Commentary and live analysis from Sunday's A.F.C. championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. The game was a rematch of the teams' meeting in last year's title game, won by the Patriots. The Ravens got a measure of revenge with a last-second win earlier this season, but that wasn't nearly enough for them. To follow the game as it happened, read on.
10:07 P.M. |Not Ready to Retire
10:03 P.M. |This Way to the Family Reunion
9:50 P.M. |FINAL: Ravens 28, Patriots 13
Joe Flacco threw three second-half touchdown pass to lead the Baltimore Ravens to a 28-13 victory over the New England Patriots in the A.F.C. championship game in Foxborough, Mass.
With its victory, Baltimore avenged a bitter loss to the Patriots in last year's championship game and set up an N.F.L. first: two brothers, Ravens Coach John Harbaugh and San Francisco 49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh, will face off in the Super Bowl, in two weeks in New Orleans.
Trailing by 13-7 at halftime, the Ravens became noticeably more aggressive with their play-calling in the second half. Flacco threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dennis Pitta in the third quarter to give Baltimore the lead, then added two scoring throws to the veteran Anquan Boldin in the fourth.
At the same time, the Ravens' defense was pitching a second-half shutout, frustrating Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (29-54, 320 yards) and punishing any Patriot who had the temerity to gain even a single yard against them. By the end of the fourth quarter the game had become a sideline celebration for Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, the team's inspirational leader.
Lewis announced before the playoffs that he would retire at the end of the season. Win or lose, he will have his sendoff at the Super Bowl.
9:45 P.M. |Flacco Will Go to 8-4 in Postseason
Flacco vs Eli, Peyton, Brady, Rivers, Romo this year: 6-1.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) 21 Jan 13
Brady celebrates by throwing an interception in the end zone with 1:06 left.
Game over.
9:48 P.M. |Memo to Mr. Kaepernick:
9:39 P.M. |The Ravens Are Punting, and Dancing
New England just used its last timeout.
The Patriots were 67-0 at home when leading at halftime.
Until today.
9:35 P.M. |Ravens on the Move. Slowly. Safely.
Suddenly remembering what they should be doing here, the Ravens run the ball seven straight times — and picking up two critical first downs through Rice and Leach — as the clock ticks toward the two-minute warning.
Ray Lewis is prowling the sideline, screaming "Woooooooooooo!" and thinking about where he's going to eat in New Orleans.
9:34 P.M. |Twisting the Knife in Foxboro
Confirmed. Brady/Belichick did, in fact, sell their soul in exchange for 3 SBs and a 16-0 season. Read the fine print next time, guys.
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 21 Jan 13
9:30 P.M. |A Glimmer of Hope — Dashed
Brady hand-delivers Belichick's note, then throws a 34-yard pass to Welker on first down and races to the Ravens 24 to get off the next play.
On the next play, Brady fires a ball in the direction of Hernandez, but it's deflected high into the air at the line of scrimmage and pulled down by Dannell Ellerbee. Brady's face says it all. "Can this really be happening? I'm Tom Brady. I've got a drawer full of rings and a closet full of Uggs and now we're going to lose to these guys????"
Across the field, Harbaugh scrawls across Belichick's note:
Dear Bill:
If you didn't want the ball, why did you give it back so fast? Oh, and thanks for all that game film you sent us. But we couldn't use it. We already know what our practices look like.
Thanks anyway. I'll give Jim your best when I get to New Orleans.
John
9:36 P.M. |Turnovers Kill
The ravens' newfound aggressiveness worked against them there. Three straight pass plays produce a sack, two incompletions and a punt. And the whole series takes less than a minute off the clock.
Belichick quickly pulls out a scrap of paper and scribbles a thank you note.
Dear John,
Thanks to you and your staff for the moronic playcalling there. It was the only thing that would have saved us, and it was kind of you to give it to us.
All my best,
Bill
HC, NEP
9:25 P.M. |Truth. Re: the Brady Scramble
Joe Flacco would have gotten that first down.
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 21 Jan 13
9:21 P.M. |Cumulative Effects?
A long day of blistering hits seems to be working in the Ravens' favor here in the fourth: Vereen drops a second-down pass near a first down when he sneaks a peek upfield to see who's lining him up; Welker drops another ball on the sideline with Pollard breathing down his neck; and, on fourth-and-4, Brady is flushed but decides against running for a makeable first down and instead lobs a ball into an open spot in the end zone to avoid a possible hit.
The Ravens take over at their 19 with 8:27 left. But mentally, it seems, they may have already won.
9:22 P.M. |Boldin Soars High
9:18 P.M. |Re: the Ridley Hit by Pollard
Folks, there is no helmet-to-helmet penalty for a hit to a running back on a running play. This is very basic stuff.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) 21 Jan 13
That said, the Patriots announce that Ridley will not return, making any Brady comeback that much harder.
