Ravens were excellent this season but still came up short of big goal
Less than 24 hours after Baltimore's season ended with a loss in the AFC championship game, All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton was dealing with both physical and emotional pain.
“Body is sore, heart sore,” he said. “But we move on.”
The Ravens head into the offseason lamenting an opportunity that got away. Baltimore finished with the best record and best point differential in the NFL and beat other top teams in surprisingly convincing fashion down the stretch, but in their most important test last weekend, the Ravens still couldn't completely break through against the team that's dominated the AFC of late.
Baltimore didn't seem outclassed in its 17-10 loss to Kansas City, but the Ravens were way too mistakeprone after falling behind early. Experience doesn't decide all NFL postseason games, but in this one, the Chiefs looked like a team that was playing in its sixth straight conference title game. The Ravens? They looked like they were in their first in over a decade.
Baltimore (14-5) hadn't made it this far since winning the Super Bowl 11 years ago. This season
OWINGS MILLS, MD. >>
was the first time the city hosted the AFC championship game since 1971.
Kansas City appeared vulnerable, with an offense that wasn't nearly as scary as in years past, but the Ravens turned the ball over three times, committed silly penalties and struggled all game offensively.
“Being up in years, you only have so many more shots to do this,” 33-yearold guard Kevin Zeitler said. “This was a great team, executing at a high level. It was really fun to be a part of, and like I said, it feels really unfinished.”
Not only do the Chiefs loom as the league power that won't go away, but next season the Ravens will have to deal with a Cincinnati team that should have Joe Burrow back from his injury-plagued 2023. Buffalo, Cleveland, Houston and Miami also have enough talent to be formidable.
The Ravens have a star quarterback in Lamar Jackson, a star linebacker in Roquan Smith and a star in Hamilton who just finished his second season. But there will be changes. This is a team with some solid young players, but also one with plenty of veterans who may need replacing.
“The group, you won't get it back again next year,” edge rusher Jadeveon
Clowney said. “I felt like we had a squad to win it . ... I really did. It kind of hurt more than anything that has happened in my career to lose that game yesterday. But we're back to the drawing board.”
POSSIBLE DEPARTURES >>
Zeitler is one starter whose contract is expiring. Linebacker Patrick Queen is another, along with defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. It might not be as stressful an offseason as last year, when the team had to use the franchise tag on Jackson before finally reaching a long-term deal with him, but the next few months will be consequential for Baltimore.
Clowney signed a oneyear deal in August and then equaled a career high with 9 1/2 sacks. He may be tough to keep and tough to replace. Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor boosted the receiving corps on one-year deals. Running backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins can also test free agency. Dobbins missed almost the entire season because of an Achilles tendon injury.
Jackson might win his second MVP this season, but it was probably inevitable that he'd be blamed for anything less than a Super Bowl. Hamilton took exception to that.
“They can say he's the
MORE TO PROVE >>
best quarterback ever one week, and then the next week, say whatever they want to say. But that just comes with the territory,” Hamilton said. “Heavy is the head that wears the crown. So, there are a lot of people out there hoping for people like Lamar to fail, but we all know that he's the best player in this league, and I'm glad to have him on our team.”
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker said he thought his pregame interaction with Kansas City's Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes was not a big deal.
“I saw Patrick there trying to warm up and get some dropbacks and he asked me, while I was on the ground stretching, if I could move my helmet. I happily got up and I moved my helmet out of the way — at least I thought it was enough out of the way,” Tucker said. “And then Travis comes over and he just kicks my stuff and he throws my helmet. ... I thought it was all just some gamesmanship, you know, all in good fun, but they seemed to be taking it a little bit more seriously. I'm totally willing to let it all go, but I just wanted to explain that that's just what I have done for 12 years and it's not like I'm out there trying to be problematic.”
CLEARING THE AIR >>
NFL
Favorite
Super Bowl LVIII
Sunday, Feb. 11
San Fran.
