The first Vince Lombardi Trophy came so easily for the Baltimore Ravens. In their fifth season of existence, their defense gave up one touchdown in one of the most dominating playoff runs in NFL history. Eleven years later, Baltimore has discovered how difficult it is to get back to the Super Bowl. Sunday’s 23-20 loss at New England was the seventh time they have come up short in the playoffs. In those seven defeats, their quarterbacks have thrown a combined 14 interceptions.
The Ravens’ much-maligned Joe Flacco threw one Sunday. But he was not to blame this time. Flacco (22-for-36, 306 yards, two touchdowns) actually outplayed Patriots icon Tom Brady (22-for-36, 239 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions).
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“I sucked pretty bad today,” Brady told Jim Nantz of CBS.
But New England advanced because Lee Evans dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone. Kicker Billy Cundiff is getting most of the grief for yanking a 32-yard field goal attempt left that would have sent the game to overtime. But if Evans had held on to Flacco’s pass two plays earlier, the Ravens would have won the game outright.
A third touchdown pass for Flacco would have made him an unlikely hero after a rough week under the microscope. Safety Ed Reed’s comment that Flacco was “rattled” in the Ravens’ win over the Texans in the division round put additional pressure on the 27-year-old, who nonetheless has more playoff wins (four) in his first four seasons than any quarterback in NFL history.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh showed immense confidence in Flacco, letting him throw in the final minute after the Ravens were in position to kick a field goal to tie it. With CBS announcer Phil Simms second-guessing the strategy, Flacco scrambled out of trouble and whistled the pass to Evans, splitting two defenders. But one of them, Sterling Moore, pried the ball from Evans’ arms.
“Hey, stuff like that happens,” Flacco told reporters. “You move on to the next play and try to do the same thing.”
Stuff has been happening for a long time to the Ravens in the playoffs. This loss, however, hurts a little more considering they wasted a clutch performance from their embattled quarterback.
– Kevin Dunleavy