9:17 P.M. |Chase Seems to Be of Two Minds
Glass is half full:
Lot of people trying to throw dirt on the Pats, but slow down. Pats can score two touchdowns in about 3 minutes.
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 21 Jan 13
Glass is half empty:
Tom Brady has never led a 4QC with his team trailing by more than 11 points.
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 21 Jan 13
9:13 P.M. |Oh By the Way …. TOUCHDOWN!!!!
Ridley's fumble gave Baltimore the ball on the New England 47, and Flacco needs only four plays to find Boldin for another score against the beaten-down New England defense. That's 21 unanswered points by the Ravens, and a 28-13 lead with 11 minutes left. With the wind chill in the low 20s and the fair-weather Patriots fans in the crowd almost certainly gathering their things, expect Ray Lewis and Co. to be celebrating in front of less than a full house.
9:18 P.M. |This Isn't How We Drew It Up
9:11 P.M. |Review Upholds the Fumble
Good call — Ridley's leg knocked the ball loose before his leg was on the ground.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) 21 Jan 13
Ridley was up on the bench, but now they've taken him inside for testing.
9:07 P.M. |FUMBLE! Ridley Coughs It Up
As if on cue, Pollard slams into Ridley at the end of a run — full-on head-to-head collision — and the balls flies out of Ridley's suddenly uncontrollable arms. A devastating hit, that might have just ended things here.
Wow. That's the sort of play the NFL is afraid of seeing, but a huge play. Ravens ball here.
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 21 Jan 13
A break in play as Ridley is tended to.
9:05 P.M. |Ravens-Niners May Be the Hardest-Hitting Super Bowl Yet
Just saying. Guys like Pollard and Suggs really lay into people. And that's even after Pitta was on the receiving end of the day's biggest hit.
9:01 P.M. |TOUCHDOWN! – Flacco to Boldin. Nice and Easy.
On first and goal on the first play of the fourth quarter, Flacco drops straight back and lobs a ball toward the crossbar where Boldin just goes up and gets it. Boldin, who last week told reporters that this year's championship game would be different "because we're gonna win."
The change in tone is evident everywhere: in the Ravens' play, in the suddenly silent stands and most important on the scoreboard, which reads Ravens 21, Patriots 13.
Great job by Harbaugh/Caldwell/Flacco on that drive…. stayed aggressive, went in for the kill. Smelling blood right now.
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 21 Jan 13
8:58 P.M. |End of the Third: Ravens About to Extend Their Lead
Aggressive play-calling suits the Ravens, who are nearing the end of another long drive set up by a deft mix of runs, screens and great play calls out of the no huddle.
9:01 P.M. |Follow the Leader
8:39 P.M. |Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way
8:50 P.M. |Time to Be Proactive
You may want to start preparing yourself, America, for two weeks of Ray Lewis and of learning everything you ever wanted to know about growing up in the Harbaugh household.
8:49 P.M. |The Patriots Punt Again
If this was the Jets, they'd spend the next 20 minutes trying to protect a 1-point lead. Assume Harbaugh's smarter than that.
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 21 Jan 13
8:43 P.M. |Blowin' in the Wind
As the ball blows off the tee for the second time before the Ravens kick off, remember that Brady and the Patriots will have the wind at their backs in the fourth quarter for a late drive or, possibly, a potential winning kick.
8:39 P.M. |TOUCHDOWN! Ravens — Flacco to Pitta
One play after he was on the end of a decleating hit by Jerod Mayo that will go down in NFL Films history, Pitta snaps up and pulls in a 5-yard touchdown pass.
Great drive for Baltimore: 10 plays (nine passes) to go 87 yards, but more important, they trot off with a 14-13 lead with 6:14 left in the third quarter.
Welker must be kicking himself.
8:35 P.M. |Ravens Getting Aggressive
Their drive starts with five straight passes. One draws an interference penalty, another a 22-yard gain to Pitta. Then a pass that could have been a flag, and a screen to Rice for 15 more.
Just like that, they've moved to the 30 with the wind at their backs.
Huge play differential in first half: 45-27 in favor of Patriots.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) 21 Jan 13
8:33 P.M. |Was That Ty Cobb Brady?
8:30 P.M. |A Welker Drop, and Another Punt
Bad, bad drop by Welker on third-and-7 ends a promising drive that had the Ravens on their heels. Mesko punts again, and again he pins the Ravens inside their 20. Field position has been the Patriots' 12 man today.
Still, Welker probably cost him team points there. And in a 6-point game, that's a big play.
Hernandez up to eight catches with yet another short grab, and Welker with 24 more yards — and 15 extra for a personal foul — push the ball into plus territory again.
