NFL Wild Card: Baltimore, Houston, Green Bay & Seattle win

Baltimore, Houston, Green Bay & Seattle win in wild card game

The Baltimore Ravens beat the Indianapolis Colts to extend the long and distinguished career of the man many observers consider to be the greatest defensive player in the history of the sport.

Linebacker Ray Lewis, 37, recently announced that he would retire at the end of the season and his team-mates were determined not to let him down in his final home appearance.
 

While the Ravens' defence did well to stop the Colts' rookie quarterback Andrew Luck - who has more than lived up to the pressures associated with being the number one draft pick - it was his opposite number Joe Flacco who emerged victorious.

That Flacco did was largely down to a spectacular performance from his main target, Anquan Boldin. The wide receiver broke the team's record with five catches for 145 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter which sealed a 24-9 victory for the Ravens.

Baltimore will next travel to Denver to face the AFC's top-seeded Broncos, who had earned the right to a bye through the wild card weekend.

Next weekend's other AFC divisional round game brings together the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots.
Thanks to some stifling defence, the Texans were never really in danger at home to the Cincinnati Bengals.

While they struggled to convert possession into points, Arian Foster ran for 140 yards and a touchdown as they ran out 19-13 winners.

In the NFC, Green Bay managed to contain Minnesota's chief threat, Adrian Peterson, to convincingly win the all-NFC North encounter 24-10.

It was sweet revenge for the Packers, whose 37-34 loss in the final week of the regular season to the Vikings deprived the former of a bye week and guaranteed the latter a place in the play-offs.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers kept the visitors' defence on their toes throughout, finding 10 different receivers as he completed 23 of 33 passes for 274 yards and one passing touchdown.
 

Meanwhile Peterson, who last week fell just short of breaking Eric Dickerson's 1984 record for the most rushing yards in a season, was limited to 99 yards from his 22 carries.

The Packers will head west to face the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, 12 January for a place in the NFC Championship game, which will also feature the winner of Sunday's match-up between the Seattle Seahawks and the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons.

In a match hyped as being a duel between rookie quarterbacks, Seattle's Russell Wilson came out on top against the Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin III.

But that tells only half the story, as an already injured Griffin - widely known as RG3 - was eventually forced out of the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.

The Seahawks had earlier responded well to a nightmare first quarter in which Griffin threw a pair of touchdown passes to Logan Paulsen and Evan Royster.

But from 14-0 down, the visitors never looked back, scoring 24 unanswered points thanks to some solid defence and inspired play by Wilson and running-back Marshawn Lynch.

Lynch ran for a touchdown and 132 yards from his 20 carries, while Wilson completed 15 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown.

His performance was typified in the fourth quarter when, having handed the ball off to Lynch, he charged downfield before throwing a brilliant block to allow his team-mate to score.

That gave the Seahawks the lead for the first time and, less than a minute later, the game was all but over when Griffin's knee buckled as he tried to field a bad shotgun snap, the pain so bad that he did not even try to recover the ball.

NFL wild card weekend results

Indianapolis 9-24 Baltimore
Cincinnati 13-19 Houston
Minnesota 10-24 Green Bay
Seattle 24-14 Washington


NFL Divisional play-off fixtures

Saturday, 12 January (21:30 GMT): Baltimore at Denver
Sunday, 13 January (01:00 GMT): Green Bay at San Francisco
Sunday, 13 January (18:00 GMT): Seattle at Atlanta
Sunday, 13 January (21:30 GMT): Houston at New England

Baltimore Ravens - Indianapolis Colts game preview

Indianapolis Colts - Baltimore Ravens

Chuck Pagano and Ray Lewis spent the previous four seasons as part of a Baltimore Ravens defense known for making life tough for the opposition.

As secondary coach and then defensive coordinator, Pagano teamed with the future Hall of Fame linebacker to help the Ravens reach a pair of AFC championship games before taking the Indianapolis Colts' head coaching job in January.

The game plans Pagano put together during those years weren't able to prepare him for what he'd endure next.

