Sorry, but I'm not joining the doom-and-gloomers piling on the Ravens after their dramatic 34-28 overtime win over the Houston Texans Monday night.
No, it wasn't a work of art. Not when your defense blows a 21-point lead in the second half and is sucking wind at the end of the game. Not when your offense looks lost and manages only 61 total yards of offense in the second half.
And, yes, there are legitimate concerns about how well this team will do in the playoffs, how deep a run it'll make.
But for all that, the Ravens are 9-4 with three games left. They won a crucial game on the road, in front of 71,000 screaming, hostile fans, which is never easy to do in the NFL.
There are games that can define a season for every football team, critical games in which everything is going against you, nothing seems to be working, frustration and maybe even despair seems to emanate from your sideline like a toxic cloud.
The Ravens had one of those games last night -- at least in the second half.
But you hang in there and hang in there and hang in there. You take the body blows, one after another and another.
And then, with your proverbial backs against the wall and all the momentum with the other team and 71,000 of their fans howling in anticipation of a win, someone on your team rises to the occasion.
Someone like Josh Wilson makes a big-play, jumps a route and picks off a pass for the game-winning touchdown.
And you walk off the field with a win.
Maybe you're not exhilarated. Maybe you're more drained and relieved than anything else. Maybe your coaches huddle on the flight back home with cold beers and worried looks and murmur: "Man, we have a LOT to work on."
But you're 9-4. You're still in the thick of the playoff chase with three games left.
Things could be a lot worse.
Photo of Ray Lewis by US PRESSWIRE