Ray Lewis does his signature dance after he came onto the field for the final snap in the Ravens 24-9 win over the Colts. (Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports)
BALTIMORE — Linebacker Ray Lewis posted a game-high 13 tackles in his final game at M&T Bank Stadium as the Baltimore Ravens beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-9 in Sunday’s AFC wild card matchup.
Quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 282 yards with two touchdowns as the Ravens advance to the AFC divisional round against the Denver Broncos next Saturday.
Anquan Boldin added 145 receiving yards, a Ravens single-game playoff record, and a touchdown. Rookie running back Bernard Pierce had 103 yards on 13 carries.
Baltimore led by just four at halftime, but pulled away with two second-half touchdowns, allowing Lewis’ career to continue at least another week. The 13-time Pro Bowler, who announced last week that he will retire after this season, was also playing in his first game since Oct. 14. He had missed the Ravens’ last 10 games with a torn right triceps.
The loss ends an impressive ride for the Colts, who won 11 regular season games and earned a playoff berth a year after going just 2-14. They rallied all season behind head coach Chuck Pagano, who battled leukemia and returned to the team before their Week 17 win over the Texans.
Pagano was an assistant coach with the Ravens for four years prior to getting the head coaching job in Indianapolis.
Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck went 28-of-54 for 288 yards with an interception and Reggie Wayne had nine catches for 114 yards in a losing effort.
After a scoreless first quarter which saw each team turn the ball over once, the Ravens notched the first score of the day on Justin Tucker’s 23-yard field goal.
The kick capped a 10-play, 66-yard drive in which Pierce picked up 37 yards on the ground.
The Colts evened the score almost 9 minutes later on Adam Vinatieri’s 47-yard field goal, making it a 3-3 game.
Baltimore followed with a 63-yard scoring drive keyed by a Ray Rice 47-yard catch and run that put the ball at the Indianapolis 2-yard line. Fullback Vonta Leach punched it into the end zone on the next play, giving the Ravens a 10-3 lead.
A Vinatieri 52-yard field goal as time expired in the half made it 10-6 at the break, but the margin would get no closer in the second half.
Notes: Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was hospitalized before the game. Arians, who coached the Colts while Pagano was out during his battle with leukemia, had dealt with the flu this week. Quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen called the plays with Arians out. … With his nine receptions, Wayne has 92 career playoff catches, moving him into second place all-time in that category behind Jerry Rice, who had 151 career postseason receptions. … The Ravens are the only NFL team to win a playoff game in each of the past five postseasons.
