The Baltimore Ravens were the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, but experience outweighed the odds.
Led by two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, the Ravens’ season came to an abrupt end after they misfired in the most important game of the year.
Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs remained the champions of the AFC, advancing to their fourth Super Bowl in five years.
Baltimore went 13-4 in the regular season and earned the No. 1 seed, but missed the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
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Kyle Hamilton of the Baltimore Ravens during pregame warmups against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on December 25, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
Members of the Ravens, including Kyle Hamilton and Kyle Van Noy, still traveled to Las Vegas for media rounds rather than preparing for the big game.
Looking back on the season, Hamilton said he was positive.
“I’ve been here two days. I’ve been speaking to a lot of media. Same questions,” Hamilton told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “But I think it’s certainly something to look back on and be proud of.
“Obviously, we didn’t get the result we wanted, but we were in the final four of the 32 teams we thought would win the Super Bowl before the season. We were actually one game away from next season. We need to play games like this.”I think we could have won, we should have won, and that would be indicative of our start next year.
“It’s something to build on. We got there, and hopefully next year we’ll get over the hump.”
Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, 87, hits Baltimore Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton during the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game on January 28, 2024, at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. (14 years old) caught a touchdown pass. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Van Noy is a two-time Super Bowl champion, so it’s no wonder he was a little more outspoken.
“I was pretty bad about this game. I left the house for the first time on Tuesday, so it’s been a whole week since I left the house,” Van Noy said. “In a way it’s disappointing, because I was playing in the last game and I knew we were one of the best teams I’ve ever played. And I was holding my breath. I feel like that.”
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“It’s disappointing. It sucks. I hate talking about this, but it’s a fact. We have to accept this and move forward.”
Deep down, Van Noy, like his All-Pro teammate Hamilton, is thinking positively.
“I think it was awesome. I enjoyed going to work every day because I had the opportunity to play with such a fun and talented group. It’s not always like that, but our group is special. We were the best defense in the league.
“But we didn’t do it in the most important game of the quarter.”
Kyle Van Noy of the Baltimore Ravens leaves the field during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 17, 2023 at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
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Van Noy originally signed with the Ravens in late September to join the practice squad. He then set a career-high with nine sacks. Although his future in Baltimore is uncertain, he is confident the team will be fine with or without him.
“I’m excited about the future of the Ravens,” he said. “To me, they have the best core in the NFL, with a solid group of young players. … They’re going to be around for years to come.”
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