Billy Cundiff

In so many words, Billy Cundiff says he's not thinking about redemption. The game plan now is simple. Move on. Don't look back. What else can the Ravens kicker say? What else can he do? Shrivel up and die? Sit in the house with the blinds drawn and brood about that big miss? Re-play it over and over again in his head until it drives him crazy? You saw it. Hell, the whole world saw it. Cundiff sees it still, you can be sure. Closes his eyes and there it is: his pushed 32-yard field goal attempt that went wide left in the final seconds of January's AFC Championship, leading to the New England Patriots' shocking 23-20 win over the Ravens in the madhouse that was Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

In so many words, Billy Cundiff says he's not thinking about redemption. The game plan now is simple. Move on. Don't look back. What else can the Ravens kicker say? What else can he do? Shrivel up and die? Sit in the house with the blinds drawn and brood about that big miss? Re-play it over and over again in his head until it drives him crazy? You saw it. Hell, the whole world saw it. Cundiff sees it still, you can be sure. Closes his eyes and there it is: his pushed 32-yard field goal attempt that went wide left in the final seconds of January's AFC Championship, leading to the New England Patriots' shocking 23-20 win over the Ravens in the madhouse that was Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

Before Sunday's 24-10 win over the Cleveland Browns, Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff hadn't missed a field goal at Cleveland Browns Stadium. He had made all five attempts there, including three as a member of the Browns. But on Sunday, Cundiff was wide right on two of his three attempts . His misses were from 34 and 41 yards. He could have easily blamed them on wind gusts or sloppy footing on the grass field, but he took responsibility. “For one game a year, playing in the AFC North, you've got to learn how to kick in Cleveland,” Cundiff said in the locker room after the win. “You have to kick differently here.

With the draft starting tomorrow night, today will be the final day of The Sun's position-by-look at the Ravens. Today, we'll examine the specialists: Current specialists under contract : Kicker: Billy Cundiff; Punter: Sam Koch; Long snapper: Morgan Cox; Returners: Lardarius Webb, David Reed, Philip Livas.   Chances that the Ravens draft a specialist in first three rounds : As much of a priority as the Ravens have made upgrading their special teams, which struggled last season, they are not going to be spend an early pick in the draft on it exclusively.

There was no need to ask Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff how missing a potential game-tying field goal Sunday in the final seconds against New England with a Super Bowl trip on the line gnawed at him. The disappointment already resonated -- a mix of remorse and resolve -- in his voice. "The timing seemed a little bit off. Just the dynamics of the play," said Cundiff, in hushed tones, during a telephone interview with The Des Moines Register after a 23-20 loss to the Patriots in the AFC championship game.

Terrell Suggs stood on the sideline, and the man who is never at a loss for words could only mouth the words “Oh, my God.” Ray Rice and Torrey Smith said nothing, choosing instead to stare straight ahead and wonder in silence how a long football season full of legitimate Super Bowl aspirations could possibly end like this. Fourteen yards from the end zone and a Super Bowl berth, and seemingly in position for no worse than a game-tying field goal that would force overtime, the Ravens watched two potential touchdown passes get broken up, and then Billy Cundiff pushed a 32-yard field goal wide left with 15 seconds remaining.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday that with kicker Billy Cundiff returning to the lineup in Sunday's 24-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Shayne Graham's stint with the Ravens may be nearing its end. Harbaugh said he would like to keep both kickers on the 53-man roster, but if the team needs to add a player for its playoff run, Graham will likely be the odd man out. “As long as Billy's healthy, he'll be our kicker,” Harbaugh said....

Four days after limping out of M&T Bank Stadium with a 20-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns, the Ravens had starting cornerback Cary Williams , starting defensive end Cory Redding and kicker Billy Cundiff in practice Wednesday. However, right guard Marshal Yanda , a first-time Pro Bowl selection, remained sidelined by the rib contusion he suffered Saturday. Inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (concussion), defensive end Arthur Jones (illness) and wide receiver Anquan Boldin (knee)

Ravens 37, Rams 7 Fourth quarter: 4:58 Baltimore Touchdown - Sam Bradford sacked by Haloti Ngata for no gain. Sam Bradford fumble recovered by Haloti Ngata at the St. Louis 32, returned into the end zone. (Billy Cundiff extra point is good). Ravens 30, Rams 7 Third quarter: 5:14 St. Louis Touchdown - Sam Bradford pass to Brandon Gibson for 34 yards. (Josh Brown extra point is good). Ravens 30, Rams 0 Third quarter: 10:29 Baltimore Field Goal - 38-yarder by Billy Cundiff.

