PHILADELPHIA (CBS) Billy Cundiff didn’t know what down it was on Sunday when he rushed on to the field to try and kick a game tying field goal in the AFC Championship game, and it wasn’t his fault. Baltimore Ravens kicking consultant Randy Brown told Angelo Cataldi and The Morning Team today on 94 WIP that the scoreboard in New England was incorrect during that final drive. “The scoreboard was one down behind, the entire last three plays, from what we understand,” Brown said. That caused Billy Cundiff to have to rush on to the field with just seconds left on the play clock to try and make the kick, which he missed. When Cataldi asked Brown if he thought the Patriots did it it on purpose to gain an advantage, Brown replied, “I don’t think you can rule anything out in New England, can you?”

This took, what?  All of 48 hours?  Less?  How did the Ravens manage to hold out so long before the finger pointing and excuse making started?  Congratulations, Baltimore.  That’s more restraint than you ever showed before.

I have a confession  to make.  There’s been a lot of talk the last two days about what happened on the Ravens sideline, but I was unaware of all this as it was happening.  I didn’t even see Cundiff sprinting to the Ravens formation from about the Foxboro/ Walpole line.  But in fairness to me, I was too busy throwing up in my mouth and wishing I’d never been born to notice.  I had to go back and check the DVR.  But who could’ve imagined this?  A kicker not being ready to kick is like a firefighter not being ready to fight a fire or a hooker not being ready to give head when a guy walks down an alley with cash.

That said, who really is at fault here? Not to let Cundiff off the hook, but isn’t this really on his coaches? If the student fails, isn’t it really the teacher that failed?   In addition to “Kicking Consultant” Brown, Baltimore had the following coaches on that sidelines:

*Asst. Head Coach/ Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Rosburg

*Asst. Special Teams Coach Marwan Maalouf

*Offensive Quality Control Jason Brooks

*Offensive Asst. Todd Washington

*…Not to mention Head fucking Coach John Harbaugh who hired all these people, paid them good money, gave them overly long titles full of diminutives like “Asst” and “Consultant” only to watch Brown and the rest of them stand around in crunch time with their thumbs up their asses.

I say the blame is square on Brown. I mean, Cundiff is a kicker. A foot soldier (pun intended).  What the hell was the “Kicking Consultant” doing if not… you know… consulting the kicker?  And news flash to Brown: The Patriots are not in charge of managing the clock, the scoreboard, the down & distance or keeping the chains.  The NFL does that.  They have no more control over that shit than Ray Lewis does.  If the Ravens were confused and befuddled, they should take it up with the commissioner.  I guarantee you everyone on the Patriots knew what the situation was.  The Ravens panicked and the Pats didn’t and that’s why New England plays on, period.  So anyone on that Baltimore sidelines who cracked under pressure can take their “cheating” talk and cram it up their ass.  Though they’ll probably miss, wide left.  @JerryThornton1