The Baltimore Ravens finished the 2011 season with a 12-4 record, earning themselves a first round bye in the playoffs. The Ravens dominated their AFC North counterparts, winning all six games, including their games with future possible playoff opponents, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. In terms of fantasy stars, the Ravens had several, but who are the biggest surprise and disappointments, and which star can say they were the Ravens 2011 fantasy MVP?

MVP – Ray Rice

The fourth-year back from Rutgers continues to improve each season and is now known as one of the best running backs in the NFL. He accumulated more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage this season and scored 15 touchdowns. On the ground, he rushed for 1,364 yards, while he made 76 receptions for 704 yards. It was his third straight season of rushing for more than 1,200 yards and earning more than 550 in the passing game. He is an easy one of the top three running backs off the board, especially in PPR leagues.

Biggest Surprise – Torrey Smith

The rookie from Maryland had a solid season, lining up opposite of Anquan Boldin. He made 50 catches for 841 yards and scored seven touchdowns. With other rookie studs like Victory Cruz, A.J. Green and Julio Jones getting all the notoriety, Smith constantly had solid performances without getting the same recognition. That is something that will change, especially if he has a great run in the playoffs. As a second-round draft pick, Smith wasn’t expected to be the second receiver, but an injury to Lee Evans forced him to that role and it is a spot he will not be moving from anytime soon.

Biggest Disappointment – Joe Flacco

While Flacco still had a solid season, throwing for 3,610 yards and 20 touchdowns, he could have done a lot more for this offense. He threw 12 interceptions and lost six fumbles and continues to struggle to improve his game from when he burst onto the pro scene in 2008. A year ago, he had the best season of his career, but failed to live up to the expectations his past success have made for him. With their stellar defense and Rice controlling the offense, Flacco doesn’t necessarily need to do more, but if he wants to hear his name mentioned with the best, he needs to.

For a closer look at All-Injury teams for all major fantasy positions and biggest stars and busts from each NFL team, click here.

More from this contributor:

LeSean McCoy is Top Fantasy Running Back in 2011

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Drafting Individual Defensive Players?

Top 2011 Fantasy Football Rookies

Hobson Lopes has been playing fantasy football for more than 10 years and can be followed on Twitter @HobsonLopes.

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With Tebow completing 6 of 22 passes for 60 yards and a game-sealing interception, Denver (8-8) claimed a first-round home game by virtue of a tiebreaker over Oakland and San Diego and will host Pittsburgh next weekend.

The Raiders’ loss also pushed the Bengals (9-7) into the playoffs as the sixth seed even though Cincinnati’s comeback fell short against Baltimore. Cincinnati will go on the road to play Houston (10-6), the No. 3 seed, in the first round.

With the Ravens (12-4) winning, the result of Pittsburgh’s game against Cleveland was all but meaningless. The Steelers (12-4) wound up beating their AFC North rival, 13-9, and are the No. 5 seed, but lost the tiebreaker to Baltimore, which swept the season series from the Steelers.

Baltimore didn’t have its game in hand until the final play, when Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton’s desperation pass fell incomplete as time expired.

Earlier in the afternoon, the New England Patriots secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, with a 49-21 victory over Buffalo. Quarterback Tom Brady passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns to rally New England from a three-touchdown deficit as the Patriots scored 49 consecutive points. The Patriots (13-3) finished the regular season with eight wins in a row, and Brady’s 5,235 yards passing were the second most in NFL history for one season.

While much of the AFC picture unfolded late in the afternoon, all but one of the NFC playoff teams were settled by the early games. A night game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys would decide the NFC East champion and No. 4 seed.

The top-seeded Green Bay Packers (15-1), who clinched the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye last week, beat the Detroit Lions 45-41, despite five touchdowns and 520 yards passing by Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford,

The loss, coupled with Atlanta’s 45-24 win over Tampa Bay, made Detroit (10-6) the sixth seed. Detroit will play at New Orleans (13-3) in the first round. The Saints clobbered Carolina, 45-17, behind five touchdowns and 389 yards passing from quarterback Drew Brees, who finished the season with an NFL-record 5,476 yards passing. But the Saints drew the third seed when San Francisco (13-3) outlasted St. Louis, 34-27, to claim a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed and NFC West champion.

