Ravens, Seahawks advance
Published 1:27 am Monday, January 7, 2013
BALTIMORE (AP) — Anquan Boldin set a franchise record with 145 yards on five receptions, including the clinching touchdown, as Baltimore beat Indianapolis 24-9 in Sunday’s AFC wild-card game.
The previously struggling Ravens defense was staunch, inspired no doubt by star linebacker Ray Lewis appearing in his final home game before retiring. Baltimore never let Colts standout rookie quarterback Andrew Luck get comfortable.
AFC North champion Baltimore (11-6) will play at AFC West winner Denver next Saturday. The Broncos beat the Ravens 34-17 three weeks ago.
The loss ended the Colts’ turnaround season in which they went from 2-14 to the playoffs in coach Chuck Pagano’s first year in Indianapolis (11-6). Pagano missed 12 weeks while undergoing treatment for leukemia and returned last week.
Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who went 9-3 as interim coach, was absent Sunday after being hospitalized with an undisclosed illness.
Ray Lewis, the Ravens’ 37-year-old linebacker, celebrated his last home game with a team-high 13 tackles.
Lewis plans to retire at the end of the season. He finished up by entering on offense, 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage as Baltimore ran a kneel-down to wrap up the game. As the clock ticked down to 0:00, Lewis broke into his trademark dance.
Seahawks 24, Redskins 14
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks finally won a road playoff game Sunday, taking a 24-14 NFC wild-card victory over the Washington Redskins, who lost Robert Griffin III to another knee injury in the fourth quarter.
Marshawn Lynch ran for 131 yards, and Russell Wilson completed 15 of 26 passes for 187 yards and ran eight times for 67 yards for the Seahawks, who broke an eight-game postseason losing streak away from home.
Seattle will visit the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons next Sunday.
Lynch’s 27-yard run with 7:08 remaining gave the Seahawks (12-5) the lead. On Washington’s next series, Griffin reinjured the right knee he sprained about a month ago while trying to field a bad shotgun snap.
The knee buckled badly, and the Seahawks recovered the fumble and kicked an insurance field goal.
Kirk Cousins replaced Griffin, but Washington (10-7) was unable to come back.
RG3 threw two 4-yard touchdown passes in his first career playoff game to give the Redskins a 14-0 lead before the Seahawks closed to 14-13 through three quarters.
The playoff meeting between the two teams was the third, but first outside Seattle. The Seahawks won 20-10 in January 2006, and 35-14 in January 2008. Those were the last two postseason games played by the Redskins, who entered the playoffs on an NFC-best seven-game winning streak.