Ebony Bird
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Baltimore Ravens: 3 Game Balls vs the Cincinnati Bengals

By Steve Rudden

Jan 1, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals strong safety Shawn Williams (36) tackles Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith (89) in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals strong safety Shawn Williams (36) tackles Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith (89) in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Another Ravens game with another lackluster performance to end the season.

I hope I’m not the only one hoping for drastic changes to the Baltimore Ravens roster after a disappointing season.  It started out promising, but the lack of talent on offense and defense showed.

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The Ravens were dominated by the Bengals in the season finale and it was definitely hard to come up with players who deserved game balls.  Even though it was hard, here are some players that stepped up.

Dennis Pitta:

As Raven fans, we didn’t ever expect to see Pitta play another snap again, but he proved us wrong.  He remained healthy all season and ended up leading the team in receptions.

Early one, it seemed like he was the only player on offense who stepped up.  Pitta ended up with 11 receptions for 91 yards on the game.

Kenneth Dixon:

Kenneth Dixon has been a major offensive weapon for the Ravens since he came back from injury.  He doesn’t go down easily when being stacked up and normally keeps his feet moving.

It’s going to be great to see how much better Dixon gets as he gets more experience and playing time.

He scored the only Ravens touchdown today while going for 44 yards on 10 carries.

Steve Smith Sr.:

The Ravens receiving core is going to be a whole lot different after Smith retires.  It has been an honor and a joy watching him play for the past few years.

He gave 110% each and every play.  His toughness is going to be hard for the Ravens to overcome and Smith was never going to back down from his competition.

Next: 10 Things We Learned About The Baltimore Ravens This Season

I put Smith in the last category for a game ball because he gave his heart and soul to helping the Ravens.

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