Ravens Give Patriots A Death Struggle

Bob George

Jan 10, 2015 at 9:29pm ET

FOXBOROUGH - There were experts out there that thought this most recent renewal of one of the NFL's biggest grudge matches would be the easiest for the Patriots.

The Ravens barely made the playoffs, and would not have done so had San Diego not laid an egg at Kansas City on the final weekend. Ben Roethlisberger riddled the Ravens defense earlier this year for six touchdown passes. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Ray Rice are no longer players to concern yourselves over.

Meanwhile, the Patriots now have a shutdown defense. Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner delivered on all their promise. Certainly Joe Flacco wouldn't bedevil the Patriots like he has done in several earlier playoff contests, all at Gillette Stadium.

Easy?

Much is made of this rivalry, and it turns out that it is still not enough. The Patriots and Ravens perhaps now provide the most compelling football this league has to offer. The Ravens got here by getting revenge on Roethlisberger last weekend at Heinz Field, while the Patriots got in as the top AFC playoff seed. Many sectors of Patriots Nation look at Baltimore coming to Gillette Stadium and go "Oh, no." And they're right.

The Patriots twice found themselves down two touchdowns, and twice they came back to tie the game. The last score of the game gave the Patriots their first lead of the game. And despite a late interception by Duron Harmon, it wasn't until Devin McCourty knocked down a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game which sealed a 35-31 Patriot win over Baltimore in the AFC Divisional Playoff game on Saturday. The Patriots will host the winner of Indianapolis and Denver on Sunday at Sports Authority Field next weekend for the right to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona.

The two rallies from 14 points down established a postseason first in NFL history. The Ravens scored on their first two possessions of the game, but the Patriots tied the game just before halftime. The Ravens then ran it up to 28-14, but the Patriots were able to pull even on a gadget play. Tom Brady hit Brandon LaFell with a 23-yard scoring pass with 5:21 left in the game to give the Patriots their only lead at 35-31. It was Brady's 46^th career postseason touchdown pass, passing Joe Montana for tops on the all time list.

All game long, Flacco was able to riddle the Patriot defense with a solid pass attack (Flacco was 17 of 22 for 146 yards and three touchdowns and a 133.7 rating - in the first half). In addition, Justin Forsett gouged the Patriot defense with 129 yards rushing on 29 carries for a 5.4 yards per carry average. There were times where the Patriots looked powerless to stop the Ravens on offense. Flacco had effortlessly had his way with the Patriots in previous postseason games, and he looked totally calm in the game and laughing on the sidelines.

What brought the Patriots back were two main elements: Brady being vintage Brady and the defense making big plays when it had to. Flacco did throw two interceptions, with one being inconsequential but the second literally ending the game. With no rushing attack at all (Patriot rushers had 14 yards on 13 carries), Brady carried the Patriots on his broad shoulders, finishing 33 of 50 passing for a franchise postseason record 367 yards, three touchdowns and a 99.3 average.

Julian Edelman fired a 51-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola to key the Patriots winning the AFC Divisional Game on Saturday night against Baltimore.
(USA TODAY Images)

The play everyone will be talking about was not made by Brady, but rather by Julian Edelman. The former quarterback at Kent State who was converted to a wideout by the Patriots finally got to show off his throwing arm. With 4:28 to go in the third quarter, first and ten at the Patriot 49, Brady took the snap and threw a backwards pass to Edelman to the left side. Edelman then looked down field and fired a strike to Danny Amendola who was wide open. The 51-yard pass tied the game at 28. This was perhaps the first time the Patriots tried this sort of play since a 2001 game at Indianapolis when David Patten caught, ran and threw for a touchdown pass in the same game.

Two plays later, Flacco threw his first bad pass of the night, trying to hit Torrey Smith on a crossing pattern deep in his own territory. The overthrown ball was intercepted by Devin McCourty, and the Patriots had the ball at the Baltimore 37, seemingly in a position to take control of the game. But Brady threw three straight incompletions, and the Patriots were forced to punt. The Ravens made the Patriots pay for that three and out by driving from their own 20 to the Patriot 6 as the game moved into the fourth quarter. Forsett bludgeoned the tired Patriot defense for 47 yards on eight carries on this drive.

But in what proved to be a critical moment of the game, the Patriots were able to keep Baltimore out of the end zone. On third and goal at the six, Patrick Chung made one of his more important plays of his Patriot career by defending Owen Daniels in the end zone, forcing Flacco to throw high and out of the end zone. The Ravens settled for a 25-yard field goal by Justin Tucker, but it allowed the Patriots to take the lead with a touchdown instead of merely tying the game.

Brady took the Patriots on a ten-play, 74-yard drive, with nine of the ten plays being passes and the only run a Brady sneak on second and one at midfield. The Patriots found paydirt when Brady lofted a touch pass to the left sideline, and LaFell was able to haul in the pass for a 23-yard touchdown to make it 35-31 Patriots.

Baltimore had 6:41 to respond, and needed a touchdown. Flacco was able to take the Ravens to the Patriot 36, keyed by a clutch pass to Daniels on fourth and three for 17 yards to keep the drive going. On second and five at the 36, Flacco dropped back, avoided a sack and rolled left, then lofted a dying quail towards the end zone. Torrey Smith was double-covered, and the floater landed in the arms of Duron Harmon in the end zone.

Baltimore had one timeout, and the Patriots went into victory formation with 1:39 left. On fourth down, John Harbaugh used that timeout with 15 seconds left. That call gave Baltimore one last chance at midfield with four seconds left. Flacco heaved one towards the end zone with about 12 players waiting for the jump ball. McCourty smartly knocked the ball away from the end zone so that anyone who might catch it would not score. The ball fell to the ground and the Patriots will now play for the AFC Championship next weekend at home.

There is no question that Baltimore stands toe to toe with the Patriots. Harbaugh can coach just as well as Bill Belichick in any game, big or small. Flacco never needs to take a back seat to Brady. This is one time that the Patriots simply made the plays. Give the Ravens credit for playing the Patriots tough, though it is not out of the question for a six seed to go deep in the playoffs.

So, next week, Peyton Manning's current team or old team comes to Foxborough. Don't lose that hypertension medication.