Baltimore waltzes out of Tennessee

Conjuring up memories and magic of their last Super Bowl run, the wild-card Baltimore Ravens once again knocked off the top-seeded Tennessee Titans in an AFC divisional playoff game Saturday.

Matt Stover’s 43-yard field goal with 53 seconds to play lifted the Ravens to a 13-10 victory in front of a sellout crowd at LP Field.

The Ravens became only the second sixth-seeded team in NFL playoff history to upset a top-seeded team.

The Ravens advanced to the AFC championship game for the first time in eight years, where they will play at the winner of today’s San Diego Chargers-Pittsburgh Steelers game.

“That [2000] team was great, [but] we can’t be compared to that team,” linebacker Bart Scott said. “That team has its own identity, and we’re trying to create our own.”

These Ravens won with big plays. A 48-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Joe Flacco to Derrick Mason tied the score, 7-7. A 23-yard pass from Flacco to Todd Heap on third down set up the winning field goal.

These Ravens won with a stubborn defense. After giving up a touchdown in the first quarter, the Ravens allowed the Titans to get inside their 40-yard line six more times but surrendered only a field goal. The Ravens forced three turnovers on their side of the field.

“In the end, our guys found a way to win,” first-year Coach John Harbaugh said. “They made their share of plays too. But we made the ones that made the difference.”

In the 2000 season, the Ravens beat the Titans despite being out-gained 317 yards to 134 and 23-6 in first downs. Saturday, the Ravens won despite being out-gained 391 to 211 and 21-9 in first downs.

But Saturday, Baltimore’s offense stepped up at crucial times.

After the Titans tied the score, 10-10, the Ravens answered, albeit with some help. Flacco threw a 23-yard pass down the seam to Heap, converting a third down on a play that shouldn’t have counted. The play clock had expired, but referee Terry McAulay tried to offer an explanation.

“When [the clock] hits zero, which is high here, [the back judge] goes to the ball,” McAulay said after the game. “So there is going to be a natural delay from zero to getting to the ball.”

On the next third down, Flacco connected with Mark Clayton on an eight-yard pass, which was a yard short of the first down but set up Stover.

One of two Ravens remaining from that 2000 team (linebacker Ray Lewis is the other), Stover converted the first playoff winner of his 19-year career.

Asked to rank this kick among the others in his career, Stover said, “I would say this would be No. 1. But we got some more kicks to go. Let’s just be humble about that.”

As he has done so many times this season, Flacco didn’t flinch. With the score tied, 10-10, he took over at his own 24 with 4 minutes 17 seconds left and one timeout. Flacco completed two of three passes on the Ravens’ final series for 31 of the drive’s 51 yards.

“It’s the same as any other drive,” Flacco said.

The Ravens couldn’t keep the Titans out of their territory, but they kept them off the scoreboard.

After Tennessee scored its touchdown, the Titans marched five times inside the Ravens’ 40 and didn’t produce a point.

So Baltimore is one win away from the Super Bowl.

“It’s a four-game tournament, and we’re at the final four,” Scott said. “This thing’s wide open, and anybody can win it.”

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jamison.hensley@baltsun.com