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Ravens Debates: Would they win Super Bowl XLVII if they won the year before?

By Richard Bradshaw

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with teammate Jacoby Jones #12 (L) after the Ravens won 34-31 against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with teammate Jacoby Jones #12 (L) after the Ravens won 34-31 against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 03: The Baltimore Ravens celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Championship trophy celebrate after the Ravens won 34-31 against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 03: The Baltimore Ravens celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Championship trophy celebrate after the Ravens won 34-31 against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Richard’s argument:

How great was that 2011 Ravens team?

Terrell Suggs was your reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Ray Rice had the best season of his career, and the Ravens trashed opponents all year long at home. The 2011 Ravens had thick skin and found ways to win when it mattered most. Remember Joe Flacco’s amazing game-winning drive in Pittsburgh? How about the hard fought, slug-fest the Ravens had Thanksgiving that year vs the San Francisco 49ers and won?

Between the 2011 and the 2012 Baltimore Ravens the former deserved a ring more, but fate had other plans. Instead, the Ravens choked away a Super Bowl XLVI berth on the road against the New England Patriots and went home empty handed. One year later, the team came into the playoffs hot and rode Joe Flacco and a historic post-season performance to a Super Bowl XLVII championship.

light. Related Story. Baltimore Ravens: 5 reasons the defense will be better in 2018

But what if we changed what happened in the 2011 playoffs AFC Championship game? What if the Ravens beat the Patriots and then played the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI? I would predict a victory there. The Ravens defense was legit, and while Eli Manning was hot, he hadn’t played a defense as good as the Ravens throughout the 2011 playoffs.

So, the Ravens walk away Super Bowl champs for the second time in 16 seasons. What happens next?

Going back-to-back:

That’s right, just like the Golden State Warriors, the Ravens are going back-to-back!

In all seriousness, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed both had intentions of staying in Baltimore for 2012 as far as we know. But let’s pretend they both retire. The Ravens likely don’t trade out of round one in the 2012 NFL Draft and have a chance to take a guy like Harrison Smith or Bobby Wagner. Maybe the Ravens decide to get Joe Flacco a new toy and draft Alshon Jeffrey to celebrate his first ring. The Ravens winning Super Bowl XLVI could’ve entirely altered their 2012 Draft strategy.

But even if the roster remains entirely the same… Let’s be honest, the Ravens didn’t win Super Bowl XLVII because of their defense, they won it all because of Flacco and his post-season dominance. I don’t see that going away, especially if Lewis remained in Baltimore for one last season and gives Joe that extra push.

What separates Baltimore’s two playoff appearances was how they won games: winning Super Bowl XLVI through the defense compared to winning Super Bowl XLVII through passion and willpower. With this in mind, I have no doubt the Ravens would’ve been back-to-back Super Bowl champs.

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