15
Jan
2010
Ravens’ Play Calls Coming From a 14-Year-Old Cancer Patient
Matthew Costello is the Ravens secret weapon (Photo: Jamie Costello via ESPN)
Rick Reily has a heartwarming piece in ESPN the Magazine, that tells the story of Matthew Costello, a 14-year-old cancer patient from suburban Baltimore, who has become a critical-but-little-known component of the Baltimore Ravens playoff run.
Costello happens to be a classmate of Danny Cameron, who’s father Cam Cameron is the Ravens offensive coordinator. When Cameron – a cancer survivor himself – learned of Costello’s inoperable brain tumor, he went to visit the young boy at his home to deliver a football signed by Joe Flacco, along with some words of encouragement:
Cam Cameron is a class act
Cameron talked with Matt for 20 minutes, and then, as he was leaving, turned and said, “Hey, Matthew, whaddya wanna call for our first play Sunday?”
Mouth open. Eyes not blinking.
“Seriously,” Cameron said.
Since Matt played QB for the school team, he knew when it was time to audible. “Play-action pass,” he said. “Be cool if you could get it to Todd Heap.”
Sure enough, first snap against the Chicago Bears in Week 15 — with the Ravens trying to make the playoffs — Flacco fakes the handoff and drops back to pass. Only he bounces the ball off the turf for an incomplete pass. But later in that series Cameron looks at his play sheet. Scrawled on the side, he’s written Matthew Costello. So he calls Matt’s play again and it goes for a 14-yard touchdown to Heap, the tight end. Ravens win, 31-7.
End of story, right? Except, three weeks later, the night before the Ravens’ playoff game with New England, Cameron calls again.
“OK, Matt, whaddya wanna do Sunday?”
10
Jan
2010
VIDEO: Ray Rice Runs Patriots Out of Playoffs
Ray Rice is a bad man (Photo: ESPN.com, AP/Elise Amendolaia)
The Baltimore Ravens defeated the New England Patriots 33-14 today in Foxboro, handing Belichick and Brady an early exit from the playoffs. As the highlights below show, RB Ray Rice led the charge for Baltimore, with an 83-yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage, finishing with 159 Yards and 2 TDs on the day. The Patriots were really never in the game.
RICE HIGHLIGHTS AFTER THE JUMP
13
Dec
2009
VIDEO: Derrick Mason incredible catch, hit & run
This gets my vote for play of the day (even though it came in one of the most boring, lopsided games of the day).
Ravens WR Derrick Mason hauls in the pass from Joe Flacco, gets sandwiched by two Lions defenders, somehow stays on his feet & scampers 62 yards for the score:
22
Nov
2009
VIDEO: Dallas Clark helps Colts grab win over Ravens
The Indianapolis Colts’ defense led the way in their 17-15 win over the Baltimore Ravens, to remain undefeated and atop the AFC. But early on, TE Dallas Clark gave the Colts the lead with this this incredible one-handed TD grab in the back corner of the end zone:
19
Nov
2009
VIDEO: Ravens Superfan Wedding Reception
FILE UNDER: People Who Probably Shouldn’t Procreate
Baltimore Ravens Wedding from Casey Carter on Vimeo.
(Ed. Note: you really don’t need to watch much past the 1:00 mark, unless you particularly enjoy motion sickness and/or the song “Stand By Me”)
You stay classy, Baltimore!
17
Nov
2009
It gets worse for Cleveland: Josh Cribbs injured on final play
(Photo: Tony Dejak/AP via Cleveland.com)
Since most of the nation had turned their attention elsewhere before the end of the Ravens/Browns MNF game (and who could blame them), you probably missed this one.
On the final play of the game, WR Josh Cribbs – perhaps the sole bright spot for Cleveland this year – was leveled by DE Dwan Edwards after pitching the ball on a hook-and-ladder play, and was taken to the hospital to be evaluated for a possible concussion. Cribbs was imnobilized on the field and carted off on a stretcher as a precautionary measure, but had all feeling in his extremities.
Here’s video of the play:
After the game, Ravens DE Trevor Pryce said the Browns shouldn’t have been running the play in the first place, with the game so far out of reach:
“Running a play like that when you’re down 16 — what are you trying to prove?” Pryce said. “I don’t understand it. I don’t want to say something like that, but heck, it’s the truth.
“Bad things happen when you do something like that. When people are running around like crazy, somebody’s going to get hurt. Dwan hit him because he had the ball. He didn’t try to hurt him. We prayed for Josh. I hope he’s OK. He’s a great player.”
