Ravens’ victory means 1 Harbaugh is in playoffs
The Baltimore Ravens couldn’t help watching the scoreboard in the midst of a game they had to win to reach the playoffs.
Baltimore earned a wild-card card berth Sunday by defeating the Cleveland Browns 20-10 and getting an assist halfway across the country.
To enter the postseason for the sixth time in seven years, the Ravens (10-6) needed to beat the Browns (7-9) and have San Diego lose at Kansas City.
A 17-point fourth quarter took care of the initial segment of that scenario, and the Chiefs did their part with a 19-7 win over the Chargers.
The Ravens knew what was happening in the other game.
“There is no not seeing the scoreboard. It’s all over the place,” quarterback Joe Flacco said.
“When we were down 10-3, yeah, we were pay- ing attention,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We had to handle our business, and we did.”
The first part of Baltimore’s playoff equation seemed easy enough, given that the Browns had lost four straight, were starting rookie quarterback Connor Shaw and had dropped 12 of their past 13 against Baltimore. Still, the Ravens trailed 10-3 in the fourth quarter.
A field goal narrowed the gap, and Baltimore took the lead on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Torrey Smith with 7:33 left. Flacco’s 2-yard TD throw to Kamar Aiken with 3:44 remaining clinched it.