Talking AFC Playoffs with Indianapolis Colts vs Baltimore Ravens, Part One

The stuff gets real this Sunday, when the upstart Indianapolis Colts travel to play the Baltimore Ravens. this is a match for the ages, the has over 60 years of history. To get some more info on this rivalry, I got in touch with Tynan Patrick, the editor of the Baltimore Ravens website, www.ebonybird.com.

Naptown’s Finest – Ray Lewis has announced that he will return to the field for his “last ride”, before retiring at the end of the season. What impact do you expect the return of Ray Lewis to have on the Ravens?

Ebony Bird –  I don’t expect Lewis to have a huge impact on the field, but he is going to provide a major emotional boost to a team that has looked pretty disinterested for a few weeks now. Every man on the team is going to fight just a little harder, run just a little faster and work just a little more than he might have before Rays announcement. No player on the field is going to want to be the reason Lewis doesn’t finally make his long awaited return to the big game.

NF – Speaking of returns, what kind of reaction do you expect former defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to get from the Ravens and their fans on Sunday, as he returns to Baltimore as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts?

EB–  I Think Chuck will receive an extremely warm pre-game reception from the crowd. Fans in Baltimore have a tremendous amount of respect for Pagano and grew to quickly love him in his short time in the spotlight here in Baltimore because his defenses and personality reminded them of the Ravens defenses of the early 2000s. He will get a standing ovation, but once the ball is in play, he becomes the enemy and will be treated like any other head coach.

Stay posted for the second part of my discussion with Tynan Patrick, which will be available on Naptown’s Finest soon. Also, look for more about the match-up between the Colts and Ravens from Tynan, at Ebony Bird.com.