Ravens force overtime with desperate heave, shock Broncos
DENVER — Welcome to NFL immortality, Joe Flacco.
Somewhere up there in the all-time playoff archives near the “Hail Mary” by Staubach and the “Immaculate Reception” by Franco now lives the “Flacco Fling” by the Baltimore Ravens quarterback.
One big throw down the sideline, 70 make-or-break yards on a wing and a prayer — a high, arcing touchdown pass that soared through the icy air, flew over two defenders, landed in the hands of Jacoby Jones, saved the game for Baltimore and kept Ray Lewis’ 17-year career going at least one more week.
The record will show Justin Tucker kicked a 47-yard field goal 1:42 into the second overtime Saturday to give the Ravens a 38-35 victory over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. The highlight? That would be Flacco’s game-tying touchdown to Jones on third-and-3 from the 30 with 31 seconds left in regulation and no timeouts.
“At that point,” Flacco said, “you have to start taking shots. You have to get a little lucky.”
And while Flacco gets to celebrate that throw, Manning will have a long offseason to think about a really bad one.
On Denver’s second possession of overtime, he stopped and threw across his body to the middle of the field and into the arms of Ravens cornerback Corey Graham at Denver’s 45. Baltimore (12-6) ran five plays and gained 16 yards before Tucker sailed his winning kick down the middle.
The Manning throw, intended for Brandon Stokley, was one that quarterbacks from junior high to the pros are advised not to make. It’s a throw that unraveled all the good Manning has accomplished during this, his comeback season from neck surgery during which he threw for 37 touchdowns and led the Broncos (13-4) to top seeding in the AFC.
“Yeah, bad throw,” Manning said. “Probably the decision wasn’t great either. I thought I had an opening, and I didn’t get enough on it, and I was trying to make a play and certainly a throw I’d like to have back.”
Lewis, who led the Ravens with 17 tackles over this nearly 77-minute game in 13-degree weather, kneeled down to the ground and put his helmet on the rock-solid turf when it was over.
“I’ve never been a part of a game so crazy in my life,” he said.
After he thaws out, the Ravens, 9½-point underdogs for this one, will get ready for a game at New England in the AFC title game.
Flacco, who finished with 331 yards and three scores, was standing around the 20 for his throw, buying time in the pocket when he saw Jones sprinting down the right sideline into double coverage.
Jones caught it and pranced into the end zone, blowing kisses toward the crowd.
