Dundalk Ravens Fans Say "Superbowl or Bust!"

Logan Elementary school teacher and certified Raven's maniac Dana Jackson is positive that the Ravens will beat the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship at 3 p.m. Sunday and move on to play in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5.

“Oh we are going to win,” said Jackson. “that's a definite.”

Jackson, a PSL holder feels that fans should be proud of the team's recent success even though they haven't brought home the Lombardi Trophy since 2001.

“With the way the league is today its hard to even make the playoffs.” said Jackson. “We should be proud of our team for their accomplishments, but I think this is our year to win the big one.”

Sparrows Point high school quarterback Justin Gensicki also thinks that this years squad is primed for a Superbowl run, but feels that this might be the last chance for some of the older players.

“The window is closing for this group of players,” said Gensicki. “Ray Lewis is slowing down and Ed Reed is becoming injury prone. This year may be Superbowl or bust for them.”

Gensicki feels that while the curtain may be closing on the aging defensive players, the team is stocked with young offensive talent that may have to carry the team in the future.

“This is the most important playoffs for the Ravens so far,” said Gensicki. “With defensive legends like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed at the end of their carreer its time for young offensive talents like Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, and Torrey Smith to take a larger roll in the team's success.

The Ravens are the only NFL team to make the playoffs—and win a postseason game—each of the last four seasons. The accomplishment is not something to be overlooked in a league where salary cap limitations leads to constant roster turnover on an annual basis.

Consider the following:

• The Texans were in the NFL for 10 seasons before even making the postseason this year.

• The Cincinnati Bengals have not won a postseason game in 21 years.

• The Detroit Lions have not won a playoff game since the 1991 season, their lone postseason victory dating back to 1957.

While the excitement for remains at a feverish pitch, fans and players admit coming up short to a return trip to Super Bowl would leave many in Baltimore with a level of frustration.

is in his ninth season with the team and has played in the postseason in six of those years. Suggs said just making it to the AFC Championship Game for the second time in four seasons is no longer acceptable.

“It's not enough anymore, just making it to the playoffs,” Suggs said. “We've done that before… So, it's good, but we know it's definitely not enough. I think, if anything, we all know what this team's potential is and what everybody's expecting out of us. So, we've just got to go perform and play."  

Ravens running back agrees.

“Everybody knows what's at stake,” Rice said. “We've been in the playoffs for the last four years; we've been spoiled. But getting here is not good enough anymore.

“Everybody knows the expectation; we expect to make the playoffs. But we also expect to compete for the ultimate goal, and that's the Super Bowl."