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October 26, 2007

Counting down the Top 10 moments at Ravens stadium: No. 5

The Ravens' downtown stadium, which is currently called M&T Bank Stadium, is celebrating its 10th season of existence. We're going to look at the Top 10 moments in its history, listing two each day.

5. Colts return for a playoff game in Baltimore. Jan. 13, 2007

Nearly 23 years after they left Baltimore, the Colts dealt another dose of heartache to the city.

Capitalizing on the mistakes of Ravens quarterback Steve McNair, the Colts upset the Ravens, 15-6, in what might be the most painful loss ever at the Ravens’ downtown stadium.

The city's NFL record crowd of 71,162 searching for revenge -- or "Ravenge" as one end-zone sign read -- felt the same sting from March 1984, when the Colts sneaked out of town to move to Indianapolis.

As the Ravens walked off the field and into the locker room, the players filed in one-by-one in silence, knowing how they let themselves down as well as the passionate fans who wanted closure with their painful Colts past.

“This football team is as disappointed as our fans are, which is matched tenfold by the players,” coach Brian Billick said. “This team appreciates our fans. They were deserving of better than that, but it just wasn't going to happen.”

The loss proved even more stunning because of the haphazard play of McNair, who had helped transform the Ravens from an underachieving team to one of the league's best. The former NFL Most Valuable Player struggled mightily, throwing two interceptions (including a critical one in the red zone) and fumbling on his final play.

“To end on a shorter note than you intended ... it's very heartbreaking,” McNair said. “Do I feel bad? Of course I feel bad. I feel bad that we lost. I feel the way I played. There can only be one champion. Unfortunately, this year isn't our year.”

The Ravens' third straight playoff loss abruptly ended a season in which they set the team record for regular-season wins (13) and earned their highest postseason seeding ever.

The third-seeded Colts, who were playing their first playoff game in Baltimore since 1977, went on to win the Super Bowl.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:21 PM | | Comments (1)
        

Comments

Thanks for ruining my day. Ugh!

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