Ravens Shock Broncos in Divisional Playoffs in Double Overtime

It ends just like that. One kick in overtime and the magical season in which Peyton Manning returned and led the Broncos to a 13-3 record, 11 straight wins, and the #1 seed in the AFC ended when Justin Tucker kicked a 47 yard field goal in double overtime as the Ravens shocked the Broncos 38-35 in one of the most memorable NFL playoff games in history. This game will go down as one of the greatest in NFL history, but it will go down as one of the most infamous for Broncos fans. This was worse than the 1996 Divisional Playoff loss to Jacksonville. This was worse than the Super Bowl losses with John Elway in the 1980s. This one will hurt for a long, long time. I have been so devastated and upset that I still can't wrap my head around what happened in this game. The bottom line is this: With all the twists, turns, critical plays, crucial mistakes, and amazing moments, the Broncos had the Ravens faced with a 3rd and 3 on their own 30 with 43 seconds left and no timeouts. Somehow and someway the Broncos allowed Jacoby Jones to get deep down the sideline, and Joe Flacco found him and threw it deep, and Rahim Moore completely misplayed the throw, which allowed Jones to catch it and get into the endzone for the game-tying score with 30 seconds left. Peyton Manning threw an awful interception late in the first overtime, and that directly led to Tucker's game winning kick that ended the Broncos season in heartbreak. There is so much to talk about in this game, so I decided to break down each element of this game.

Trindon Holliday's punt return in the first quarter: I sat there waiting for two weeks for this game. The anticipation was building for kickoff. After getting an early punt by the Ravens on the first possession, Holliday took the ensuing punt back 90 yards for a touchdown and an early 7-0 lead for Denver. It was one of the most exciting moments I have seen as a Broncos fan. What a way to start the game.

Torrey Smith owned Champ Bailey: When Torrey Smith burned Champ Bailey on a 59 yard pass play to answer the Holliday score, it set the tone for the day and Ravens offense. Smith wasn't done killing Bailey, and we'll get to that later.

Manning's pick-six: The next series Manning was picked off by Corey Graham, and it was returned 39 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-7. A couple of things about this play. First, Eric Decker was clearly interfered with on the play, but it was such a bang-bang play, so it was hard to see a flag being thrown there. Also, this made me realize that this game was going to be close throughout.

Manning to Stokley: Manning answered the interception return with a beautiful 15 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokley in the corner of the endzone to tie it up at 14. It was an amazing play, and it was a huge answer to the tough start for the Broncos. Great throw and catch.

Manning to Moreno: Two drives later, after the Broncos forced two Ravens punts, Manning put together another huge scoring drive. This time he hit Knowshon Moreno in the endzone on a great hookup because Moreno ran a double move on linebacker Dannel Ellerbe. It was a huge play, and at this point I was feeling very confident that Manning might be able to pick apart the Ravens defense the rest of the day.

The Halftime Screwup: John Fox has been burned in the past by electing to try a long field goal, that attempt missing, and the other team gaining really good field position and taking advantage as a result. Instead of punting the Ravens deep into their own territory, Fox elected to try a 52 yard field goal, and Matt Prater missed the kick which resulted in the Ravens getting the ball at their own 42 with 1:16 left i the 2nd quarter. In just three plays, Flacco hit Torrey Smith once again on a 32 yard touchdown strike to tie the game at 21. Champ Bailey got burned once again, and this is where I really felt that was the turning point of the game. Even if the Broncos just let up a field goal, they would be leading 21-17 heading into halftime. You can't give up a touchdown that late in the half.

Trindon Holliday Part 2: Holliday got into the act once again when he returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a 104 yard return to give the Broncos a 28-21 lead. That was a huge momentum play, and Holliday's performance was just amazing on Saturday.

Flacco's Fumble: The next drive for the Ravens produced a fumbled snap by Joe Flacco at the Denver 43 yard line. It reminded me of one of those moments at the old Mile High when something funny like that would happen each time in big games back in the day. At this point, the Broncos should have taken a stranglehold on the game, but unfortunately they didn't.

Jacob Hester? People have been asking me why the Broncos would run the ball on 3rd and 5 from their own 47 with over 10 minutes to go in the third quarter. The Broncos and Manning have done that all year long. Sometimes they were successful and sometimes they weren't, and this time it didn't work out. They were just doing some of the same things that they did all year long.

Manning's fumble: After a 3rd and 1 run for a first down by Hester was nullified by another awful holding penalty, Manning was faced with a 3rd and 10 at his own 46, and he tried to pull the ball back at the last second but got hit and the same time and fumbled. It looked like the Tuck Rule was in effect there, but the refs didn't overturn the play, and the Ravens got a huge turnover.

Ray Rice Ties It Up: Four plays later, Rice went in from the one yard line and once again the game was tied. Rice ran right through the Denver defense the entire drive to make it 28-28.

