You could point the finger (not that finger) at the veteran receiver who nonchalantly let a game-winning touchdown toss slip through his hands.

Or at the kicker that decided then was a good time to implode, shanking a tying chip-shot field goal — all thanks to that darn Gillette Stadium scoreboard.

Or, if you’re really grasping for straws, at the coaching staff that opted not to call its final timeout, letting said kicker rush out onto the field with the play-clock dwindling down.

Surprisingly enough, there’s one member of the Ravens that you ultimately cannot place the blame on, and it’s quarterback Joe Flacco, who turned in a record-setting performance. That, coupled with a strong backing by head coach John Harbaugh, is likely to lead him to paydirt in due time.

One day after the dust settled on their season, Harbaugh showered Flacco with praise, subtly suggesting that he played well enough to potentially receive a new contract.

“Obviously, he played well enough to win this game. I think his best football is in front of him,” Harbaugh said. “He’s only getting better. He’s our kind of guy. He’s a tough guy, a competitive guy. He’s a leader, and I just can’t wait to see where this thing goes with him. The plays that he made down the stretch, I think it says a lot about him and his future.”

Later, Flacco was asked whether he’d like a contract extension. His answer was … well, rather anticlimactic.

“Definitely. We’ll see how it goes. If it goes, it goes. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

He did add that his play over the years, especially in the postseason, speaks for itself, and feels like he deserves to be recognized for it — financially, of course.

At least for this season, it’s hard to dispute his point.

During Baltimore’s run to the AFC title game, Flacco was the one consistent, playing an extremely effective game against the Texans in the Divisional Round, followed up by two new team playoff records versus the Pats: Passing yards (306) and QB rating (95.4).

Baltimore went from winning in spite of him to nearly reaching the Super Bowl because of him.

No stranger to the game, Ray Lewis, the soon-to-be 17th-year veteran, realizes that, and is firmly in his corner.

“Joe came in here and proved again that Joe is the quarterback to put you in position to go to a Super Bowl,” linebacker Ray Lewis said.

Owner Steve Bisciotti said last year that he planned on extending Flacco, who’s entering the final year of his rookie deal. That obviously makes a new pact even likelier this offseason.

Although his year ended in absolutely disheartening fashion, the Hall of Fame-bound linebacker intimated that he’ll give it another go in 2012.

Following Baltimore’s 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, Lewis made it clear that he’s “absolutely not” retiring.

“Is this my last time as a Raven? Absolutely not,” Lewis said. “Let me answer that question before somebody asks me. Absolutely not. It’s just too much. Life offers too much. Everytime you step on this field, it’s a true blessing.”

Prior to the start of the season, his sixteenth in the NFL, Lewis, on multiple occasions, hinted that he’s likely to hang ‘em up — especially if the Ravens were to win the Super Bowl. Obviously, that condition is now moot.

Despite a 13th Pro Bowl selection, Lewis experienced one of the worst seasons of his impeccable career, due in part to a toe injury which caused him to sit out four games. Even when healthy, however, Lewis looked susceptible, showing his age (37) both in pass and run support.

Still, he finished as the team’s leading tackler and helped galvanize a defense that went into Foxborough and gave Tom Brady and Co. everything they could handle.

If he’s indeed willing to suit up, Lewis is sure to be back in B’more, making nearly $5 million in base salary. However, look for the Ravens to drastically reduce his snaps, while also beginning to groom his eventual successor.

Arguably, the stakes are higher for the Ravens, who could capture both the division and the AFC’s No. 2 seed with a win.

Baltimore — players and coaches alike — know how much they’ve got vested in this game, expressing as much on Wednesday.

“It’s about us, man. It’s not about them,” Ravens defensive end Cory Redding said. “We need to get this win so we can get what we’re looking for: a bye week and home-field advantage.”

Ray Lewis, whose seen the Bengals (and the playoffs) many times in his illustrious career, emphasized the importance of Sunday’s matchup.

“This is a playoff game,” he said. “The thing is, they’re trying to get in and we’re already in. We have to go finish what we started, what we’ve been working on the whole year. We know that we’re playing for home-field advantage. We know how big that is, to come play in Baltimore. There is nothing else on our mind.”

