FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Joe Flacco's pass that resulted in a fourth-quarter interception in Saturday's 35-31 loss to the New England Patriots is going to raise questions for a quarterback who had been nearly flawless recently in the postseason.
Flacco surprisingly took a deep shot when it was second-and-5. He went to the end zone when there was 1:46 remaining in the game. It wasn't the safe decision, but let's be careful about criticizing it.
The Ravens didn't lose this game because of Flacco. In fact, they were in position to win this game because of Flacco's aggressive mindset.
"You can be critical of any play that doesn’t work," coach John Harbaugh said. "Joe Flacco made a bunch of plays out there today, and Joe Flacco made a bunch of plays throughout the course of the season. You know, Joe is at his best in these kinds of games."
Flacco completed nine of his first 10 passes for two touchdowns as the Ravens jumped out to a 14-0 lead. He hit Smith on a 35-yard pass to convert a fourth-and-6, a key third quarter play that helped stake the Ravens to a 28-14 advantage.
So, if you're going to applaud how Flacco went for the jugular on that fourth down, you can't wring your hands over his decision to heave that fourth-quarter pass. That same attack-style mentality is a major reason why Flacco has become one of the best postseason quarterbacks.
This wasn't Flacco simply chucking up the ball for grabs. Flacco was trying to capitalize on a favorable matchup. He noticed cornerback Logan Ryan, who was on the field because Brandon Browner had injured his knee, had lined up across from his favorite deep threat.
"So, I took my shot and it just didn’t work out," Flacco said. "Didn’t get it there."
Flacco added to his growing postseason reputation even in a loss. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw multiple touchdowns in eight straight postseason games. His 24 playoff touchdowns are the most ever by a quarterback in his first seven seasons in the league. And his streak of 198 passes without an interception (which ended Saturday) ranks as the second-longest in league postseason history.
“He played a hell of a game," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "Joe, he’s always been dominant in this part of the season. We just fell one play short. They made one more play than we did.”
Flacco didn't make that one play, but he did enough for the Ravens to win. He had been 5-0 in the postseason when scoring at least 30 points before Saturday's loss.
"I thought we played a sound football game," said Flacco, who threw for 292 yards and four touchdowns. "We came in here and put up a lot of points. We just weren’t able to come away with it."