Opinion of my Top 15 video games

[© tweed]

I wrote this in early 2005

Ten Greatest Games

1. Vs. Oakland Raiders, AFC Divisional Playoffs, 2008

This game has to be the greatest of the franchise.  The defending Super Bowl Champions, the Ravens were riding high on a cold night in Baltimore.  This all changed when star QB Dexter May was injured with a badly bruised right elbow in quarter two and could not return.  The backup was Johnathan Kent, a rookie second round pick out of Notre Dame.  Known as a runner rather than a thrower, Kent did a lot of both while leading the Ravens back from a late seven point deficit and eventually breaking the hearts of Raider Nation with a  long Matt Stover field goal in Overtime.  The Ravens would go on to repeat in the Super Bowl, beating Tampa Bay three weeks later.
Result: Ravens 31, Raiders 28 (OT)

2. Vs. Indianapolis Colts, AFC Championship Game, 2005

Tom Brady had won fifteen straight since coming over from New England in a blockbuster trade, but the hated Colts were his toughest opponent yet.  Brady threw two picks, but led a fourth quarter drive that clinched the game in dramatic fashion for Baltimore.  In what some now term “the greatest play ever,” Brady faced fourth and fourteen with time dwindling.  Faced with pressure, Brady rolled right and threw a laser to the front right pylon where unknown rookie Ricky Roberts made a jumping catch in traffic and came down in bounds.
Result: Ravens 16, Colts 13

3. @Indianapolis Colts, AFC Divisional Playoffs, 2006

This would easily be the greatest game ever had the Ravens prevailed.  A loss earlier in the year with Punter Hunter Smith quarterbacking the decimated Colts clinched home-field for Indy.  This time, Peyton Manning was back and the Ravens were on the road.  The game seemed over, or at least close to it, when Tom Brady hit Todd Heap on a fourth down, play action pass with thirty seconds left.  Peyton Manning responded with a Hail Mary, eighty-nine yard completion to Patrick Adkins to win the game, 21-17, for the Colts.
Result: Colts 21, Ravens 17

4. Vs. Miami Dolphins, Week 17, 2004

The Ravens needed a win over Miami and a loss by Cleveland to lowly Houston to win the AFC North.  All seemed lost when The Dolphins jumped out to a two touchdown lead in the first quarter.  Josh Harris fought back and threw two touchdown passes before leading the Ravens on a last-second drive that ended on a Matt Stover field goal.  The ravens then watched Houston rally from ten point back in the final quarter to beat the Browns, 13-10.  The ravens then clinched the AFC North in what seemed like a dream to most Ravens fans.
Result: Ravens 17, Dolphins 14
5. Vs. San Diego Chargers, AFC Championship Game, 2009

Baltimore had made a habit in 2009 of blowing great teams out of their shoes, like they did to the Chargers earlier in the season with a 35-7 rout in San Diego.  With snow falling and the Chargers coming into town, it looked like a lock for a third straight AFC title to come home to Baltimore.  Unsurprisingly, the ravens jumped out to an early two touchdown lead when Dexter May fired two more touchdown passes, one to Todd Heap and the other to Reggie Williams.  Philip Rivers wouldn’t give in, though, and clawed and clawed until somehow the Chargers tied in at 21.  A great drive through the elements by May set up David Akers, in his first clutch field goal as a Raven, and put the Ravens in the Super Bowl once more.
Result: Ravens 24, Chargers 21

6. @Indianapolis Colts, Week 15, 2007

Dexter May had led the Ravens to an improbable run, but the final challenge of the regular season was quite daunting: beating the Colts, in the RCA dome, which the Ravens had never done in the “dynastic era.”  Peyton Manning was lost for the season from week one, but that didn’t bother the Colts, who won ten of thirteen heading in to the game with Jonathan Quinn at the helm.  Patrick Adkins had 211 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns, but it was in vain after a fourth down pass, on play action, from Dexter May to Todd Heap.  The Ravens would go on, to win their first of three straight Super Bowls.
Result: Ravens 21, Colts 20

7. @Oakland Raiders, Week 13, 2005

This game would be higher on the list, but it proved to be relatively meaningless in the long run.  The Ravens came in with a sizeable lead in the division over Pittsburgh and were fighting primarily for home-field advantage as they traveled to the left coast.  Rebuilding Oakland intercepted Tom Brady three times, but couldn’t stop him on a fourth down touchdown pass to Ricky Roberts that eluded both Philip Buchanan and Charles Woodson.  Brady leaped into the arms of Robert and both were soon thrown to the ground by Jonathan Ogden, which soon because an image of Ravens team unity.  The photo still stands in the signatures of Ravens message board posters to this day.
Result: Ravens 20, Raiders 17

8. Vs. New England Patriots, AFC Wild-Card Playoffs, 2004

After an emotional victory over the Dolphins, the Ravens had a tough task: defeat the defending champion Patriots in the playoffs.  The Ravens did prevail earlier in the season at Foxboro, 31-22.  This time, the Ravens were home, and got off to a quick start before Tom Brady worked his magic and got the Patriots back in it.  The last two minutes of the game saw three lead changes, and a Matt Stover field goal as time expired sent the Pats home.  The Ravens went on to beat the Titans a week later but lost to Oakland in the AFC Championship game.
Result: Ravens 23, Patriots 21
9. @Seattle Seahawks, Week 1, 2007

Dexter May lone truly terrible game was his first game, at Seattle, where he “simply wasn’t seeing things,” or so said Phil Simms.  Nevertheless, the Ravens found themselves in the ball game despite giving up two early touchdowns.  On third down with less than a minute left in regulation, May found Todd Heap in the endzone to tie the score and send the game to overtime.  The Ravens forced Seattle to go three-and-out and soon got May the ball back, needing a score.  May drove them down to the Seattle 45, but a costly interception that was returned for a TD by Marcus Trufant ended the game.  May finished with only one touchdown and four interceptions.
Result: Seahawks 20, Ravens 14 (OT)

10. @Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 12, 2006

This wasn’t a very good game, but its ramifications were huge.  The Steelers came in at 9-1 and looked to put a virtual lock on the division with a win over defending champion Baltimore, at Heinz Field, on a chilly Pittsburgh afternoon.  The 6-4 Ravens simply dominated, leading 28-0 at halftime.  Tom Brady fired three touchdowns against only one interception as the Ravens won their second in a row.  Pittsburgh would go on to lose both rematches: 31-27 at Baltimore in Week 16, and 24-10 at Baltimore in the Wild Card Playoffs.
Result: Ravens 31, Steelers 3