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Ravens burn Broncos, win in overtime

Peyton Manning's bad throw haunts Denver

Posted: January 12, 2013 - 9:56pm
Ravens' Jacoby Jones gets behind Rahim Moore for stunning, 70-yard touchdown pass that sent the game into overtime  AP
AP
Ravens' Jacoby Jones gets behind Rahim Moore for stunning, 70-yard touchdown pass that sent the game into overtime

DENVER (AP) — No matter where his season or his career might end, Joe Flacco will always have The Fling.

 

And Peyton Manning will always have to live with that throw he made, too.

 

Flacco's desperation 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones with 31 seconds left in regulation saved the game for Baltimore in regulation and Manning's throw across his body in overtime all but lost it for Denver.

 

On a frostbitten day in the frozen tundra known as Denver, the Ravens got a 47-yard field goal from Justin Tucker 1:42 into the second overtime Saturday to pull off a 38-35 upset over Manning and the Broncos, extending linebacker Ray Lewis' career by at least one game.

 

Lewis, who led the Ravens with 17 tackles over this nearly 77-minute game, kneeled down to the ground and put his helmet on the rock-solid turf when it was over.

 

After he thaws out, the Ravens (12-6), 9½-point underdogs for this one, will get ready for a game at either New England or Houston, who meet Sunday for the other spot in the AFC title game.

 

"Our team is so confident and everything went against us," Lewis said, "but we found a way to come here together and we're leaving together. It's just awesome."

 

This game, the longest since the Browns beat Cleveland 23-20 in 1987, was an all-timer — up there with San Diego's 41-38 double-overtime victory over Miami for drama. But Flacco's throw might best be bookended next to one made by Roger Staubuch, who famously coined the term "Hail Mary" after his game-winning toss to Drew Pearson beat Minnesota in the 1975 playoffs.

 

How else to describe the Flacco throw?

 

On third-and-3 from his 30 with 41 seconds and no timeouts left, Flacco bought time in the pocket and saw Jones sprinting down the right sideline into double coverage. Defensive back Tony Carter slowed up and let Jones streak by him. Instead of staying step for step with Jones, safety Rahim Moore tried to leap and knock down the ball. Flacco, who throws the high, deep ball as well as anyone, got it over Moore's head and into Jones' hands.

 

Jones caught it and pranced into the end zone, blowing kisses to the crowd.

 

The Broncos chose to kneel on the ball to end regulation.

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