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  1. #1
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    Best Play in Ravens' History

    Here are our choices: BEST RAVENS' PLAYS

    Yours?





  2. #2
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    Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    Wow ... great list!

    From an excitement standpoint, my vote goes to the McAlister return for the TD. I can still remember sitting up in bed and screaming at the TV -- much to the horror of my ex-fiancee who was dead asleep at the time. I mean really, who sleeps through a Ravens game?





  3. #3

    Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    We agree on the #1, absolutely TL.

    There was not a better 'good guy' on the team then Jermaine Lewis, and he'd had that awful tragedy in his personal life, and he'd been on the team in the harder years, when he was our only weapon.

    So here is Jermaine Lewis, classic good guy, having spent his peak years with the franchise when it was craptastic, fielding a kickoff in the Super Bowl after the Giants have just stunned us with a ST touchdown, and there he goes, running down the sideline with his finger pointing to the sky, not to say "I'm #1," but to say, "I am thinking about someone who could not be here today."

    That was a powerful moment, I don't care who you root for. Which is why it's my avatar.
    Festivus

    His definitions and arguments were so clear in his own mind that he was unable to understand how any reasonable person could honestly differ with him.





  4. #4

    Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    That's a very good list, but I'm gonna have to say the Tony Banks to Shannon play from the Jacksonville game to seal it was the franchise turning play! They have been showing the game on NFL Network and the announcers even reference that....

    That's my vote!
    "IT'S NOT ATTITUDE, I'M JUST THAT GOOD!"





  5. #5

    Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    Sam Gash laying down the wood on Romanowski in the Broncos playoff game.

    The McCalister return only because of the block Ray made on that one dude. That was the season that Ray was like superman.
    -"You are about to enter a world of pain."





  6. #6

    Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    Quote Originally Posted by TL24x7 View Post
    Here are our choices: BEST RAVENS' PLAYS

    Yours?
    Good list, Tony, but in terms of importance, absolutely nothing comes close to Mitchell's return of Washington's block. Let's Compare to the #1 play on your list:

    If Lewis does not return that kick for a TD, the Ravens would very likely (I'd actually say more than 95% likely) won the SB anyway. If You say that play made it 100%, a reasonable way to evaluate that play is to say it improved the Ravens win probability by something less than 5%.

    By comparison, for the play at Tennessee:

    Prior to the play: The rest of the game considered, Del Greco was about a 85% probability from that distance (39 yards). If he hits, the Ravens chance to win is perhaps 10-15%. If he misses, I might estimate 40-45%. I'm basing those figures on the complete inability of the Ravens offense to move the ball that day (6 first downs). So as the Ravens lined up for that play, their total chance to win the game was about 20%.

    After the play: The Ravens led 17-10 and could bring the full weight of their defense on a team that had to score a TD. The 2000 Ravens never surrendered a lead of more than 6 points, but were on the road against the next best team in the entire NFL, who had some success moving the ball that day. All considered, I think the Ravens were about 85% to win after that play.

    Anyway, if you buy my estimates, the Ravens increased their chance to win that game by 65% on that play alone. Whether or not you agree with the exact percentages I'm estimating, I think anyone would have a very difficult time coming up with estimates that would point to another play in 2000 (or any other season for that matter) changing the Ravens chance to win an important game by nearly as much. And that game at Tennessee was the Super Bowl.





  7. #7
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    Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    My favorite play is the CMac return. I love that camera angle of Billick chasing CMac down the sideline to the endzone.

    But the best play in Raven's history has to be Jermaine's kickoff return in SB XXXV. That sealed the game for us.
    Master of 'Gifs for dummies'

    "The world called for wetwork, and we answered. No greater good. No just cause." - Kazuhira Miller





  8. #8

    Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    Quote Originally Posted by Filmstudy
    Good list, Tony, but in terms of importance, absolutely nothing comes close to Mitchell's return of Washington's block.
    Your explanation is well stated FS, but there is a difference between the best play and the most important play. Fine line maybe, but I think the question was best play.

    Besides, I might argue that the Banks-to-Sharpe last minute TD pass against the Jaguars earlier that season might be as important, if not even more important, than the Mitchell return of Washington's block. The latter kept the Super Bowl dream alive, but the former is probably what got the Super Bowl dream run started. Jacksonville had always had our number, and that win really got the team rolling and believing in themselves.