The fifth-seeded Falcons (10-6) will visit Dallas or New York in the first round.

BALTIMORE (WJZ)– The Baltimore Ravens earn their way to the playoffs this year, and the team wants fans to know they couldn’t have done it without you. That’s why they put some lucky ticket-holders in the spotlight Thursday.

Kai Jackson has more on the big surprise.

Baltimore Ravens fans are passionate with Purple Pride. But it’s more than just spirit even broadcasters admit that fans can bring pain to opponents.

When the Ravens beat the Browns at home on Christmas eve, it capped a perfect season at home– eight wins, no losses.

“On behalf of the players and the coaches, we are giving the game ball to the Ravens fans for this 8 and 0 season,” John Harbaugh, head coach for the Ravens, said.

Thursday, Coach Harbaugh made good on his promise.

“I just wanna say what a pleasure it is to accept this on behalf of all Ravens fans and I’m honored to be here to represent,” Ravens fan Delray Smith said.

Three fans were chosen at random to receive actual game balls in used in the Ravens victory over Cleveland.

“Well, that’s about what I feel like right now, I got a game ball! Thank you very much to the Ravens!” Billie Armstrong, another Ravens fan, said.

A perfect season at home is a tough thing for any team to achieve even when they hitting all cylinders. Yet, Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh says he gives a great deal of credit to Ravens fans.

And fans give that credit back to the Ravens.

“It’s just an honor and pleasure to sit up there every week and watch these guys play. And I guess the twelfth man really is important for you guys,” Ravens fan Michael Shue said.

The Ravens have won 18 of their past 19 games at M&T Bank Stadium.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Dec. 24, 2011

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens achieved perfection at home for the first time, and now they’re looking to add to that ledger in the playoffs.

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes, and the Ravens beat the bumbling Cleveland Browns 20-14 on Saturday to move one step closer to winning the AFC North.

Ray Rice ran for 87 yards and caught a TD pass for the Ravens (11-4), who led 17-0 at halftime and held on.

“I have never been perfect at home in 16 years of football. That’s amazing,” Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis said. “As good of teams we’ve had here, we’ve always found [a way] to lose one or two here or there. I think this year we really made a focus on taking care at home. This is the result, us being able to go 8-0 and being able to be sitting where you want to sit at the end of the day.”

The Ravens would win the AFC North by defeating Cincinnati on the road next week. That would also give Baltimore a first-round bye and a home playoff game – two if New England loses next Sunday at home against Buffalo.

“It’s big, man,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We are at our best when we are at (home) and our fans are rocking. So we definitely need a home playoff game, by any means necessary.”

Flacco went 11 for 24 with touchdown passes to Rice and tight end Ed Dickson. He also had a 33-yard run.

Josh Cribbs had a career-high 84-yard punt return for a TD for Cleveland (4-11). But the Browns generated very little offense and were guilty of questionable play calling, bad clock management and untimely penalties in their fifth straight loss.

Cleveland saved the worst for last. Having already burned their three timeouts, the Browns lined up on defense after the two-minute warning with the Ravens facing a fourth-and-2 at the Cleveland 37.

It appeared obvious that Flacco and the Ravens were merely hoping to draw the Browns offside.

As the play clock moved close to zero, Cleveland tackle Phil Taylor jumped across the line of scrimmage to give Baltimore a first down.

“It was the first hard count and we stayed onside,” Taylor said. “The second time, I just jumped. Of course you feel bad, but you just got to move on.”

Said Flacco: “I don’t know if I’ve ever been in position for that to happen. It’s never worked.”

The Ravens then ran out the clock on their eighth straight win over the Browns, including two this month.

“We knew this would be quite a challenge for us,” Cleveland quarterback Seneca Wallace said. “We’re playing the Ravens at home, and they’re playing for everything. I should have played better, and I should have made better decisions.”

Wallace went 19 for 33 for 147 yards in place of Colt McCoy, who was out with a concussion. Peyton Hillis ran for 112 yards, but Cleveland’s offense mounted only one decent drive.

The Browns took the opening kickoff and moved from their own 26 to the Baltimore 30 behind the power of Hillis, who gained 30 yards on six carries. But on a third-and-1, Cleveland inexplicably went to the air, and Lardarius Webb intercepted Wallace’s pass for Mohamed Massaquoi.

