OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) -Having embarrassed the AFC East champions with a blowout victory on the road, the Baltimore Ravens next face a well-rested, top-seeded team in second round of the NFL playoffs.
It’s the same path the Ravens took last year – with much success.
Baltimore’s 33-14 rout of New England on Sunday earned the Ravens (10-7) a Saturday night date with the Indianapolis Colts (14-2). The Colts opened the postseason with a bye after compiling the best record in the NFL and finishing atop the AFC South.
Sound familiar?
After reaching the playoffs a year ago as a wild-card team, Baltimore defeated the AFC East champion Miami Dolphins 27-9. The Ravens then faced the AFC South winners, the Tennessee Titans, who owned the league’s best regular-season record.
On the strength of a 13-10 upset, Baltimore advanced to the AFC title game.
ed Monday that one season doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the next.
“Every year is different. Our younger guys can draw on the experience of the guys who have been there before, but it’s a different year and a different team and this is a new week,” he said. “So we’ll just have to see how it plays out.”
Few people gave Baltimore a shot against the Patriots, who hadn’t lost at home all season and were unbeaten in New England during the playoffs since 1978. But the Ravens dominated from the outset, and afterward they did not appear to fear what many consider to be the best team in the NFL.
“We are confident. It all depends on whether we can go down there and duplicate what we did here,” wide receiver Derrick Mason said. “That means don’t turn the ball over and have no penalties. We do that and we will have the opportunity to win.”
The Ravens were flagged for only 15 yards in penalties against the Patriots and won the turnover battle 4-2. Led by Ray Rice – whose 159-yard rushing game included an 83-yard score on the first play from scrimmage – Baltimore was so dominant on the ground that Joe Flacco threw only 10 passes.
Hard to imagine a team winning by 19 points when its quarterback completes only four passes for 34 yards, but the Ravens did just that.
t care about here is numbers. That’s for everybody else. When Joe has to throw the ball 48 times to try to win a game, he’ll do that. When we have to throw 10 times to try to win a game, we’ll do that, too. I think it speaks to the unselfish nature of these guys.”
Flacco acknowledged after the game that he has been bothered by an injured right leg. But Harbaugh said the quarterback’s ailing quadriceps was not a factor.
“He is very much healthy enough to play and to play well,” the coach said. “The more you guys want to make of the injury situation, that’s great. Make it really dire. He’s really in bad shape.”
Flacco has at least one more game left, which is more than Patriots quarterback Tom Brady can say. After forcing the NFL Comeback Player of the Year into four turnovers, the Ravens turned their attention toward Colts star Peyton Manning.
“Next week, we have another challenge,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We got the two best quarterbacks in the game back to back. We definitely have to bring our A game.”
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