DETROIT — Justin Tucker’s powerful leg kicked the Super Bowl champions into playoff gear. ADVERTISING DETROIT — Justin Tucker’s powerful leg kicked the Super Bowl champions into playoff gear. Tucker made six field goals, including a franchise-record 61-yarder with 38
DETROIT — Justin Tucker’s powerful leg kicked the Super Bowl champions into playoff gear.
Tucker made six field goals, including a franchise-record 61-yarder with 38 seconds left that lifted the Baltimore Ravens to an 18-16 win over the Detroit Lions in a Monday night matchup with major postseason implications.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh chose to let Tucker try the longest kick of his career — by 5 yards — instead of going for it on fourth-and-8 from the Detroit 43.
“If they send me out there, they have reason to,” Tucker said. “It’s because they think I can make the kick.”
Rookie safety Matt Elam sealed the victory with an interception — Matthew Stafford’s third of the night — after raising eyebrows during the week by calling 28-year-old Calvin Johnson “pretty old” and saying the plan was to make the star receiver uncomfortable by getting physical with him.
Stafford threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Fauria with 2:21 left, putting Detroit up 16-15. But the Lions were unable to make a 2-point conversion and couldn’t prevent Baltimore from setting up its sensational kicker for his 33rd successful field goal in a row.
Tucker’s kick went just inside the right upright and barely had enough distance — eight days after Denver’s Matt Prater broke the NFL record with a 64-yard field goal.
“I definitely felt like I got a lot of leg into it, but it jumped up so high I thought I might have gotten under it,” said Tucker, who mentioned in a television interview right after the game that his six field goals also benefited his fantasy football team.
Tucker, who hasn’t missed a field goal attempt since he was 0 for 2 in Week 2 at Cleveland, has the NFL’s longest streak since Matt Stover made 36 in a row for the Ravens from 2005-06, according to STATS.
“What can you say about Justin Tucker?” Harbaugh said. “When we got the ball there, I think at the 45-yard line, I said, ‘Hey, are we kicking this?’ … He said, ‘I got it.’”
Detroit (7-7) has hurt its playoff chances by losing four of its last five, falling out of sole possession of first place in the NFC North to third place behind the division-leading Chicago Bears and Green Bay.
“This is a setback, no question,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. “We had control and now we need help. We have to get two wins and let the rest shake out.”
Stafford’s three interceptions followed a troubling trend for the franchise.
He has 10 interceptions in his last five games. Not coincidently, the Lions have been able to overcome those miscues well enough to win only one game during the slump.
Joe Flacco, meanwhile, didn’t turn the ball over and made enough subtle moves in and around the pocket to get sacked only once. He has been sacked a career-high 42 times this season, but he stayed upright enough to move the ball into position for Tucker’s big kick.
Flacco was 20 of 38 for 222 yards, including a 27-yard pass to Jacoby Jones to convert a third-and-15 from the Baltimore 28 on the game-winning drive. Jones had six receptions for 80 yards, and returned Detroit’s last kick to the Baltimore 33.
Stafford was 18 of 34 for 235 yards with a TD and three interceptions — increasing his five-game total to 10 — for a season-low 48 quarterback rating.
“This was certainly not my best game,” he acknowledged.
Johnson had six receptions for 98 yards and dropped two possibly pivotal passes thrown his way in the first half.
“We just put every guy on him to try to stop him,” Elam said. “It was no disrespect meant to Calvin. He’s the best in the league, so why would I challenge him? Words just got stirred up.”
P. Manning earns SI Sportsman honor
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Peyton Manning says he’s not sure he’s deserving of the 2013 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year honor but is glad to be in such elite company that includes the likes of former Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt.
The Broncos quarterback was recognized at a banquet at Sports Authority Field on Monday night.
Manning has led Denver to an 11-3 record this season, his second with the Broncos after missing the 2011 season with Indianapolis because of neck troubles that affected his right triceps.
He has thrown 47 touchdown passes, three shy of Tom Brady’s NFL season record, with two games remaining.
Manning is the fourth NFL quarterback to take the honor in the past nine years, following Brady in 2005, Brett Favre in 2007 and Drew Brees in 2010.
LeBron James was the winner last year.
Incognito may sit out rest of season
DAVIE, Fla. — A person familiar with the situation says Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito will remain on the NFL’s suspended list for the rest of the season, including the playoffs.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins declined to comment on Incognito’s status. The person also says Incognito will be paid while suspended and would be in line for a playoff share.
Incognito was suspended Nov. 3 in the wake of the team’s bullying scandal. He filed a grievance Nov. 14 against the Dolphins seeking to rejoin the team, but later withdrew it.
Tackle Jonathan Martin left the Dolphins on Oct. 28 and alleges he was harassed daily by teammates, including Incognito.
NFL special investigator Ted Wells has interviewed Incognito, Martin, other players and coaches and will file a report.
By wire sources