And he’s right in a sense. The Ravens are fighting for a bye week, doing so against the Bengals, who could lock up a wildcard spot in front of their championship-starved fans.

It’s going to have a playoff atmosphere with so much on the line. Coach John Harbaugh realizes that, and echoed the thoughts of his All-Pro linebacker.

“This is the type of opportunity that you work for in this league,” Harbaugh said. “Everything we put into our offseason work, everything we do is geared toward this time of year. In my mind, this is the playoffs.”

With the historic “HarBowl” clash between the 49ers and Ravens set to get underway, Baltimore announced their inactive players.

Once again, Ray Lewis topped the list.

Lewis was ruled out for the Thanksgiving night contest as he deals with a lingering toe injury, which he visited a specialist about last week, hoping to play again in the near future.

It was originally reported that he’d miss “at least” one game, but there was some speculation that the ailment could keep Lewis out for the rest of the year — and possibly affect his career.

In a sideline interview with NFL Network, Lewis laughed off such rumors, claiming it was simply a coaching decision to hold him out again.

Without Lewis, the Ravens would normally turned to backup Dannell Ellerbe, but he’s also inactive, leaving the team incredibly thin at the position. Brendon Ayanbadejo will replace them in the starting lineup, much to the delight of Niners running back Frank Gore.

This Thanksgiving is particularly special because it will be the first time in the league’s history that two sibling head coaches will face off with one another. That’d be the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh against his brother, John, and the Ravens in Baltimore.

Aside from being a crucial game for both squads, the storyline of these two meeting in this capacity is naturally intriguing.

Obviously, there hasn’t been much football discussed from either coach this week. Instead, they’ve shared what they think the experience will be like for them and their family.

“All the extended Harbaughs will have a great time, one way or the other,” John said. “There will be one Harbaugh side that will be really happy, and there will be another Harbaugh side that will be really, really disappointed. And then Mom and Dad will be torn. That’s how I think it will go.”

Jim, the younger brother of two years, is taking it in stride considering the NFL is making them fly cross-country to play their second game in four days.

“As far as the nostalgia of it, I think it’s very considerate of the NFL to fly us out there,” Jim said. “I haven’t seen him on Thanksgiving in I don’t know how many years. There’s no doubt we got the short end of the straw on this one, but we’ll see if we can make history — it’s the first two brothers have coached against each other, and the first time an NFL team has traveled three times zones to play a Thursday night game after a Sunday game since the league went to a 16-game schedule.”

After the sentiment wears off, this momentous matchup actually projects to be the best Week 12 has to offer. The 9-1 Niners can clinch the NFC West division with a win (and a Seattle loss), and will face their toughest test of the season against the 7-3 Ravens, who look to maintain first place in the AFC North.

No matter who emerges victorious, the primetime tilt should be the perfect way to unwind after stuffing ourselves with a gargantuan amount of food — provided the tryptophan doesn’t kick in first.

However, the team will be a bit shorthanded without their longtime heart and soul of the defense, who’s sidelined for this week — and potentially the next few to come.

According to Ravens Insider Aaron Wilson, linebacker Ray Lewis will miss “at least” Sunday’s game against Cincy and “possibly more” as he’s dealing with a toe injury.

Lewis suffered the injury in last week’s loss to the ‘Hawks, and it’s hindered his ability to practice as of late. He flew to South Florida on Thursday to visit a toe specialist, so it appears a tad more worrisome than originally expected.

Exactly how long Lewis is out depends on how quickly the appendage can heal. Either way, his streak of 57-consecutive starts will come to and end.

Temporary replacements for the future Hall of Famer include Jameel McClain and Brendon Ayanbadejo, who’s more known for his special teams contributions.

Even at age-36, Lewis continues to function at a high level — his 68 tackles leads the team — so his presence will be sorely missed against the Bengals, and especially on Thanksgiving night, when the upstart Niners come to town. It will be interesting to see how Baltimore fairs without him in the middle.

Following the game, CSN Baltimore reports that Suggs called out the coaching staff for not utilizing running back Ray Rice more often throughout the contest.

