Ed Dickson

Much of the attention from Super Bowl XLVII Media Day yesterday was focused on Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis , but several other participants offered memorable quotes or quips. Here were some of the best:   Former Ravens coach Brian Billick on comparisons between the current team and his 2000 squad that won a Super Bowl: “They wouldn't score, I know that.” Ravens tight end Ed Dickson on the game's expected outcome: “We're here for one reason and one reason only, and that's to win. We have no distractions.

Ravens 28, Patriots 13 Strategy: The Ravens' winning equation in the AFC championship was provided by fast-paced no-huddle, shotgun concepts and enough runs to keep the Patriots honest. Play-action was effective, particularly in the second half when Joe Flacco delivered three touchdowns. Jim Caldwell created mismatches with three wide receiver sets, exploiting the absence of an injured Aqib Talib. With deep shots to Torrey Smith bottled up, Flacco peppered the secondary with shorter throws to Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta.

Ravens 38, Broncos 35, 2OT Strategy: It took a ton of wise decisions to triumph in the instant classic. Jim Caldwell blended aggressive deep passes with an old-fashioned approach on the ground, piling up 479 yards of total offense. Joe Flacco trusted his receivers in jump-ball situations. The shotgun formation was utilized on 25 of 74 snaps with zero no-huddles. The reconfigured line's basic blocking techniques warded off Broncos pass rushers Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil.

Despite the lack of a big play in the running game early in the third quarter, the Ravens kept pounding and pounding away at the Denver Broncos' front seven. And with each rushing attempt came more criticism until running back Ray Rice produced a 32-yard run late in the third period that eventually led to a 1-yard touchdown run just over a minute later. Finally, old school football might have returned to Baltimore with new offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell. The Ravens haven't seen this type of patience or discipline on offense since Ted Marchibroda was coach in the 1990s.

The Ravens endured a thorough beating the last time they faced the Denver Broncos, dominated in virtually every facet of the game. There were plenty of embarrassing moments for the Ravens in the 34-17 loss to Denver on Dec. 16 Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno hurdled free safety Ed Reed, as if it was a track and field event. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco uncorked a momentum-altering interception at the end of the first half with his errant throw returned 98 yards for a touchdown by cornerback Chris Harris.

Long before linebacker Ray Lewis decided it was his time to walk away from the hard-hitting game he had become the face of, teammate Terrell Suggs started to realize that time was running out. Not just for Lewis, but for himself and many of his teammates. Last season, as Suggs chased down quarterbacks in a bid for his first Lombardi Trophy, he spoke more than once about how the window to achieve that "football immortality" was slowly sliding shut. On Friday, as Lewis sat at his locker at the team's practice facility for possibly the last time, the only urgency Suggs showed was in escaping the locker room.

The chaotic final moments of Joe Flacco's impressive duel with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had barely unfolded when expectations for the Ravens quarterback began skyrocketing. Although the Ravens lost their grip on a Super Bowl berth when wide receiver Lee Evans failed to secure a pass in the end zone and kicker Billy Cundiff flubbed a chip shot field-goal attempt, Flacco had nearly toppled the Patriots. After his commanding performance, much more was expected from Flacco.

All season, the Ravens talked about peaking at the right time. They downplayed their 9-2 start, maintaining that a strong finish to the regular season was what was important. They didn't want to just make the playoffs. They wanted to enter them with momentum, their offense putting up points and their defense putting down quarterbacks. Before walking out of the visiting locker room at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday following a 23-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals to end the regular season, the Ravens were singing a decidedly different tune.