move up or down in the draft a handful of times before and during the three day draft weekend.

If they do keep the 26th pick, history suggests they could find themselves a nice player. Left tackle Duane Brown (2008) and outside linebacker Clay Matthews (2009) were both taken No. 26 overall, along with Hall of Famer Ray Lewis (1996) and potential future Hall of Famer Alan Faneca (1998).

Receiver Calvin Ridley (2018) and pass rusher Takkarist McKinley (2017) are two recent players who are both panning out well from that draft slot, and Montez Sweat had a solid rookie season after going 26th to the Redskins last year.

It is anyone’s guess this early in the process what the Seahawks will do with their pick, but you can bet they already on their way toward finding an impact performer who could be around at that spot, or else pinpointing teams they can wheel and deal with to acquire more picks in the middle rounds.

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