Flacco immediately threw deep for Torrey Smith, who drew a 60-yard penalty for pass interference on Mike Adams to set up a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dickson.

Later, a 29-yard throw from Flacco to Smith led to a 48-yard field goal by newcomer Shayne Graham, signed in the middle of the week to take over for the injured Billy Cundiff.

After another Cleveland punt, Flacco directed an 82-yard drive that gave Baltimore a 17-0 lead. Rice slipped behind linebacker D’Qwell Jackson on the right sideline, caught a soft pass in stride and sprinted into the end zone to complete a 42-yard scoring play.

That made Flacco 5 for 5 for 94 yards and two touchdowns on third down.

Cleveland moved deep into Baltimore territory late in the first half, thanks in part to a 30-yard pass interference call against Chris Carr. But with the clock inside 10 seconds and the Browns without a timeout left, Wallace handed off to Hillis instead of spiking the ball, and Hillis went nowhere.

Wallace took the blame, and so did Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

“I need to communicate it better, OK?” Shurmur said.

Time expired before Cleveland could get off another play, and the Browns headed to the locker room after being held scoreless in the first half for the second time this season. The other time it happened was also against Baltimore.

Graham kicked a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 20-0.

The Browns finally scored when Cribbs took a punt on the right sideline, escaped an arm tackle and broke toward the center of the field before outrunning three defenders into the left corner of the end zone late in the third quarter.

“I was wondering where all the defenders were,” Cribbs said. “I saw all the great blocking around me. From there, it was easy. It was just a walk in.”

Cribbs also contributed to Cleveland’s next touchdown, catching a 23-yard pass from Wallace as part of an 80-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard TD throw to Evan Moore midway through the fourth quarter.

The Browns forced a punt, but on a fourth-and-4 from the Cleveland 45 with 4:03 left, a pass to Hillis did not produce the necessary yardage.

Taylor’s jump across the line of scrimmage soon followed.

Notes

• Ravens KR David Reed hurt his left knee and declared himself out for the season. Also, Baltimore OT Marshal Yanda (chest) and CB Cary Williams (concussion) did not play in the second half.
• Shurmur said the Browns sustained no serious injuries. Cleveland closes the season next Sunday against Pittsburgh.

The Cleveland Browns suffered another disappointing heartbreak against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Eve (12/24/11). The end of the first half certainly has fans scratching their heads. Why the Browns did not attempt a field goal is beyond comprehension. Browns’s coach Pat Shurmur looked like he was going to explode when the team did not go for a field goal.

Shurmur is saying that he is responsible for the communication breakdowns that happened throughout the game. However, speaking of the particular play at the end of the first half, Shurmur said, “I never would have called a run in that situation with that much time.”

Seneca Wallace took the field as quarterback for the game because Colt McCoy is still out with his concussion. Wallace really looked a lot better last week. He had a few good passes in today’s game, like the excellent touchdown pass to Evan Moore, but he seemed far less confident in this game than he did in the Arizona game.

Wallace has been in the NFL for nine seasons, but he really seemed to be carrying a rookie confidence around with him today. This is the thing that the Browns do not need, especially when playing a team with the talent of the Ravens.

Going into the second half with no points on the board looked really terrible. Then, finally Josh Cribbs saved the day by running an 84-yard touchdown off of a punt. It was a truly remarkable play. This play was not a game-saver, but it definitely re-energized the Browns and gave the fans a little hope and confidence.

Should we even discuss the fourth quarter? Specifically that play where Wallace passed to Hillis when they should have just kicked the ball. This was another head-scratching play that is becoming all too characteristic of the Browns.

Then, with two minutes to go in the game, Phil Taylor just had to go offsides. The Browns had one more chance to actually do something, but him going offsides completely eliminated their chances of a last ditch effort. Had he not gone offsides, the Browns would have had two minutes (I know not much, but at least it would have been something) to at least attempt to score a touchdown.

The Browns will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers for their last game. If they expect to add another win to their record, they are going to have to stop with the careless mistakes and put forth more focus.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen is a lifelong Browns fan who grew up in a household of Browns’ fans. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. Regardless of the trials and tribulations the Browns have been through, she remains loyal, albeit honest about her home team. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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