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Ravens’ dynamic duo has timeless quality

THIS STORY APPEARED IN

January 22, 2012|By Julian Benbow

Ray Lewis (52), always one of Ed Reeds biggest supporters, celebrates the… (patrick smith/Reuters )

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Whether you hear it or not, the clock is always ticking.

It was ticking when Ray Lewis was a rookie, when the Ravens were starting a new incarnation in Baltimore.

It was ticking when Lewis guided them to the Super Bowl in 2001, it hasn’t stopped ticking in the 11 years since.

It started ticking as soon as Ed Reed stepped on the field in 2002, when Reed seemed to tackle anything that moved and to pick off every pass in his vicinity.

It’s still ticking. Only now the ticking is too loud to ignore.

And now when Lewis and Reed talk, they speak like men who know they have more football behind them than in front of them.

Reed carries with him a sort of weariness, a body constantly fighting injuries after 10 seasons.

He came up with the interception that sealed the Ravens’ win over the Texans last week and set up today’s AFC Championship game against the Patriots. It was his eighth interception in 10 postseason games. It put him in the same company as Rod Woodson, Darren Sharper, and Deion Sanders.

There was a day when Reed was the young ballhawk staring at those names as though they were historical figures.

But at that moment, he conceded he was becoming one of them, and that the day would soon come when there would be another younger, greater safety.

Lewis is as close to an action hero as there is in the NFL. Maximus in the coliseum.

If he’s at the point where there’s light at the end of the tunnel, Lewis is staring it down.

“Everybody here has to appreciate that great warriors fight until the end,’’ he said. “Those are the stories that you’ll always remember.’’

How close they are to the end is uncertain. But they realize that at this stage in their careers, getting this close to the Super Bowl gives them a precious opportunity they have to take advantage of.

It’s something Lewis has stressed to his teammates all week, according to running back Ray Rice.

“It’s like he preaches,’’ Rice said. “These moments don’t come by too often, and you have to embrace every moment that you have with this team.’’

Critical decision

In 1996, there was a debate in Baltimore over whether the Ravens would be better served going with Pepper Johnson as their middle linebacker rather than Lewis.

Johnson had won two Super Bowls with the Giants.

Lewis was a rookie.

Before the franchise made the move from Cleveland to Baltimore, Johnson had led the Browns in tackles in 1995-96.

Lewis was a rookie.

Johnson was a proven leader, respected in the locker room, and almost never let an injury keep him out of a game or a practice.

Lewis was a rookie.

But the front office had used one of its two first-round picks to select Lewis.

They then invested $5 million in him over five years.