“They kept it simple. Jones-Drew had 30 carries. His backup (Deji Karim) had 10 or 15. It baffles me that Ray Rice only had seven carries,” Suggs said. “This (Rice) is a Pro Bowl running back we’re talking about. You’ve got to feed the horse. They fed their horse. We got to feed our horse.

Also mentioned by Suggs was receiver Anquan Boldin, who he feels should’ve been an integral part of the gameplan.

“How many catches did Anquan (Boldin) have? We have guys who can do phenomenal things. We’ve got to get them the ball. It’s that simple,” Suggs said.

Although he made these comments because he doesn’t “like to lose,” Suggs is both right and wrong in a sense. Yes, Rice, despite fumbling near the goalline, should have been given more touches, but what lost the game for Baltimore was a combination of good defense on the part of Jacksonville and inconsistent play of quarterback Joe Flacco.

Flacco showed poor signs in the pocket all night, holding the ball for much too long and allowing the Jags’ defenders to contest almost every throw. He wanted to get the ball to its playmakers — like Boldin and rookie Torrey Smith — but his passes were simply off-target and most never had a chance of being completed.

Going forward, Suggs’ wishes should come true as Rice may be in line for a huge workload in Week 8, when the Ravens take on the Cardinals and their porous run defense.

Now the team has ensured he will continue to wreak havoc in Baltimore for years to come.

According to insider Aaron Wilson, the Ravens signed Ngata to a mega five-year extension on Tuesday.

The financial specifics have yet to be released, though Wilson reports the first two years of the new deal will pay him a total of $40 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid non-quarterback in the league.

The way the contract was structured ensures he’ll get a second chance to cash in down the road.

“Haloti is one of the best players in football,” agent Deryk Gilmore said. “He’s being paid like that.”

As the team’s franchise player, playing on a one-year, $12.5 million tender, the Ravens had a 4 p.m. EST deadline to get a long-term deal done.

The 2006′s draft No. 12 overall selection, Ngata quickly blossomed into a premium defensive lineman, recording 257 tackles, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, 15 passes defensed, and three interceptions. The latter two stats show just how versatile of a player he is, and why he’s a three-time first-team All-Pro.

According to the Associated Press, the NFL has suspended Ravens offensive line coach Andy Moeller two games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. He was also fined $47,000.

Moeller was arrested last fall for driving while intoxicated, a charge he plead guilty to in April. Although he avoided jail time, Moeller couldn’t escape the impending discipline commissioner Roger Goodell was inevitably going to dish out.

In the interim, Todd Washington will take over the coaching duties for the O-line. Head coach John Harbaugh seems to think the unit won’t miss a beat without Moeller on the sidelines.

“We knew this was coming,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We’ve prepared for it. Todd has done a very good job. He’s a very good coach. Andy has set things up very well. It’s a group effort.”

This is just further proof that the players aren’t the only one’s that must abide by the off-the-field policies established by the NFL. Moeller isn’t the first coach to be reprimanded in this fashion, and he certainly won’t be the last.

Up to this point, the Ravens’ offensive line — most notably their tackles — haven’t looked completely up to snuff. Realizing that, the team is eying a veteran who could help their protection woes.

Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times is hearing that the Ravens are “very interested” in free agent left tackle Bryant McKinnie. Jensen, a Bears beat reporter, previously covered the Vikings — McKinnie’s former team — so his hearsay definitely holds water.

McKinnie was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2002 draft, and spent the first nine seasons of his career in Minnesota. He was released by the Vikes this summer after reporting to training camp weighing nearly 400 pounds.

There was some speculation that McKinnie asked for his release shortly before the Vikings cut him loose, hoping he could latch on with another team before the season begins.

If he can return to his 2010 playing weight, around 360 pounds, McKinnie would be a nice addition to the Ravens.

Currently, Baltimore has Michael Oher and Oniel Cousins manning the tackle positions, with rookie Jah Reid also in the mix. Oher hasn’t played up to his potential this preseason, and Reid still has a long ways to go.

Provided he gets his weight under control, the 31-year-old McKinnie could step in and join his former teammate, Matt Birk, along the o-line, providing solid depth at a minimum — and making quarterback Joe Flacco’s life that much easier.