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, 9-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.
This game, the longest since the Browns beat the New York Jets 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 Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach, who famously brought the term “Hail Mary” to football after his game-winning toss to Drew Pearson beat Minnesota in the 1975 playoffs.
Staubach was near midfield when he threw his.
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.
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.
“I started to step up in the pocket and I kept my eye on the safety’s depth at that point,” Flacco said. “Just felt I had a shot of maybe getting over him. At that point in the game, you don’t have any timeouts, when you’ve got to go a pretty decent length you’ve got to start taking shots at some point. It happened to work out.”
Jones caught it and pranced into the end zone, blowing kisses toward the crowd.
Moore was on the verge of tears after the game.
“The loss, it was my fault,” Moore said. “I got a little too happy. It was pathetic. My fault. Next time I’ll make that play.”
The teams were tied at 14 after the first quarter, 21 at halftime, 28 after three quarters and at 35-35 after regulation.
They punted three times to start overtime, the last of them setting up Denver on its 7-yard line.
Manning was moving the Broncos along slowly and steadily. But on second-and-6 from the 38, he rolled to his right, stopped, planted and threw across the field. Graham stepped in front of Stokley for the interception. The Ravens D-back also had a first-quarter interception, which he returned 39 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead.
Ravens 38, Broncos 35 (2OT)
Baltimore 14 7 7 7 0 3 — 38
Denver 14 7 7 7 0 0 — 35
First quarter
Den—Holliday 90 punt return (Prater kick), 12:14.
Bal—T.Smith 59 pass from Flacco (Tucker kick), 10:31.
Bal—Graham 39 interception return (Tucker kick), 9:49.
Den—Stokley 15 pass from Manning (Prater kick), 4:02.
Second quarter
Den—Moreno 14 pass from Manning (Prater kick), 7:26.
Bal—T.Smith 32 pass from Flacco (Tucker kick), :36.
Third quarter
Den—Holliday 104 kickoff return (Prater kick), 14:47.
Bal—Rice 1 run (Tucker kick), :20.
Fourth quarter
Den—D.Thomas 17 pass from Manning (Prater kick), 7:11.
Bal—J.Jones 70 pass from Flacco (Tucker kick), :31.
Overtime
Bal—FG Tucker 47, 13:18.
A—76,732.
Bal Den
First downs 21 30
Total Net Yards 479 398
Rushes-yards 39-155 41-125
Passing 324 273
Punt Returns 3-22 3-90
Kickoff Returns 4-64 4-171
Interceptions Ret. 2-39 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 18-34-0 28-43-2
Sacked-Yards Lost 1-7 3-17
Punts 8-48.3 5-48.8
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 2-1
Penalties-Yards 8-58 10-87
Time of Possession 36:36 40:06
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Baltimore, Rice 30-131, Pierce 5-14, Flacco 2-7, Leach 1-3, T.Smith 1-0. Denver, Hillman 22-83, Moreno 10-32, Hester 8-11, Manning 1-(minus 1).
PASSING—Baltimore, Flacco 18-34-0-331. Denver, Manning 28-43-2-290.
RECEIVING—Baltimore, Boldin 6-71, T.Smith 3-98, Pitta 3-55, Dickson 3-29, J.Jones 2-77, Leach 1-1. Denver, Decker 6-84, Dreessen 6-46, Tamme 3-44, D.Thomas 3-37, Stokley 3-27, Hillman 3-20, Moreno 2-21, Hester 1-7, Willis 1-4.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—Denver, Prater 52 (SH).
