Joe Flacco will lead the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl in 2012, and you can thank outspoken Ed Reed for making it happen.
Earlier this week, Reed called out his quarterback for being "rattled" against the Houston Texans. Some have questioned whether or not Reed should have made these comments, but he did the right thing.
The Baltimore Ravens are a team that has found success because of a mindset that Ray Lewis brought with him almost two decades ago: Toughness and discipline rule the day.
Reed knows this better than anyone, and if Lewis is the leader on the club (which he is), then in superhero terms, Reed is his sidekick.
"I think Joe was kind of rattled a little bit," Reed said. "(The Texans) had a lot of guys in the box on him. And, I mean, they were getting to him.
"I think a couple times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn't look like he had a hold on the offense."
The only way the Ravens will win on Sunday against the New England Patriots is if Flacco plays with confidence and poise. He can't get scared. He can't wilt under pressure.
The Patriots will bring the pressure too. I can guarantee it. They can run a hybrid 3-4 defense, similar to the one Wade Phillips and the Texans used to continually bombard Flacco's field of vision and knock him to the turf. Plus, Bill Belichick is the kind of coach that will always use what he's seen on tape to the best effect possible. He's a master.
Flacco must stand tall and run the Ravens offense with a Trent Dilfer-like sense of toughness and poise. He must avoid looking like Blaine Gabbert at all costs, which he wasn't able to accomplish against the Texans.
Reed's comments will have the intended effect, and Flacco will find his courage when his Ravens go to Gillette Stadium to face the Patriots on Sunday.
I've already gone on record saying that the Ravens defense will do enough to slow down Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.
Flacco will do his part and lead the Ravens to Super Bowl XLVI.
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