Once upon a time the Baltimore Ravens played during a snowstorm at M&T Bank Stadium. It was a cold, wet and messy game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The last two minutes of the game were so crazy that unless you saw it, you would never believe it happened.
The score board teetered back and forth; one team was up, then the other and so on until the Ravens pulled off a miracle to win the game 29-26.
M&T Bank Stadium was a winter wonderland. Fans braved the cold and the snow to witness one of the greatest Ravens games ever played in Baltimore.
Linebacker Terrell Suggs had never seen anything like it:
“I’ve never seen a game like that before,” Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “Besides the Super Bowl, that’s probably the most special win I’ve been a part of. Crazy game.”
Quarterback Joe Flacco went 28 of 50 for 245 yards and three touchdowns. One touchdown went to his favorite target, tight end Dennis Pitta. It was the first time Pitta played all season after injuring his hip during training camp.
The game wasn’t very exciting until the last two minutes when all hell broke loose. It was unbelievable seeing five touchdowns scored in two minutes, yes, two minutes.
Ravens Nation went crazy, there was joy, then pain, then joy, then pain, then joy to end the game. Here’s how it went down:
Joy: Flacco to Dennis Pitta for a touchdown on fourth down on the one-yard line
Pain: Vikings touchdown by RB Toby Gerhart (Gerhart replaced Adrian Peterson who left the game early with a foot injury)
Joy: Wide receiver Jacoby Jones kickoff return for a touchdown
Pain: Vikings quarterback Matt Cassell’s touchdown pass to Corarrelle Patterson with 0:45 seconds to go
Joy: The miracle at M&T…Flacco’s touchdown pass to wide receiver Marlon Brown with 0:04 seconds to go
I sat on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t speak, breathe or move…I was tempted to cover my eyes because I wasn’t sure my heart could handle any more of the game.
When Marlon Brown caught the final touchdown tears streamed down my face, I was relieved and overjoyed and a bit emotional.
Truth be told, with 0:45 seconds left in the game, I believed that Flacco *could* put the ball into the hands of his receivers, he’s done it before and I kept faith that he could do it again. The Super Bowl MVP wasn’t giving up so easily, he’s not elite, he’s clutch and that’s why we love him in Baltimore.
With the win the Ravens still hold the second AFC Wild Card. One game at a time, one game at a time…
Zennie Abraham