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Like so many things this season for Baltimore, their Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers didn’t come easy. After getting out to a commanding lead early in the third quarter, the lights went out at the Superdome and it caused the game to be delayed. It also stopped all the momentum that the Ravens built early in the game. It would’ve been very easy to get frustrated and the Ravens could’ve allowed that to affect them, but just like when they were facing a seven point deficit in Denver, with 70 yards to go to tie the Broncos earlier this postseason, they kept their composure and Ray Rice and the Ravens didn’t let anything stand in their path to the Lombardi Trophy this season.
Ray Rice joined WFAN in New York with Boomer and Carton to talk about whether his feet have touched the ground yet after winning the Super Bowl, how tough it was to deal with the power outage that delayed the Super Bowl, where he was during San Francisco’s last offensive sequence, whether Joe Flacco deserves to get paid this offseason and how the parade was.
Whether his feet has touched the ground yet:
“Yeah, they’ve touched the ground. I’m humbled by the experience. Ray (Lewis) put it all in perspective, we will all walk away from the game one day and 17 years for him and he is blessed and fortunate to have two, but I know some guys in the league now whose first time in the playoffs with this team and this was just a great ride. This year was a memorable story.”
On dealing with the power outage:
“You saw 35 or 40 minutes, but from an offensive perspective Jacoby Jones took the kickoff return back so offensively I was sitting for almost an hour and a half. (Host: 84 minutes to be precise.) There’s no way you get your legs warmed up, back and ready to play. I did everything. (Host: How long did it take you to feel right again?) I didn’t feel good until the fourth quarter, until they were making a rally. Obviously I had my mishaps during the game and I wasn’t going to look for any excuse, that’s not me, I’m a man. Did it have an effect on momentum? Absolutely it did.”
On the last offensive sequence for the 49ers:
“When our defense ended the game I just sat there, I was on the sidelines next to coaches and I was close to where everybody was, but when our defense ended it I said ‘there’s no better ending than with Ray Lewis being on the field because this is it for him.’ I would’ve loved to put it away from an offensive perspective and Joe Flacco deserves everything he has gotten in that game and everything he has coming.”
Whether Flacco deserves to get paid this offseason for what he has done for the Ravens offense:
“If you had to put it in perspective right now Joe Flacco is the best quarterback in football right now. (Host: Let’s not get crazy.) I’m not saying that because it’s my guy, but look who he’s beaten. He’s beaten Tom Brady, beat Peyton Manning, and who else is out there?”
On Flacco’s demeanor:
“I think by Joe Flacco winning Super Bowl MVP a lot of people will just see the personality that we all see. He is really laid back but there is a great guy under that uniform and he fits our huddle the way we need him to fit it. I’ve said it all along, we will go as far along as Joe Flacco wants to take us. This ride proves it. I know we have playmakers and we’re going to continue to bring playmakers around our offense. I have made a Pro Bowl and there are some guys on the offense who made Pro Bowls, but this guy is the Super Bowl MVP and it’s all well deserved.”
On the parade:
“I’ve never seen nothing like that in my life. I have to tell you a funny story, the float stopped short and I fell off it but I caught myself and I’m good though. (Host: You fell off the float?) Yeah I’m telling you that because you all are my boys,but Ray Rice has no injuries, I fell off the float but I’m good. I was so engaged in the fans so you don’t know when he float stops short. My teammates fell down and I fell forward. I caught myself in the push-up position, got back up and said ‘let’s party.”
What happened in the locker room the other night with Ray Lewis:
“After we walked in the locker room and it was all said and done, Ray gave his speech and he thanked everybody in the organization. Art Modell and everybody had a vision with us and that vision became a reality. There is no Baltimore Ravens without Art Modell. Ozzie drafted Ray Lewis and Ray didn’t even know what the team’s name was going to be. It’s just one of those things where he was just really thankful that he was a Raven and what he could do for Baltimore. Now he knows we’re a great football team and he’s able to just let us walk away and let us figure it out on our own. That was the best thing because you’ve got a leader, a great leader and he is finally saying ‘ this is it for me, I trust in you guys to go out there and not just win one Super Bowl but let’s try to win many.’
Even during my contract talks last year and the deal I took, I just remember Ozzie Newsome telling me ‘we’ve got guys around you now that can make plays as well and you won’t have to do it all on your own.’ This year just proved that for me and I get to play in Baltimore for the next few years, I have some great talent around me and I kind of feel what the greats feel like. Tom Brady always had great talent around him and he made people better. That’s what Joe Flacco and our offense want to continue to do.”
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