Ummm … I’m pretty sure Cribbs didn’t have the ball anymore. In fact, he took 3 steps without it before getting crushed by Edwards. Some have even suggested that the hit may have been payback for an earlier play where Browns QB Brady Quinn went low at the knees of LB Terrell Suggs following an interception. Suggs did not return to the game, and the severity of his injury is not yet known. When asked if there was any retribution intended, Edwards said, “Absolutely not.”.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for Cleveland, it turns out that the final play where Cribbs was hurt was set up by their fourth time out of the game. So the play should never have even happened. Yikes.
28
Oct
2009
Top 10 NFL Draft Classes: #9: The 1985 Buffalo Bills and #6: The 1996 Baltimore Ravens
Bruce Smith, pre-Buffalo. (Source: footballfoundation.org)
This intriguing “from-the-vault” series by the NFL Network tells the story of the Top 10 NFL draft classes of all time. Serving as an inspiration to fans of suffering teams, we see the draft for what it is: a leveler, but one that requires knowledge. Teams that can’t get out of the basement are often stuck there because they don’t draft the talent available to them. History suggests that no team with a football-savvy, intuitive GM is going to stay in the dumps for long. So, we have to ask, why do so many teams have the wrong guy at G.M., and stay put? Seems clear that the NFL’s long-standing powerhouses find the right men to lead the charge–and do whatever it takes to keep them in the fold.
Below, we preview two of the Top 10 draft classes of all time: the 1985 Buffalo Bills, detailing the tragic circumstances that led to the rise of G.M. Bill Polian (yes, we find it odd–and, in the Bills’ case, sad– that the demise of TWO Bledsoes led to AFC teams getting to multiple Super Bowls), and (much to my dismay) the 1996 Baltimore Ravens (which should have been the 1996 Cleveland Browns (however, we all know that, instead of drafting Ray Lewis and Friends, the Browns would have selected Avril Lavigne and Raggedy Ann… so we’ll shut up).
Enjoy:
12
Oct
2009
VIDEO: Bengals’ DC Mike Zimmer gets game ball
The most emotional story of this past week in the NFL was the unexpected death of Vikki Zimmer, wife of Bengals’ Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer. And the fact that, just 3 days later, Zimmer most wanted to be around his extended family on the football field came as no surprise to those who knew him best.
So when Cincinnati Bengals took the field yesterday against the Baltimore Ravens, with Zimmer and his family on the sidelines, they dedicated the game to Vikki’s memory. And after holding the AFC’s top-scoring offense to just 14 points en route to a 17-14 victory, the Bengals presented the game ball to Zimmer, in an emotional post-came ceremony:
[Video via SportsLush]
Powerful stuff. It’s moments like these when the game transcends the game, and comes to mean so much more.
8
Oct
2009
Ochocinco’s next endzone celebration: the Ricky Bobby
Ochocinco promises to do a little "Shake n Bake" this Sunday against the Ravens
Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco had his weekly conference call with the media yesterday, and per usual, he took the opportunity to stir the pot as much as possible heading into Sunday’s match-up with the Baltimore Ravens.
Among other things, according to the Baltimore Sun, Ochocinco said he’d hit Ray Lewis in the mouth, called Ravens CB Domonique Foxworth “Vivica Foxworth”, and even challenged LB Terrell Suggs to a boxing match.
But when Ochocinco guaranteed to score a TD, and then do the “Ricky Bobby” to celebrate - in reference to one of the greatest comedy films of our time, Talladega Nights - that’s when our ears perked up:
“When I score, which you know I will do, I have a special thing. It’s called the Ricky Bobby. It should be really nice. It’s a rule-breaker. I did send the NFL the fine money ahead of time.”
So are we to assume that Chad is going to strip down to his tighty whities and run around the field like he’s on fire? Will he sit down in the endzone and deliver the world’s greatest pre-meal grace?
As much as I’d like to believe that either of these were possibilities, my guess is that it has something to do with a recent hop-hop track (and accompanying dance) from some guy I’ve never heard of D-Hamp, entitled “Do The Ricky Bobby”.
If it’s the latter, that would be, like, WAY less funny.
Continue reading after the jump for video of “Do The Ricky Bobby” and the Family Dinner scene from Talladega Nights.
22
Sep
2009
Week 2 NFL Highlights – Drunken Lions Fans edition
Every Tuesday here at ReadAndReact, we’ll bring you video clips of the best highlights from the previous weekend’s NFL action. This week, we kick things off with a highlight that comes from the stands rather than the playing field, as we capture Lions fans in their natural state: DRUNK.
Watch as these two fully inebriated ladies make a scene during Sunday’s Lions/Packers game, and ultimately get escorted away by Detroit’s finest:
And now, back to your regularly scheduled in-game highlights.
Kenny Phillips INT off of Jason Witten’s foot:
Ray Lewis stuffs Darren Sproles on 4th and 2