Pagano is back on the Colts' sideline after beating leukemia in time for Sunday's wild-card matchup against his former team in Baltimore, which could be the final time Lewis steps between the lines after announcing his decision to retire following the playoffs.

Indianapolis was 1-2 when Pagano took an indefinite leave of absence to receive treatment, beginning a "Chuckstrong" movement that captivated the league.

He stayed close to the team as interim coach Bruce Arians and No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Luck helped transform Indianapolis from a two-win team in 2011 to a playoff qualifier.

Pagano returned after a 12-game absence and couldn't hide his emotions during the Colts' 28-16 home win over Houston last week that capped an 11-5 regular season, and he's not about to rest as his team prepares for a tough postseason matchup.

"My doc said be prudent, if you remember, but I may not be prudent this week in spending a lot of time in a lot of different areas in trying to get as much information out as I possibly can and help where I can," Pagano said.

His knowledge of the Ravens' defense surely will be a benefit for Indianapolis, but it may have to contend with Lewis, who expects to play after missing the last 10 games with a torn right triceps.

The good news of Lewis' possible return, though, took a twist Wednesday as he announced plans to end his 17-year career when Baltimore's season concludes.

Lewis made 13 Pro Bowls and was a seven-time All-Pro while twice being named defensive player of the year. He won a Super Bowl ring following the 2000 season and is the only player in NFL history with at least 40 career sacks and 30 interceptions.

Fourth-seeded Baltimore and No. 6 seed Cincinnati would have to reach the AFC championship for Lewis to play another home game.

"Everything that starts has an end," said the 37-year-old Lewis, who plans to spend more time with his sons - including his oldest, Ray III, who will play at Lewis' alma mater of Miami. "For me, today, I told my team that this will be my last ride."

Pagano, who was conducting his Wednesday press conference as news broke of Lewis' retirement, said the fact he's facing Lewis and the rest of a defense he helped coach in his first playoff test seems fitting.

"Nothing shocks me anymore," Pagano said. "Everything that's transpired to this point, I guess it was just meant to be."

The Ravens are fond of Pagano as well.

"Chuck's like a dad to me," safety Ed Reed said. "He means a lot to me. I would have much rather seen them in the AFC championship game than the first game."

With Peyton Manning under center, the Colts won eight straight meetings - including two playoff victories - before the Ravens (10-6) took the most recent matchup 24-10 on Dec. 11, 2011.

Luck will be the first quarterback other than Manning to start a postseason game for Indianapolis since his former coach at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh - the current San Francisco coach and brother of Baltimore coach John Harbaugh - was under center for the Colts' 42-14 wild-card loss to Pittsburgh in 1996.

Luck has experienced an up-and-down first season, ranking 31st in completion percentage (54.1) and 26th in passer rating (76.5), but he threw five touchdowns without an interception in the Colts' final three games.

Baltimore finished 17th in total defense (350.9 yards per game) - its lowest ranking since the 2002 team finished 22nd - and Luck believes Pagano's knowledge of that unit will be beneficial Sunday.

"They're a great team," Luck said. "Obviously, coach Pagano knows more about them than I do so I'll lean on him, but obviously (it's) a historic defense."

The Ravens, though, dropped four of their last five games after falling 23-17 to Cincinnati in Week 17, though Harbaugh rested most of his starters with the division locked up.

Joe Flacco - the only starting QB in NFL history to make the playoffs in each of his first five seasons - attempted only eight passes, and Ray Rice had just three rushing attempts. Receiver Anquan Boldin sat out with a bruised shoulder, though he's expected to play Sunday.

Terrell Suggs (biceps) also didn't play last week but he, Lewis and safety Bernard Pollard, who missed the final three weeks with a rib injury, all hope to be on the field together for the first time this season against the Colts.

"This is the first time we get a chance to get our defense back. We're excited and ready to roll," Pollard told the team's official website.

Harbaugh knows Sunday will be an emotional contest given Lewis' pending retirement and the team's ties to Pagano.

"It will be great. It's something that, in this profession, is a big deal," said Harbaugh, the only coach in league history with a postseason win in each of his first four seasons.

"Relationships are important. But by the same token, it's a game and they're the opponent."

article source: ESPN