8:24 P.M. |The Ravens' First Drive Stalls
Good start to the half, and a good mix of plays from Jim Caldwell. But the Patriots stiffen and force a punt. Flacco is slapping his hands together in anger as he goes off, but it's unclear if he's mad at himself or at his receivers, who just seem to be getting outplayed by a hair when it matters.
8:21 P.M. |A Good Way to Keep Baltimore From Scoring
Huge play differential in first half: 45-27 in favor of Patriots.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) 21 Jan 13
8:12 P.M. |Hernandez a Key Target
8:07 P.M. |Tom Brady: Michael Phelps Is Mad at You
I mean really? You're allowed to just kick your spikes up like that at the end of a play?? #cheapwaytoplay
— Michael Phelps (@MichaelPhelps) 21 Jan 13
8:02 P.M. |Costly Indecision
Brady scrambles for four yards, angering the Ravens by sliding with his leg high into Ed Reed, but he fails to call timeout and the clock runs down to four seconds before the Patriots finally do.
Instead of a few shots in the end zone, they settle for a 25-yard field goal by Gostkowski. They may regret that.
Halftime: Patriots 13, Ravens 6
8:01 P.M. |Brady on the Run, to Hernandez
Rolling right with a lineman breathing down his neck, Brady flips the ball to Hernandez, who spins to the 10. First and goal, 26 seconds left before the half.
7:58 P.M. |Fourth-and-1 Fakeout
Less than a minute to go in the half and Brady pulls a fast one, pretending to signal the sideline while the direct snap goes to Woodhead right next to him. Before the Ravens can react, Woodhead is 7 yards downfield. Great call. And they've done it before.
And it still works.
7:56 P.M. |Ravens' Joy Is Short Lived
7:34 P.M. |Brady-to-Welker — TOUCHDOWN!
The big play on this drive was the 24-yard completion to Welker, so it's fitting that he catches the 1-yard pass for the touchdown. Brady really softened up the Ravens on that drive, keeping them guessing. It ends with two Ravens arguing in the end zone over which one of them was supposed to have Welker.
In the box of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Rob Gronkowski trades high fives with the owner and his pals. Patriots 10, Ravens 7. Just over four minutes left in the half.
7:30 P.M. |Rice Inside, Then Out — TOUCHDOWN!!!
After an ill-conceived throw toward Pitta in the corner of the end zone from the 2, Flacco comes to his senses and hands the ball to Rice. He gets to the line, cuts out, then out again to his left and strolls in. TOUCHDOWN!! Ravens 7, Patriots 3.
Just as troubling as the score for the Patriots, though, is that defensive back Patrick Chung was hurt on the play. With Talib gone to the locker room already, they're getting dangerously thin back there.
Pats are 7-2 at home this year. 7-0 when scoring 7+ points in the 1Q, 0-2 when scoring fewer.
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 21 Jan 13
7:29 P.M. |Patriots Getting the Better of It on Special Teams
7:22 P.M. |End of the First Quarter
Ravens pinned at their 10 again after another precise Mesko punt.
So far, I'm writing my sidebar on Zoltan Mesko. #puntpuntpuntpunt
— Ben Shpigel (@benshpigel) 21 Jan 13
7:19 P.M. |Wilfork Is M.I.A.
Flacco, like Brady, hasn't faced much pressure. Vince Wilfork just got some rare airtime, but not in the middle but on the sideline. Gesturing wildly, he was talking to an assistant coach. Guessing at the exchange here:
Coach: "Really? The whole thing?"
Wilfork: "Yup. Two pounds of roast beef, and the roll was this long. Even I couldn't believe I finished it."
But I may be wrong.
After driving inside the 40, the Patriots punt rather than attempt a 52-yard field goal into the wind. With a fair catch at the 8, the Ravens are pinned inside the 20 for the third drive in a row.
7:16 P.M. |Ravens Quiet So Far
7:08 P.M. |Worth Watching: Talib Is Hurt
Great play by Aqib Talib to break up the third-down pass to Anquan Boldin and force a Ravens punt. But he grabbed his right hamstring after the knockdown and hopped to the sideline.
If he's hurt, that could be a huuuuge blow. The Patriots need him to lock up Boldin — Baltimore's sure-handed possession guy — so they can focus more than one set of hands on the Ravens' deep threat.
7:10 P.M. |Patriots Strike First
6:58 P.M. |Brady's Just So Good
He's really showing off his arm so far: fastballs over the middle, a sidearm throw to Hernandez, the deep ball to Welker. All into the wind.
But on third-and-2 Ridley is stopped at the line, and Gostokowski comes on for a 31-yard field goal. That's 32 straight red zone trips with points, according to CBS, which is quite impressive.