Manning Takes the Lead: Manning took the Broncos 88 yards on a terrific drive to give the Broncos a 35-28 lead. He hit Demaryius Thomas on a 17 yard touchdown pass to give the Broncos a seven point lead with 7:11 left to play in the game. The Broncos did benefit from a defensive holding penalty on a 3rd and 3 to keep the drive alive. Whatever the case, Manning got the Broncos into the endzone and did his job.

Fourth Down Stop: After the Ravens moved the ball to the Broncos 31, Mike Adams made a great play to break up a fourth down pass to Dennis Pitta with 3:12 left in the game. It was a really great play that could have cemented the game.

3rd and 7: The Broncos needed two first downs to ice the game when they took over at their own 31 with 3:12 seconds left. They got a first down on two running plays, and they forced the Ravens to use their timeouts. The Broncos ran the ball twice, and it set up a 3rd and 7 with 2:00 minutes left and a chance to win the game with a first down. I understand why John Fox ran the ball there, and the percentages play into your favor. Also, Denver did the same thing against KC in the regular season and it worked out for them, so I wasn't surprised that this played out this way. I still think you wouldn't have argued with the fact that you put the ball into Peyton Manning's hands to win the game. If it doesn't work out, then I think you at least go down with your best player trying to win the game right there.

Flacco to Jones: The fact that the Ravens took over at their own 23 with only 1:09 left, no timeouts, and needing a touchdown made me feel confident as a Broncos fan, but the way Flacco played all game it still scared me and made me feel like the Ravens were going to at least find their way into Denver territory with a shot to win it late. How the hell Flacco hits Jacoby Jones on that 70 yard hookup with 30 seconds left? It will go down as one the most infamous plays in Broncos history. Rahim Moore and Tony Carter both got caught looking in the backfield and flat-footed, and Flacco made them pay. High school teams don't give up plays like that at the end of games. It was just awful. I am still shocked by that play, and it will haunt me all offseason. I was in a state of shock, and at that point I thought the Broncos were done. There is no way you can recover from a play like that.

Taking a knee: The Broncos got the ball back with 31 seconds left at their own 20 and two timeouts, but they decided to take a knee and play for overtime. Why not just let Peyton Manning try a throw or two and try to advance the ball? Why not let him take at least one shot downfield? Maybe Manning's arm was shot. Maybe Fox was worried that he was going to throw a pick. I just wanted to see him take one shot at it, but he played for overtime.

Overtime Momentum: The Ravens got the ball first in overtime, and they were able to put together a quality drive. Baltimore drove to the Broncos 44 yard line with the aid of a bogus pass interference call on Champ Bailey, but Von Miller and Elvis Dumveril finally showed up and sacked Flacco to force a punt. On the next drive, the Broncos faced a 3rd and 1 on their own 39, and once again Denver relied on a run by Jacob Hester, and they were stuffed for no gain. I hated this call, and the conservative nature of this play would haunt the Broncos. The Broncos backed up the Ravens to their own six-yard line. On a 3rd and 13, Flacco found Dennis Pitta up the seam for a huge 24 yard pass play. Although the Broncos did force a punt, that throw by Flacco changed field position. That was a very underrated play in the game.

Manning's Final Mistake: Facing a 2nd and 6 from the Denver 38, Manning rolled out of the pocket and tried to throw back across his body, but he was picked off by Corey Graham. It was a terrible mistake by Manning, and it was the final play of his magical 2012 season. Manning very rarely makes a mistake like that, but he picked the worst time to make such an uncharacteristic throw.

There are so many other storylines to get to with this game. The lack of pass rush with Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil is one. The defensive breakdowns all game long for a defense that was so good all year long is another. Was the cold weather really a factor in Peyton Manning's performance? The conservative play call from the Broncos was another theme from this game. Look, I'll have plenty of time to look at all of those aspects as the offseason begins. I'll post my Broncos Postmortem Mailbag either later in the week or next week where I will explore these factors and other factors facing the Broncos and their 2012 season and beyond.

As a final postscript for this game, this is definitely the worst loss as a Broncos fan. It still really hurts days later. It will be hard to not think about this game as we wait for the regular season to begin next September. The lasting impact of this game will endure for a really long time. All the build up to this season when the Broncos signed Manning was exciting, then the season started, and every week it was so special to watch Manning and this team grow all year. It was a great season, but it ended so tragically on Saturday in that game to Baltimore. On Sunday morning, my son woke up and asked me if there was any football on today. I told them that there was, but then he asked me if the Broncos are playing today. Unfortunately, I had to tell him that sadly they weren't because their season is over. It wasn't supposed to be over at that point, and I should be writing about Championship Sunday with Manning and the Broncos hosting Brady and Pats. I guess time heals all wounds, but this wound will leave a very significant scar.