Back in January of 2015, the New England Patriots were trying to end their ten-year Super Bowl drought. After earning home-field advantage thanks to their 12-4 record, the Patriots earned the right to host the lowest-ranked team in the 2014 AFC Divisional Round. Unfortunately for New England, that team was the Baltimore Ravens.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were 1-2 against the Ravens in the playoffs, with that one win coming by the narrowest of margins. Patriots’ fans didn’t want to see Baltimore in Foxboro, as they were widely viewed as the worst possible matchup. Still, this was the scheduled matchup and New England had to be at their very best. What ensued was one of the most electric and exciting games in the history of the New England Patriots.
On to Cincinnati: The Birth of a Second Dynasty
Looking Back: Patriots vs Ravens 2014 AFC Divisional Round
Setting the Scene
The Brady-Belichick Patriots were always the class of the NFL, but Baltimore consistently found a way to topple their AFC rivals. The Ravens handed New England their most lopsided playoff loss back in 2009 and beat New England in 2012 for the right to advance to the Super Bowl. Neither game was particularly close, as the Ravens combined to win those games by a final score of 61-27. New England managed to beat the Ravens in the 2011 AFC Championship Game, but that was in large part due to a missed Billy Cundiff field goal which would have sent the game to overtime.
Ray Lewis and Ed Reed weren’t around for this matchup, but longtime foe Terrell Suggs was still terrifying opposing offenses. Paired with Elvis Dumervil, the duo combined for 39 sacks. The defense as a whole was one of the best in the league, finishing sixth in points allowed per game and eighth in DVOA.
And of course, there was the quarterback. Joe Flacco wasn’t anything to write home about in the regular season, but the former first-round pick had a knack for transforming into an All-Pro caliber passer in January. Flacco threw for 1,140 yards, 12 touchdowns, and no interceptions during his 2012 postseason run and threw for 259 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions one week earlier against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Facing off against postseason Flacco and a ferocious defense was no easy task, and New England knew they couldn’t afford to fall behind early.
First Half
The Patriots started off the game by falling behind early. The Ravens got the ball to start the game, and Flacco effortlessly drove down the field. New England couldn’t stop the pass or the run before Flacco connected with former Patriot Kamar Aiken to take an early 7-0 lead. After New England punted on the ensuing possession, Flacco and company got back to work. The Ravens authored an 11-play drive, culminating in a Steve Smith touchdown against Darrelle Revis. Just like that, New England found themselves in a 14-point hole after just 10 minutes of play.
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The Patriots got the ball back and immediately got to work. Facing a third and eight on the opening possession, Brady found Rob Gronkowski for a first down. One play later, Brady hit Gronkowski on a 46-yard seam route to set New England up at the Baltimore 14. Four plays later, Brady scrambled in on a four-yard run to make it a 14-7 game. The offenses quieted down until New England got the ball back midway through the second quarter. Brady put together a 10-play scoring drive, culminating in a 15-yard touchdown to Danny Amendola. Amendola made a hell of an effort on this play, breaking one tackle and diving to the pylon to tie the game at 14.
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New England had one more chance to put points on the board in the first half. Starting at their own 28 with all three timeouts, the Patriots looked to take the lead with 1:47 left on the clock. However, the plan backfired as Brady threw an interception to linebacker Jimmy Smith. Baltimore capitalized on this opportunity, as Flacco found tight end Owen Daniels to make it a 21-14 game. The big play of the drive came when officials called a highly-questionable pass interference call on Revis to give Baltimore an extra 20 yards.
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Second Half
New England got the ball to start the second half, but couldn’t get anything going thanks to a blatantly missed pass interference call against Rob Gronkowski. Baltimore got the ball back and immediately strolled down the field to take a 28-14 lead. It looked like New England’s defense did their job when they forced a fourth and six on their own 36. However, Baltimore converted the fourth down and found Justin Forsett for a 16-yard touchdown one play later.
New England found themselves facing a 14-point deficit for the second straight time. Knowing time was of the essence, the Patriots started throwing everything they had at Baltimore’s defense. On their second drive of the third quarter, New England opted to make running back Shane Vereen ineligible for a few plays. In doing this, it freed up Michael Hoomanawanui for a few easy catches. This trick formation helped New England make it to the red zone before Brady found Gronkowski for a five-yard score.
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After a Baltimore three-and-out, New England turned to a play they hadn’t used in a decade. Given a first down at their own 49, Brady threw what appeared to be a quick screen to Julian Edelman. Since the “pass” was actually a backward lateral, Edelman was eligible to throw the ball. Baltimore’s defense bit on the lateral, leaving Danny Amendola wide open downfield. The former Kent State quarterback threw a perfect strike, hitting Amendola for a 51-yard touchdown and tying the game at 28.
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Flacco threw an interception on the ensuing drive, but Brady and the offense couldn’t turn the opportunity into points. Baltimore got the ball back on their own 20 and put together a methodical 15-play drive, but ultimately couldn’t convert in the red zone. Justin Tucker came on to make it a 31-28 game, but that missed opportunity was all the error Brady needed.
Taking over at their own 26, New England’s offense finally had a chance to take the lead. New England’s first big play of the drive came on third and six on Baltimore’s 44-yard line. Brady hit Amendola short of the sticks, but Amendola broke one tackle and stretched out to pick up seven. This high-effort play is largely forgotten, but the comeback might not happen without Amendola’s ridiculous effort on this play.
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Baltimore spent the majority of the drive allowing a large cushion to New England’s receivers. Brady exploited this by taking what the defense gave them before Baltimore adjusted their strategy. Cornerback Rashaan Melvin lined up close to Brandon LaFell, and Brady knew it was time to go deep. Melvin was in tight coverage throughout the route, but there’s no way to defend a perfect throw. Brady placed a perfect pass and hit LaFell in stride for the go-ahead touchdown.
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New England had the lead, but Joe Flacco still had time on the clock. Given 5:08 to work with, this game was far from over. Starting at his own 11, Flacco drove all the way to his own 42 before running into a fourth down. Knowing they couldn’t afford to punt, the Ravens went for and converted on a 17-yard catch and run by Owen Daniels. After another six-yard catch by Daniels, it looked like Flacco just might pull off the game-winning drive.
Fortunately for New England, Duron Harmon exists. Harmon is notorious for his last-second fourth-quarter interceptions, and he’s never had one bigger than this. Despite having 1:55 left on the clock, Flacco went for it all and uncorked a bomb to Torrey Smith. Harmon got their first, hauling in the interception and sealing New England’s victory.
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Lasting Ramifications of the 2014 AFC Divisional Round
The 2014 season was all about exorcising New England’s demons, and no metaphorical demon was bigger than the Ravens. After suffering their two biggest playoff losses at Baltimore’s hands, New England bounced back and pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in postseason history. Two games later, New England erased their championship drought in a 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
This game was a perfect encapsulation of what makes this dynasty so great. Tom Brady had a game for the ages while becoming the first quarterback to erase multiple 14-point deficits in a playoff game. Bill Belichick, meanwhile, got to show off his amazing mind with the ineligible receiver trick. Danny Amendola entered this game as a free agent bust but quickly transformed into a postseason hero. All in all, it was one of the greatest games ever played by the great quarterback and coach to ever do it.
On to Cincinnati: The Birth of a Second Dynasty
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
