lthough the 11 touchdowns were a career high. All told, the offence fin

After their 30-17 Wild Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Saturday, Baltimore Ravens head coach perfectly articulated every football fans’ feelings of his team when he proclaimed “we’re a very resilient team.” It’s the best way, and maybe the only way to explain a team that always seems to find an answer to become a factor in the AFC postseason. Without nearly the fanfare of the Patriots or Broncos, the Ravens are just as much a constant in the playoffs. The resiliency is a good angle, but just for kicks let’s look a little deeper into how Baltimore is once again in the Divisional Round, a feat they’ve accomplished five of the past six years. The season started on a sour note with the Ravens losing their leading rusher Ray Rice to off-field trouble. While Rice became the poster boy for football player transgressions too long ignored, the team took its lumps as well in how they handled the whole situation. But once the scorn died down (for the Ravens, not for Rice) the team was left with a surprisingly solid running game situation. While some figured Baltimore could cope with Bernard Pierce moving up in the pecking order, few figured Justin Forsett would in fact be the lead horse, and put up a career year in the process. After showing promise in previous stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Seattle Seahawks, Forsett put it together for a full season and finished with 1,266 rushing yards (fifth in the league) and a 5.4 yards per rush average (tops amongst qualifying running backs). Next up, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who fits the resiliency theme as good as anyone. Despite only being somewhere between pretty good and only okay, Flacco led the Ravens to their second Super Bowl in 12 years in 2012. The then-27-year-old used that big postseason to cash in on a giant contract extension and then heard about it all last year when his numbers were, again, only okay. A little quieter season from the critics’ standpoint for Flacco led to some pretty decent production. He set career highs in yards (3,986) and touchdowns (27), while seeing his interception total dip to his career normal 10-12 one year after throwing 22. Flacco had the eighth-highest Total QBR, the moderately new stat generally regarded to be a much better measuring stick than normal Quarterback Rating, and was 13th among starting quarterbacks in Pro Football Focus ratings. It should be mentioned that this was all done by Flacco despite an only mediocre receiving corps. After his explosive start to the season, Steve Smith Sr. settled into his place as a solid but no longer spectacular receiver and finished the year with just a shade more than 1,000 receiving yards. And Torrey Smith continued to not quite be the receiver everyone hoped and thought he could be, although the 11 touchdowns were a career high. All told, the offence finished 12th in the league at 364.9 yards per game and eighth in scoring at 27.3 points per game. While the offence deserves a bigger slice of the credit for the team’s success these days, the team’s defence still holds the reputation, and deservedly so, as driver of the bus in Baltimore. Ray Lewis is gone but the team’s linebacking corps is still one of the best in the league. Led by Terrell Suggs, who managed 12 sacks in his twelfth year in the league (the second highest total of his career), the group also features Pro Bowler Elvis Dumervil, who led the team with 17 sacks, impressive rookie CJ Mosley, and solid veteran Daryl Smith. The secondary is an impressive unit as well led by corner Ladarius Webb and safety Matt Elam. The Ravens defence was Top 10 in both yards against and points against, finishing eighth giving up 336.9 yards per game and sixth giving up 18.9 points per game. Saturday’s battle will be between two of the most consistent and well-coached teams in the league. The only team more reliable than the Ravens the past 15 or so years has been the New England Patriots. If someone is to knock off the Patriots this year, an argument can be made only a team as battle-tested and grizzled as they are can pull off the job. Wholesale Nike Shoes For Sale . Alexander was released last week by the Edmonton Eskimos, where he spent the past three seasons at safety. He had 121 defensive tackles, five special teams tackles and seven interceptions in 51 regular-season and three playoff games. Nike Outlet Uk Online . Lynn was tied for 16th entering the fourth round, six shots behind leader Paul Waring. He started with two birdies and added three more on his last five holes at the Oceanico Victoria course for an 18-under total of 266. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesuk.com/.C. -- Charles Oakley, one of the NBAs all-time tough guys, may not return to the Charlotte Bobcats bench next season because of a painful back condition he says was caused during an assault last year in Las Vegas. Nike Shoes Uk Online Shop . "I have had no discussions with Chad Johnson or his representation," Popp said Friday in an email. However, he appeared to confirm a report on Twitter from TSN this week that Johnson was on Montreals negotiation list. Nike Shoes For Sale Uk . The Stampeders announced the move on Wednesday. Bell spent his first two CFL seasons with the B.BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. -- Edmontons Mike Riddle took second place in ski halfpipe Sunday at the U.S. Grand Prix. Riddle scored 85.2 points, 3.8 points behind American David Wise who finished first on a snowy day that made the halfpipe a little slower than usual. Justin Dorey of Calgary was sixth with 76.4 points while Vancouvers Simon dArtois placed seventh with 74.4. On the woomens side, Maddie Bowman had a solid first run to hold off Ayana Onozuka of Japan.dddddddddddd. Calgarys Megan Gunning was the top Canadian with 78.66 points, good for ninth place. The event organizers were able to stage the ski halfpipe event despite the snowy conditions. High wind led officials to cancel snowboard slopestyle and halfpipe events on Saturday. ' ' '