Patriots 3, Ravens 0 with 6:21 left in the first quarter.
6:51 P.M. |Three and Out for the Ravens
I'd like to thank both teams for giving me a breather after 49ers-Falcons. I'll be honest, the prospect of liveblogging the no-huddle was scaring me.
Good thing there's a foghorn here at Gillette. Because I associate New England and Patriots with foghorns.
— Ben Shpigel (@benshpigel) 20 Jan 13
6:44 P.M. |Missed Catch, and Opportunity
Three runs by Ridley — and a lack of pressure up front — let Brady loft a deep ball for Welker, but it's off his fingertips. The Patriots have to punt — or do they????
The backup quarterback calls a shift out of punt formation and slips under center. Unnerved, the Ravens play it safe and call a fast timeout.
6:42 P.M. |Patriots Get the Ball First
But Brady will be throwing into the wind. Imagine them in their home blue as you read this. The Ravens are in white.
6:38 P.M. |Ray Lewis Is Crying During the Anthem
Because of course he is.
6:37 P.M. |Belichick With Freshly Cut Sleeves
You know it's playoff time when the cutoff sleeves are fresh.
6:34 P.M. |The Ravens' Motivation
6:26 P.M. |Pregame Numbers
8: Years since Tom Brady won a Super Bowl. Oh, he's been there, as Giants fans well know, but he hasn't lifted the trophy since beating the Eagles in 2005.
5: Joe Flacco has won a playoff game in his first five seasons, the first quarterback in N.F.L. history to do so. Much maligned in some quarters, he has more playoff wins than any quarterback since 2008.
0: Credibility James Brown has every time he throws to an advertiser like the eTrade baby during pregame shows.
Also:
If the Patriots win, Seattle will become the 17th team to beat both Super Bowl teams in the same year http://t.co/VAnjwkRE
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 20 Jan 13
5:25 P.M. |The Karma Bowl: Part II
Lest you think Lewis's past puts the Patriots in white hats today, don't forget that their coach, Bill Belichick, was implicated in the Spygate cheating scandal, which cut right to the heart of fairness in the game. Sure, Belichick and the Patriots were punished and fined heavily, and they swore up and down that their spying had been limited. But it, too, happened, staining the legacies of a Hall of Fame coach and his Hall of Fame quarterback.
And it wasn't a victimless crime. If the Patriots did it at the Super Bowl against the Rams, Brady's first championship, then try to imagine how it affected the legacies of people like Kurt Warner and Mike Martz.
5:22 P.M. |The Elephant in the Room: Karma
Much of the pregame focus this week — and certainly a lot of the television coverage in Baltimore's previous games — has been on Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who announced before the playoffs that he would retire at the end of this season. Lewis is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, a devastating hitter, a would-be dance champion and a fiery leader. But that's not the whole story of his career, as Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Before Lewis was a Super Bowl champion, he was just a high-profile N.F.L. player charged in the killing of two men at the Super Bowl:
Amid this week-long celebration and commemoration of Ray Lewis' brilliant, Hall of Fame career, let us not forget that he was once charged with killing Richard Lollar and Jacinth Baker — two men whose murders were never solved. Two men whose families are, no doubt, still haunted by the fact that brutal, bloody killers are still out there somewhere running free.
Ray Lewis may or may not be the greatest linebacker of all-time, but he has certainly pulled off the greatest comeback story in the history of sports. He is considered a role model, a team leader, a man known for his hard work on the field and his charitable work off of it.
To fathom the scope of his redemptive powers, all you have to do is click on the two separate Wikipedia pages of Lewis and Michael Vick. In the opening paragraph of Vick's, it mentions his notorious episode of dog-killing. In Lewis' opening paragraph, it chronicles his Pro Bowls, his Super Bowl MVP, even the torn triceps that kept him sidelined for much of this season. But there is not a single mention of the fact that he once was charged with murdering two men.
"Everybody's gone on with their lives; everybody but us," Joyce Lollar told me in 2001, a year after her grandson was murdered and a few days before Lewis was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV. "Ray Lewis is living his dream, but what about my grandson's dreams? Our family's been destroyed, and now we have to watch Ray Lewis prancing around in the Super Bowl. It makes me sick to my stomach."
Not everyone seems ready to rehash the story — Fox did a 10-minute feature on him earlier today that skipped over the whole episode, and the Baltimore Sun was criticized by readers for bringing it up again recently — but it's there, and it's one of the reasons many neutral fans have never warmed to him.
Lewis's defenders point out that he pleaded guilty to a crime but was never convicted of killing anyone. They note that he has become a much more thoughtful, spiritual man, a mentor to teammates and family and ordinary people. That he settled with the families of the men killed and has done much for charity.
But the killings remain part of his story. And to ignore it every January tends to minimize it.
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