Ravens win playoff classic, 49ers down Packers

Flacco's pass came with 31 seconds left to force overtime, and Justin Tucker kicked a 47-yard field goal to clinch a 38-35 win and dump Denver, the Super Bowl favorites, out of the playoffs.

San Francisco led Green Bay 24-21 at halftime but in the second half the Packers defense was all at sea against 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick — who ran for a quarterback playoff record 181 yards — as the hosts won 45-31.

Baltimore will play either New England or Houston in the AFC title game, while San Francisco's opponent in the NFC decider will be Atlanta or Seattle.

While Flacco's pass will go into Ravens folklore, his opposing quarterback Peyton Manning will be left to rue the intercept he threw in overtime which led to the winning field goal.

“Our team is so confident and everything went against us,” said retiring Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, “but we found a way to come here together and we're leaving together. It's just awesome.”

This game, the longest since the Browns beat Cleveland 23-20 in 1987, was an all-time classic, as was Flacco's touchdown pass.

On third-and-3 from his 30-yard line with 41 seconds and no timeouts left, Flacco bought time in the pocket and saw Jacoby Jones sprinting down the right sideline into double coverage. Defensive back Tony Carter slowed up and let Jones streak by him. Safety Rahim Moore elected not to track Jones but rather to leap and try to 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.

Jones caught it and pranced into the end zone, blowing kisses to the crowd.

The Broncos then chose to kneel to end regulation.

The teams punted three times to start overtime, 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 and threw across his body toward Brandon Stokley. Corey Graham stepped in front of the receiver for the interception, bookending the pick he made in the first quarter, which he returned 39 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead.

Graham's pick gave Baltimore the ball on the Denver 45-yard line. Following the break between overtimes, Ray Rice made three runs up the middle in second overtime, setting up Tucker's pressure kick.

The temperature at kickoff was minus 11 degrees Centigrade (13 F), and Manning fell to 0-4 in his career lifetime when the temperature is 4 C (40 F) or less. He finished 28 for 43 for 290 yards and accounted for all three Denver turnovers — two interceptions and a lost fumble that set up the touchdown which tied the game 28-28 late in the third quarter.

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