BALTIMORE RAVENS 29, MINNESOTA VIKINGS 26
At first, it appeared the unrelenting snow would be the main topic of conversation. Then came an incredible flurry of touchdowns — five over the final 125 seconds. The game featured six lead changes in the fourth quarter, most in NFL history.
Joe Flacco threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to rookie Marlon Brown with four seconds left to give the Ravens the victory. Brown’s catch concluded a five-play, 80-yard drive that took only 41 seconds. Before that:
— Dennis Pitta, in his season debut following a hip injury, caught a 1-yard, fourthdown pass from Flacco for a 15-12 lead with 2:05 remaining.
— Toby Gerhart, subbing for an injured Adrian Peterson, ran 41 yards to put Minnesota up 19-15 with 1:27 to go.
— Jacoby Jones went the distance 77 yards with the ensuing kickoff to give Baltimore a 2219 edge with 1:16 left.
— Matt Cassel threw a 79-yard TD pass to Cordarrelle Patterson with 45 seconds to play.
Then the Ravens (7-6) answered with one final salvo. Baltimore has its first three-game winning streak of the season and the inside track for the second AFC wild card.
Minnesota (3-9-1) lost Peterson in the second quarter with an ankle injury, then dropped a game it appeared to have won. Twice.
Peterson, the NFL’s leading rusher and 2012 Most Valuable Player, hurt his right foot in the second quarter after catching a short pass and being tackled near the sideline. He said X-rays “came back pretty clear,” and he will have an MRI today.
“I’ve never seen a game like that before. Besides the Super Bowl, that’s probably the most special win I’ve been a part of. Crazy game.” — Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs
Ravens at Lions (-6), 5:30 p.m. Dec. 16; Eagles (-4) at Vikings, 10 a.m. Sunday