Joe Flacco threw for 176 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Baltimore Ravens fended off the Houston Texans, 20-13, in the AFC Divisional Round on Sunday afternoon to secure a date with the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game next Sunday in Foxboro, MA.
Andquan Boldin had four catches for 72 yards and a score for Baltimore, which racked up 277 total yards (140 passing, 87 rushing). Ray Rice rushed for 60 yards on 21 carries, and the Ravens had three fumbles in the game.
Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates threw for 184 yards on 17-of-35 passing but threw three interceptions for Houston, which had 315 total yards (184 passing, 131 rushing). Andre Johnson reeled in eight catches for 111 yards.
Flacco, who completed 14-of-27 passes, found Kris Wilson for a one-yard touchdown with 9:51 left in the first quarter after Neil Rackers connected on a 40-yard field goal for the Texans with 12:24 to go in the first, putting Baltimore up 7-3.
Billy Cundiff made a game-long 48-yard field goal with 6:02 to play in the first, extending the Ravens' lead to seven points. With 1:08 to go in the quarter, Flacco connected with Anquan Boldin on a 10-yard touchdown pass, giving the Ravens a 17-3 edge. Rackers made a 33-yard field goal early in the second quarter and Arian Foster rushed for a one-yard score, trimming Houston's deficit to 17-13 as the two teams headed for the locker rooms at halftime.
Cundiff made a 44-yard field goal with 2:52 to go in the fourth quarter, accounting for the only points in the second half for either team. The Ravens remained undefeated at home on the season with the victory.
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