NBA
Favorite
at Atlanta at Boston at New York at Chicago at Golden St
Favorite
NHL
Favorite
at St. Louis Seattle
At Palais des Sports de Gerland Montpellier, France
Surface:
Hardcourt indoor
MEN'S SINGLES
Qualification
Round of 32
Line (O/U)
Line (O/U)
Off (Off) Off (Off) 4 (235)
11/2 (2231/2) Off (Off)
College Basketball
Line
at Tennessee 131/2 at Kent St 71/2 N Carolina 101/2 Illinois 21/2 at Villanova 11/2 at Boston Col 31/2 at Dayton 141/2 at St. Bonaventure 41/2 at TCU 51/2 at Indiana PK Bowling Green 11/2 at Toledo 111/2 Akron 101/2 at Ohio 131/2 at C Michigan 51/2 at Kansas St 11/2 at Loyola Chicago 81/2 at Murray St 61/2 at Ole Miss 11/2 at Lindenwood 31/2 at Michigan St 111/2 at Utah St 131/2 at NC State 31/2 at Kansas 141/2 at Colorado St 11/2 at Clemson 151/2 at Air Force 41/2 at Gonzaga 161/2 at UNLV 91/2
Line
-184/+155 -205/+168
Underdog
11/2 (471/2) at Kansas City
Underdog
Lakers Indiana
Utah Toronto Philadelphia
Underdog
S Carolina Miami (OH) at Georgia Tech at Ohio St Marquette Syracuse G Wash
VCU Texas Tech
Iowa at Ball St W Michigan at E Michigan
Buffalo N Illinois Oklahoma St. Louis Illinois St Mississippi St SE Missouri St
Michigan San Jose St Miami (FL) Oklahoma St San Diego St Louisville Wyoming Loyola Mrym
Fresno St
Underdog
Columbus at San Jose
Antoine Escoffier (8), France, def. Daniel Rincon, Spain, 6-1, 6-3.
Pablo Llamas Ruiz (5), Spain, def. Calvin Hemery, France, 6-2, 6-3.
Ugo Blanchet, France, def. Titouan Droguet (4), France, 6-2, 6-4.
Dalibor Svrcina (7), Czech Republic, def. Giulio Zeppieri (3), Italy, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Michael Mmoh, United States, def. Benjamin Bonzi, France, 6-3, 7-5. Benoit Paire, France, def. Andy Murray (5), Britain, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
Pedro Martinez, Spain, def. Jaume Munar, Spain, 6-4, 7-6 (3).
MEN
AP TOP 25
No. 4 Houston 76, Texas 72
No. 7 Duke 77, Virginia Tech 67
EAST
Holy Cross 65, Boston U. 63 Howard 81, Coppin St. 66 NC Central 69, Delaware St. 66 SC State 63, Md.-Eastern Shore 53
SOUTH
Florida A&M 88, Jackson St. 86 McNeese St. 89, Northwestern St. 65 Norfolk St. 83, Morgan St. 73 Southern U. 78, MVSU 54
SOUTHWEST
Lamar 98, New Orleans 73 SE Louisiana 80, Houston Christian 58 Texas A&M-CC 69, Texas A&M Commerce 54
AP TOP 25 POLL
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
Record
1. UConn (48)
2. Purdue (14)
3. North Carolina
4. Houston (1)
5. Tennessee
6. Wisconsin
7. Duke
8. Kansas
9. Marquette
10. Kentucky
11. Arizona
12. Iowa St.
13. Creighton
14. Illinois
15. Texas Tech
16. Auburn
17. Utah St.
18. Baylor
19. New Mexico
20. FAU
21. Dayton
22. BYU
23. Oklahoma
24. Alabama
25. TCU
Others receiving votes:
WOMEN
AP TOP 25
AP TOP 25 POLL
Record
Pts
Mississippi St. 77, No. 9 LSU 73
Pts
Pvs
18-2 1559 19-2 1517 17-3 1441 18-2 1396 15-4 1328 16-4 1135 15-4 1066 16-4 1051 15-5 1025 15-4 1018 15-5 915 16-4 869 16-5 741 15-5 717 16-3 713 16-4 631 18-2 596 14-5 404 18-3 387 17-4 321 16-3 294 15-5 283 15-5 247 14-6 240 15-5 215 South Carolina 108, San Diego St. 95, Memphis 48, Northwestern 32, Mississippi 30, Texas 10, Colorado St. 10, Saint Mary's 9, Indiana St 5, Boise St. 5, Richmond 4, Gonzaga 4, Virginia 3, McNeese St. 2, Appalachian St 1.
Pvs
1 2 3 4 5 13 12 7 14 6 9 23 17 10 20
8 18 15 25 22 16 21 11 - -
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.