Squeeze Play

Colts' Defense Steals The Spotlight; Ravens Booted by Vinatieri: Colts 15, Ravens 6

BALTIMORE, Jan. 13 -- One of the NFL's premier home-field advantages never held up and one of its lesser road teams pulled off a rare victory. One of the league's all-time best quarterbacks performed like a nervy rookie. And what had been one of the NFL's weakest defenses was virtually impenetrable.

The AFC semifinal game between the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts on Saturday transpired as few would have predicted, with the Colts' suspect defense besting Baltimore's top-ranked unit, former league most valuable players Peyton Manning and Steve McNair faltering at quarterback and the Ravens, a team that capitalized on big plays, failing to rally behind an energized crowd.

One thing did play out precisely as history would dictate, however, as Colts place kicker Adam Vinatieri, one of the league's all-time greats in the postseason, connected on all five of his field goal attempts as the Colts knocked off the Ravens, 15-6, at M&T Bank Stadium.

It was a crushing blow to Baltimore, a city still hurt by the Colts' defection to Indianapolis on a snowy March night in 1984. Some were looking to this game, and a Ravens victory, as closure to that departure, but instead the Colts ended the season of the AFC North champions. The Ravens (13-4), the NFL's best home team since 2000, stifled Manning (15 for 30 for 170 yards with two interceptions and a 39.6 passer rating). McNair was equally as ineffective (18 for 29 for 173 yards, two interceptions and a 49.9 rating), so a battle of field goals ensued.

"They weren't going to let Mac [McNair] throw the ball," said Ravens safety Ed Reed, who had two interceptions. "And we weren't going to let Peyton throw the ball. That's all there was to it."

Offense was nothing special on either side. Neither team put up more than 261 yards, no running back topped 53 yards or had even 20 carries. No receiver reached 75 yards and, in fact, the game was devoid of star performances all around. Instead, collective defensive play set the tone and, surprisingly, the Colts' 21st-ranked unit came out on top while Baltimore's defense, which led the NFL in most every statistical category, stymied the AFC's top offense -- and lost.

"We did some of the little things we talked about all year that we were off on," Colts Coach Tony Dungy said of his defense. "Being in the right place and being sure and not hesitant. It was a matter of everyone picking up their game."

With offensive highlights at a minimum, Vinatieri, one of the most clutch kickers ever, came through. He set the all-time record for career postseason field goals on this night, flashing the same form that helped New England capture three Super Bowl titles before he signed with the Colts in the offseason. Indianapolis chose Vinatieri over Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate in NFL history at the time, and Vinatieri rewarded them Saturday, hitting from 23, 42, 51, 48 and finally, 35 yards, putting the Ravens away in the dying minutes.

"You just feel like you're going to make it every time when he goes out there," Dungy said. "In games like this, it's necessary."

Manning has yet to work his regular season magic in the playoffs, which explains why the franchise has yet to reach the Super Bowl. He helped the Colts (14-4) take the lead on their opening drive, but the Ravens stuffed tailback Joseph Addai twice near the goal line, forcing a field goal.

Ravens tight end Todd Heap was upended by a vicious hit by Nick Harper on the ensuing drive, fumbled, and the Colts took over at the 31-yard line. They could not advance the ball, but Vinatieri was true again for a 6-0 lead.

The Ravens had no offensive thrust to speak of, held without a touchdown for the second straight game dating from the regular season. They never established any sort of presence against the Colts' deep zone defense, and repeatedly McNair threw well short of the marker on third down. "Obviously, our plays are designed to get first downs but they did a great job of taking those things away and sitting on certain routes," Heap said.

Place kicker Matt Stover hit from 40 yards early in the second quarter, but the Ravens blew their best chance to take the lead shortly thereafter. On third down from the 4, safety Antoine Bethea (Howard) stepped in front of McNair's pass to Heap, and the Colts took over at the 1.

"All I did was read the quarterback, and I broke to the ball," Bethea said.

"You can't turn the ball over in a championship-style game," Ravens Coach Brian Billick said. "We can't make the mistakes that we made."

Baltimore then handed Indianapolis some breathing room with a procedural penalty near the goal line, the Colts gained key yardage with a flea flicker and Vinatieri's low and wobbly 51-yard attempt barely reached the crossbar, yet plopped over it and was good. The Colts could have grabbed a cushion as the half was ending, with wide receiver Aaron Moorehead easily beating cornerback Samari Rolle (who was burned all night). But Manning's pass was off, taking the receiver out of bounds instead of into the end zone, with the score 9-3.

Vinatieri had plenty of leg for a 48-yard field goal to open the scoring in the second half, and the Ravens (2 for 11 on third downs) continued to commit penalties, thwarting any momentum, managing just another field goal. The Colts' grip was always tenuous at best, but they ground out vital first downs on their final drive, bleeding the clock, and Manning hit tight end Dallas Clark on third down to get within Vinatieri's range. His fifth kick, with 23 seconds to play, put Baltimore away.