In the aftermath of the Ravens’ demoralizing 34-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers Sunday night, it’s easy to forget that the Ravens had a chance to seize the lead on their opening drive.

But kicker Billy Cundiff’s 36-yard field-goal attempt strayed wide right, and the team never got that chance again. That missed opportunity could have been significant, according to running back Ray Rice.

“It was momentum, but I’m not going to say that was the deciding factor in the game,” he said. “You obviously want to come away with points in the red zone right there. That’s the swing of things. If you look at where we were at, we probably go into halftime tied if we had capitalized on the red zone real well. They came out and just pure execution on their part. When they needed a throw, they made a throw. When they needed to make a play on third down, they made a play.”

For his part, Cundiff – who did not practice at all last week due to an injured left calf – assumed the blame.

“To be honest, I’m not making any excuses,” he said. “It’s been frustrating dealing with my leg. I think that’s pretty obvious. But when it comes down to it, regardless of the situation, I should still make that kick.”