Ravens Looking To 'Repent For Our Sins'
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy already has two Super Bowl rings to his name, but that doesn't erase the pain of coming up short.
Last season, Baltimore dominated during the regular season to finish with a 13-4 record and earn the AFC's top seed. A Super Bowl berth seemed like the Ravens' destiny, until they ran into the Kansas CIty Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. The dream season came to an unceremonious end in a 17-10 loss, one that saw the Ravens get away from the identity they built throughout the season.
“I think it’s more [painful now] because I know what the other side feels like,” Van Noy recently said on Glenn Clark Radio. “I know the opportunity that we had. I felt it a lot. I think I told a lot of people that I didn’t leave my house for a week. I was really that devastated because I hate losing. … It’s just a disappointment when you get to that stage and you don’t win the championship because that’s the goal, but I think it was a good learning experience for everybody.”
Now with the regular season just around the corner, Van Noy and the Ravens have some unfinished business to attend to.
“I know last year was a little disappointing, but we have a chance to repent for our sins this year,” Van Noy said.
Van Noy, 33, was a late addition last season, signing in late September after edge rusher David Ojabo went down for the season. That didn't stop him from racking up nine sacks, third-most on the team. Impressed by his play, the Ravens signed him to a two-year, $10 million extension this offseason.
Even in the latter stages of his career, Van Noy's drive and passion for the game remain as strong as ever.
“It’s fun to school people … that give me doubt,” Van Noy said, “but at the same time, it’s also fun for myself and to know that I have a lot more game left in me.”
JON ALFANO