  9. #9
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    Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    The sentimental person in me also looks at those two returns for TDs against the Jets by Jermaine. They may not have had that same championship significance, but on an emotional level I consider them great.





  10. #10
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    Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    Interesting reading, and nice to think about pleasant things.

    When I saw the front page and article, I thought a bit before reading, and the first one to come to mind was the Dilfer/Sharpe pass. It was the shocker, with us being so backed up to all of a sudden explode into a TD... has to be my vote.
    Also in that game (thanks to replay), there is an image of Ray Lewis running through traffic on a very sharp angle to a sweep that I was sure was going to get a big chunk of yardage for them. The play was over for little or no gain when I was sure we were stung. Then the replay which I can still see in my mind of Ray just flying through the traffic.

    The Washington FG block came to mind also, but the second play that I came to my mind wasn't listed....
    Sunday, Oct. 10, 2004, in Landover, Md. We are down 10-0, and Washington is starting a drive. Ravens safety Ed Reed stripped Brunell from behind, recovered the ball and ran 22 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. (Sams returns a punt on the next series and we win 17-10)
    Most of that play is a little fuzzy in my mind, but not the image of Ed coming around the corner bearing down on Brunell, I was salivating ready for the smackdown when my brain was ping-ponged...OH! the ball's loose, OH! he's got it, OH! we're getting a TD! Then the "forever" wait for the replay to find out that it stood.





  11. #11
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    Wink Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    Are we talking about the best plays, or the most significant? I don't agree that a good play in the SB trumps outstanding regular season plays. Therefore, I take out most of Tony's list from the SB.

    Quote Originally Posted by Rxdoxx View Post
    Sunday, Oct. 10, 2004, in Landover, Md. We are down 10-0, and Washington is starting a drive. Ravens safety Ed Reed stripped Brunell from behind, recovered the ball and ran 22 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.
    That was the best single play in Ravens history ... just ahead of the Reed and McAlister 100+ yard returns.

    Next best plays to me were:

    • Todd Heap lunging over the goal line the last two yards, muscling in with Merriman on his back, to beat the Chargers in 2006.
    • Shannon Sharpe similarly muscling in after a rope pass from Tony Banks against Jax to cap off the 2000 39-36 comeback thriller (most important regular season game in our history, IMHO).
    • Jamal Lewis' 82 yard TD run against the Browns in 2003, part of his record setting 295 yard day.
    • Ray Lewis' block on McAlister's 107 missed FG yard return against Denver.
    • Shannon Sharpe leaping to snag the Elvis Grbac pass in the back of the end zone as time expired to beat the Jaguars on the road 24-21.
    • Shannon Sharpe's catch of the carom pass to beat the Broncos in the 2000 playoffs.
    • Shannon Sharpe's catch to beat the Raiders in the 2000 playoffs.
    • Ray Lewis' strip of Eddie George and TD return in the 2000 playoffs.
    • Any of the three Banks to Q bombs to beat the Steelers in 1999 at the Three Sewers 31-24.
    • Jermaine Lewis KO return for a TD in SB XXXV.
    • Any of the three Radio to Robinson fade passes for TDs to beat Seattle 44-41 in 2004.
    • I can't remember the year, but there was a hit put on Akili Smith by Rob Burnett (I think) that was the biggest single flattening of a QB that I have seen since watching Gino Marchetti.
    • Mitchell's return of the blocked FG against the Titans in the 2000 playoffs.
    • Stoney Case to Justin Armour bomb TD to beat the Flacons at the Ga Dome in OT in 1999.


    ---- that's over 10, but WTFO, it's my list!
    In a 2003 BBC poll that asked Brits to name the "Greatest American Ever", Mr. T came in fourth, behind ML King (3rd), Abe Lincoln (2nd) and Homer Simpson (1st).





  12. #12

    Re: Best Play in Ravens' History

    Goose Squashing Gannon.

    Ray making Eddie hear the footsteps, then stealing the pass while George braced for another big hit.

    Ray's block on the FG return was an all time nasty hit.

    Jamal with the no look stiff arm on the long TD run vs the Clowns.

    Sharpe with the deflected int TD vs Denver and the short slant TD vs Oak were both key the SB.





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