Dear Coach Harbaugh,
Had it been any other team, John, I'd like to think I'd be at peace with what happened last night. But the truth is I'd probably still be a little upset. You can't get this close to the Super Bowl, fall short and not feel a bit at a loss.
The thing is, John, your team really didn't have any business beating the Pittsburgh Steelers last night. The Steelers -- I hate them. Really. Hate. So this is hard for me -- are flat-out the better team. They beat Balmer twice in the regular season, but that wasn't enough for me, John, because all I kept saying was that I wanted the playoff rematch. I knew it could end this way, with three straight losses to a division rival, but it was worth it in my mind. A Super Bowl trip without beating the Steelers would have been cheap.
So your Ravens weren't up to the task, John. The Steeler defense was too good. The Balmer offense was too young. Big Jackass Roethlisberger was too savvy. The Raven secondary was too decimated.
It was impossible, John. There was no reason to think that Balmer could beat the Steelers this time. But I really, really felt they could.
And dammit John, this is your fault.
It's your fault for bringing this team together in the offseason after the entire coaching staff was fired, the offense fell flat on its face, two Hall of Famers abruptly retired and the defense faced nasty allegations of getting old. If you hadn't pulled it together from the start with your charisma and confidence, we could all have been happily counting the days until Spring Training starting about a month ago. Because of you, now we have to mourn a loss in the AFC Championship Game.
It's your fault, John, for taking a calculated risk and bringing back Rex Ryan as your defensive coordinator. Rex was interviewed for the job you took, John. The locker room wanted Rex. You had to know any misstep would lead to a divided team, probably straight down the offense and defense, like it has been for so many years. But you knew you needed Rex, John. You knew his talent. Now, after a No. 2 defensive ranking and leading the NFL in takeaways, Rex is likely only hours away from accepting a long-overdue head coaching job. Way to go, John.
It's your fault, John, that Balmer actually had some depth in the secondary this season. Chris McAlister out with an injury? Fabian Washington, next man up. Dawan Landry out of the season? Jim Leonhard, next man up. Samari Rolle can't play in the AFC Championship Game? Frank Walker -- who played above and beyond expectations Sunday night -- next man up. Thanks, John. The season could have been over in week five if you just would have filled the ranks with also-rans.
It's your fault, John, for making this team tough again. You made them hit in training camp. There was no coddling. You made veterans and rookies alike buy into what you were selling, no small task considering the enormous personalities in the Balmer locker room.
It's your fault, John, because players played hurt all season because you instilled that toughness. Ed Reed and Willis McGahee were on the injury report every week. Derrick Mason played a quarter of the season with one arm. Terrell Suggs sacked Roethlisberger twice in the AFC Championship Game despite playing with a major shoulder injury. Walker played the second half last night with a separated shoulder. Your team was hit hard by injuries, John, and you never let it be an excuse. You never let it slow you down. Had you just taken the easy way out, John, taken the built-in excuse, I wouldn't have had to face a third loss to Pittsburgh.
John, it's your fault for picking Cam Cameron off the Miami scrapheap and bringing him in to run your offense. Good one, John. Now we in Balmer know what a creative, efficient offense looks like. Previously, we all lived in the happy oblivion where dive plays and jump balls were about as intricate an offense got. Thanks to you, John, now we actually have offensive expectations, which means we have one more thing to be disappointed in when things don't go quite right. You're messing with our identity John; I don't know if I can handle being a dominant defensive team with a competent offense.
And you know, by association it's your fault, John, that Cam discovered fullback Le'Ron McClain can run the ball a little bit. Good job, John. Because Cam figured that out, the Ravens now have three effective running backs, each with a unique set of skills. The stable should share the ball for as long as possible. But way to be selfish on that one, John. How are fans supposed to buy a running back's jersey if you don't have a No. 1? How are gamers supposed to split the carries when playing MADDEN? How are the backs supposed to finish their careers at the tender age of 30 without receiving 325 carries a year as their bodies break down? Selfish, John. Selfish.
It's your fault, John, that a young offensive line was given time to gel and become a unit. You gave them that opportunity by running the ball more than any team in the NFL. Now we have a nucleus that could stay together a long time. Football, despite all the glitz and glamor of quarterbacks and wide receivers, is still a game won largely in the trenches. Now we're going to expect the Ravens to win more of those battles than they lose, John.
It's your fault for working with draft genius Ozzie Newsome to select quarterback Joe Flacco with the No. 18 overall pick. And it's your fault, John, for not signing a veteran stopgap quarterback to play after Flac finished the preseason your only healthy choice under center.
Not only did Flac flourish as a rookie by directing one of the best offenses to wear purple in Balmer, he made NFL history by becoming the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games.
Flac shares some of the blame on this one, John. If he hadn't been so unflappable, if he hadn't earned the moniker "Joe Cool," if he hadn't played so smart and mistake-free at the most important position in professional sports, we could have all gone home after the Jacksonville game. Instead, you two conspired to extend the season two extra weeks. Thanks a lot, guys.
Frankly, John, I could keep going all day. It's your fault I've spent hours of my life watching Ravens games with my best friends and family this season. It's your fault I've found a way to write each week about something I really care about. It's your fault I'm upset the Ravens lost, John, because you and your team of tough guys made all of us fans believe impossible was possible. It usually was.
And now you've done it, John, with this statement
after the game:
"This is our beginning," Harbaugh said ... "This is not an ending by any stretch."
Great, John. Now it's your fault for inspiring us even in defeat. It's your fault for giving us hope. It's your fault for making us believe that you're building something bigger than a single trip to the AFC Championship Game. It's your fault, John.
Thanks.
Your pal,
ap
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