I'll tumble for ya

"Ed Reed #20 of the Baltimore Ravens tumbles after intercepting the ball against Andre Johnson #80 of the Houston Texans (not pictured) during the fourth quarter of the AFC Divisional playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 15, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens, 20-13, win advances them to meet the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game."

One of the best pieces of advice I ever learned as an athlete was to never show your weakness.

No matter how much you may struggle to beat an opponent, stay strong and finish until the end.

The Ravens certainly showed some vulnerabilities and at times I absolutely thought the Texans would be moving on. But the Ravens finished strong and will be advancing to the AFC Championship Game next week.

While I don't show my weaknesses, I will say not every assignment is as perfect as we wish. In other words, much like the Ravens, I've had much stronger performances, too.

My friend Trent Nelson said it best, "You will disappoint your editors, clients, readers, and even your parents. But that's how you learn technique and develop style. So when it happens embrace it."

It wasn't until late in the game when Ed Reed made an interception right in front of me to seal the victory that I made my favorite frame of the game. Sticking with the long glass on the play proved to be worth it.

Alas, what I'm trying to say is that this was a mediocre game at best. Conversely, this past season has been one of my best NFL seasons to date, so I'll take one bad game a season at this rate.

And since it would be a an act of Tebow god to get to shoot the AFC Championship Game next week, I'll chalk this one up and ready myself for the 2012-13 NFL season.