Ray Lewis’ hit on Ahmard Hall?
You gotta be shittin’ me! That hit is getting airtime and ink? Unreal. Isn’t that the same hit where Ray Lewis failed to prevent Ahmard Hall from picking up a first down on a critical 3rd and 10 1/2 from well inside the Titans’ own one yard line? Yeah, that’s the one!
Second Quarter 12:15
After a magnificent 41 yard punt by Raven’s punter Sam Koch–who has been on fire all postseason–backed the Titans up to their own 1 yard line, the Titans promptly made things worse by giving up a false start (and false starts at home are nearly inexcusable), and taking a step backwards, half the distance to the goal. Chris Johnson then moved the ball out to the 2 yard line, and on the subsequent play, very nearly gave up a safety. I venture to say that if almost any other running back had been carrying the ball on that play Ed Reed very likely would have made the tackle he blew on Chris Johnson and made it a safety.
So, on 3rd and 10 and a half with the ball a foot outside the goal line, Kerry Collins drops back and–now eight yards deep in his own end zone and with Terrell Suggs just a step in front of him–throws a short pass to Ahmard Hall at the 1 yard line, who turns up field and runs–untouched–for nine more yards, before being hit and hit hard by Ray Lewis. Now, make no mistake about it, that was a fierce and powerful hit that was without question the Ravens’ hit of the game. But what was the result of the hit? Did it knock the ball out? No. Did it stop Ahmard Hall in his tracks and prevent him from picking up the first down? No. In fact, Hall’s momentum was greater even than the force of the impact and actually carried him for another yard and a half before he hit the ground.
So what was the net result? 1st down Titans at the 12 yard line.
Parallax
Therein lies the parallax in perscpective: as I said before, that was the Ravens’ hit of the game, and though a ferocious hit, it was meaningless within the context of the play, drive, and/or game.