Oh Joe. This isn't good. You made a big, big statement on Tuesday and folks, well, they're kinda laughing themselves silly at you. You're the BEST quarterback in the NFL? Says you? "I assume everybody thinks they're a top-five quarterback," Flacco told Baltimore's WNST 1570. "I mean, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'm top five, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'd be very successful at my job if I didn't feel that way. I mean, c'mon? That's not really too tough of a question.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh met the media this morning at the owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. I'll have a story up later today, but here are several of his comments: On bringing in competition for kicker Billy Cundiff: “Yeah, we'll probably bring the best group of players to camp that we can. If we can get a kicker that is capable of competing with Billy, we'll do it. Do you have to draft a guy? Is there a free agent? Is there a guy that will be on the street. That's kind of hard to determine.

The Ravens may not have cruised to the Super Bowl but the Baltimore team spirit is still afloat. Fans can keep the "purple passion" alive right through the summer with the third annual AAA Ultimate Ravens Fan Cruise set for July. The seven-day sailing aboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas departs from Port Canaveral, Fla., and follows a Western Caribbean itinerary with port calls in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Mexico. On board for the trip will be several current and former Ravens, including Dennis Pitta, Paul Kruger, Jonathan Ogden and Qadry Ismail.

Billy Cundiff expected worse after the AFC championship game. The Ravens kicker pushed a 32-yard field goal attempt wide left against the New England Patriots with 15 seconds remaining Jan. 22. A converted kick would have tied the game at 23, likely forcing overtime. Instead the Ravens were handed a 23-20 loss, and Cundiff was faced with a long offseason of questioning. But so far, Cundiff has dealt with very little of that. "It's been impressive," Cundiff said Sunday at Drake University, his alma mater.

This is the final installment of a three-part series in which Baltimore Sun reporter Matt Vensel examines the Ravens and how each area of the team can be improved this offseason. Billy Cundiff's missed field goal in the closing seconds of last month's AFC championship game loss to the New England Patriots was the final miscue of a subpar season for the special teams. Cundiff, who earned a five-year, $15-million contract after making the Pro Bowl in 2010, made every kick at M&T Bank Stadium in 2011.

At Wednesday's “State of the Ravens” news conference, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was asked about Billy Cundiff's missed field-goal attempt against the Patriots, a 32-yard kick that could have sent the game into overtime. He said he “dies with” players who experience such struggles because they have become like family to him. “When you work as hard as you do to put a team together like this, this is like watching your kids in high school play basketball. You don't scream at your neighbor's kid because he's not passing it enough.

By now, we've all had some time to digest the annual “State of the Ravens” address. It was interesting and somewhat informative, yet I gather that nothing said by Owner Steve Bisciotti or General Manager Ozzie Newsome was truly surprising to the Ravens' fan base. I think it was pretty much assumed that quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice would be back next season. I think it was understood that it's going to be awfully hard for the franchise to agree to extensions with Flacco and Rice, and pay free agent left guard Ben Grubbs in the same offseason.

I came away from Wednesday's "State of the Ravens" news conference at The Castle with one thought: Don't you wish, Steve Bisciotti would open up a little? OK, I'm kidding. Who's better at these things than the Ravens' owner? He sits up there with Dick Cass and Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh for an hour and patiently answers every question. And here's the thing: Bisciotti doesn't just tell you what he thinks. He practically opens a vein and tells you what he's feeling, too. No wonder everyone in the NFL wants to play for him. Heck, if I didn't like what I did, I'd be firing off a resume to the big lug myself, begging him for a job. Or at least a ride on his yacht.