Matt Vensel – Page 8 –

Ravens donate motorcycles to city of New Orleans, take out thank-you ad in local newspaper

August 19, 2019 at 5:05 a.m.

A month after beating the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Ravens thanked the host city Wednesday by taking an ad out in The New...

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, center left, yells toward head linesman Kent Payne (79) after a Ravens touchdown was overturned following a review in the first half.

Five throws that helped Joe Flacco get paid

August 19, 2019 at 5:05 a.m.

Joe Flacco will sign his new six-year, $120.6 million contract extension Monday afternoon, a deal which will make the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player the NFL's highest-paid player while also...

Ravens have a tough call to make with Vonta Leach

August 19, 2019 at 5:05 a.m.

With the start of NFL free agency 11 days away and all of the team's unrestricted free agents remaining unsigned, the Ravens could soon make tough roster cuts to create...

The Ravens, left tackles and NFL free agency

August 19, 2019 at 5:05 a.m.

The Ravens are entering another offseason with a sizable question mark at the left tackle position. That has often been the case since the days of Jonathan Ogden, whether it...

Does Joe Flacco actually want to leave the Ravens?

August 19, 2019 at 5:05 a.m.

The Ravens may soon have to make a critical decision regarding their franchise quarterback, Joe Flacco. If they don't sign the Super Bowl MVP to a contract extension before the...

Fans gather on the field at M&T Bank Stadium in the hours before a celebration.

Joe Flacco plotted against Ted Ginn Jr. on final play of Super Bowl

May 31, 2019 at 10:54 a.m.

The NFL has released some intimate audio and video from the sidelines of Super Bowl XLVII, and one of the most interesting exchanges was filmed on the Ravens sideline before...

Ravens celebrate during Super Bowl victory rally at M&T Bank Stadium

July 1, 2019 at 9:45 a.m.

The Lombardi Trophy finally made it inside M&T Bank Stadium after the Ravens' championship parade snaked through the streets of Baltimore. Tens of thousands of fans lined the streets of...

Coffee Companion (2/4): your daily Super Bowl fix

August 19, 2019 at 5:04 a.m.

Every morning, Monday through Friday, blogger Matt Vensel will hook you up with reading material -- mostly on the Ravens but with some other Baltimore sports stuff, too -- to...

While his offensive teammates spent the week insisting that Joe Flacco (pictured) has played this way all year, there's no disputing that the quarterback has elevated his game significantly in the playoffs with eight touchdowns and no interceptions. Exhibiting a better pocket presence, he's found open receivers underneath and kept defenses honest by taking deep shots. The reshuffled offensive line has mostly given him a clean pocket and his wide receivers have made some tough plays in traffic. However, the Ravens' task will be much harder this week against a defense that hits hard and covers a lot of ground.

The 49ers have three Pro Bowl defensive backs and they finished the regular season with the NFL's fourth-best passing defense, allowing just over 200 passing yards per game. But this group has looked vulnerable in the playoffs. In the NFC championship game, the Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan threw for 396 yards and wide receiver Julio Jones torched whoever was covering him. Safeties Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner (pictured) are big hitters and playmakers. Outside linebacker Aldon Smith finished the regular season with 19.5 sacks, but he's been shut out in five straight games.

EDGE: Ravens

Four Ravens predictions sure to go wrong in the Super Bowl

May 31, 2019 at 10:54 a.m.

In this game-day staple, blogger Matt Vensel makes four sometimes-courageous predictions for the game. All he asks is that you don't hold it against him whenever those predictions end up...

Beyonce speaks during a news conference about the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show.

What they’re saying about the Ravens, the 49ers and the Super Bowl (2/2)

August 19, 2019 at 5:04 a.m.

Here is what other news outlets are saying about the Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Super Bowl XLVII today. --- Michael Silver of Yahoo! says there is something special about...

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