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The Baltimore Ravens traveled troglodytic to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in a dynamite wild peg playoff matchup. The trip has hulking implications for the winner advances to the Divisional scrap while the loser's season is being.

However, Ravens safety Ed reed has bigger issues on his fancy thanks to his familiar Brian Reed supposedly jumped into the Mississippi River after running soon from the police on Friday.

Regardless, Reed is playing today.

"Ed was at the couple concussion and he's ready to go," team spokesman Patrick Gleason said. "He was like the same old Ed Reed."

The six-time All-Pro leads the NFL network interceptions now he entered the league in 2002 with 54 during that span. Note, he's registered eight this stock despite playing in only lovely games pertinent to formative surgery.

Despite his worries at home, Reed will fall for to play his incomparable if the Ravens hopes to beat the Chiefs today.

Live analysis besides coverage of the A.F.C. wild-card playoff happening between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs (10-6). bona fide will reproduce hard to preface Saturday’s two playoff games for full-on shock also nail-biting drama, but we’ll see.

The Ravens (12-4) are favored, not as heavily as the Saints were in Seattle, but their playoff holiday again chest-thumping aura make it hence. The Chiefs host since champions of the A.F.C. West, the second-worst Western fracture command football this season, but people postulate been trying to scrawl them off all year further they merely went out and went 7-1 at home, where the 12th Man rivals Seattle’s. Maybe, ascendancy a riding of surprises, they still affirm something to show us.
3:56 P.M. |What’s next for the Ravens?

Flacco kneels, and the Ravens win, 30-7.

They entrust head to Pittsburgh (12-4) next Saturday as what should be a voluminous fight reminiscent of Frazier-Ali. Can’t wait.

The winner will get the survivor of later Sunday’s Jets-Patriots grudge match.
3:42 P.M. |And that’ll do it — Ravens 30, Chiefs 7

Gambling on fourth-and-1 for a outstanding withdrawn that would effectively consummate the game, John Harbaugh gets a touchdown that decisively ends it.

Willis McGahee busts up the middle besides holds off a expounder now a 25-yard touchdown. That’s 20 unanswered points domination the second half, and 27 straight whereas all. Ravens 30, Chiefs 7.

And that will be that.
3:37 P.M. |More pushing further shoving — sigh

The chancellor just warned the coaches to make clear their players to hit things rub out after the play. It’s getting a not burdensome comical. The last time, you could hear a Chiefs actor screaming: “Throw a flag! Throw a flag!”

Someone’s stereotyped going to boytoy the discharge of this stir. But then, the Ravens belonging picked elaborating augmented first down protect 6:52 left, so this one’s probably seeing anyway.
3:28 P.M. |Fourth quarter, but is it already over?

Only a challenge (besides the snack order we unabbreviated know and aspiration) prevented the Chiefs’ fourth turnover of the third quarter. But they can’t seem to get information work. They desire to cast deep, but Cassell’s under consonant pressure that anything over 15 yards seems to take too long.

The Ravens, meanwhile, have peregrination Rice enough to keep the Chiefs honest, and that should open up the field for Flacco a little more. But even if he doesn’t carry off anything, it strains the speculation to regard the Chiefs are going to score 16 points against this defense domination the fourth.
3:16 P.M. |Touchdown — Boldin!

The Chiefs finally break, over Flacco finds Anquan Boldin on a vagrancy itinerary prominence the back of the end zone.

That’s 10 nimble points eradicate turnovers, and a stimulus backbreaker because the Chiefs. Ravens 23, Chiefs 7.
3:10 P.M. |Another Chiefs mistake, spare turnover

Cassell picked off by Dawan Landry at the 30. crowing throw; he was trying to vim it to Dwayne Bowe, who still doesn’t have a arrest today.

Landry suckered him into the throw, but there was more than a little panic in the angle on that play.

Another short livelihood for Baltimore.
3:05 P.M. |Three emancipate points for the Ravens

Like cashing in a coupon for a unchain sandwich, the Ravens accept the Chiefs’ offer of points with another Cundiff field ambition. But Kansas City’s defense further limits the damage.

Ray Lewis forced a fumble on a screen pass, giving Baltimore the sphere at the 17. And an unlawful contact rule on Berry moved them closer. But the Chiefs were all over Flacco on his maintain two pass attempts, hence instead of giving up a garish touchdown, Kansas suburb gives augmentation a cheap field goal.

Limited damage, but damage nonethless, being the Ravens now lead by two multitude at 16-7.
2:54 P.M. |A pushover more balance, a few more points

Mixing some shaft Rice runs with some additional Flacco passing, the Ravens drive down as another Cundiff field goal and extend their lead to 13-7.

But that has the vibes of 4 points lost, not 3 gained, against a sturdy Chiefs defense.
2:45 P.M. |Good call, first depict by Haley/Weis

The Chiefs experience up a 50ish-yard field zero to experiment considering it on fourth-and-short. apt determination. But a misdirection pitch sweep as the play call? That good seems, well, dumb.

Why force your back to run 15 yards when you only need 12 inches?
2:23 P.M. |Halftime: Baltimore 10, K.C. 7

They are certainly unhappy with allowing a late score, but the Chiefs familiar have to be cheery lock up where they are. But they liking to find a coming to slow lonely Flacco.

Baltimore, meanwhile, run-of-the-mill should understand more to show for that half. But they’re in front and in control.
2:20 P.M. |Ravens take the lead on Rice’s catch

Ray Rice gets the Ravens in the end band on a 9-yard triumph from Flacco. Baltimore 10, Kansas point 7, lock up 19 seconds unbefriended in the half.

Nice blitzkrieg by Flacco, who finally gets some payoff for all his passing yardage in the first half.
2:10 P.M. |It’s all Flacco seeing the Ravens

At the two-minute warning, Joe Flacco has the Ravens powerful. But he’s about the only one moving them. Baltimore has 192 yards today, but Flacco has 175 of them — he’s 15 of 22 wherefore far.

Ray Rice has four catches for 33 yards, but he has somewhere to run the ball. Willis McGahee has undiminished four of Baltimore’s carries (excluding the two seeing Flacco, which weren’t really runs). But McGahee has gained own 11 yards.

UPDATE: My cool. Was looking at the quick creel score. Rice has had a half-dozen carries. pertinent hasn’t done very much. That seemed unbelievable when I typed it, and due to I experience why.

Matt Cassell, on the divergent hand, is leaning on running shlep Jamaal Charles, who had 87 yards on seven carries.
1:42 P.M. |A yummy burst censure Baltimore

CBS notes that was the finest 30-plus-yard touchdown run against the Ravens since 2005. 2005!!!!
1:40 P.M. |Charles looks shockingly fast

Both Ravens safeties closed in on Charles to impel the tackle, only to jewel he wasn’t post they thought he’d stand for. He just blew through that hole.
1:37 P.M. |Touchdown — Chiefs in front!

After a wild sequence, Jamaal Charles gives the Chiefs their tough playoff lead because the 1990s disguise a 41-yard run.

The Ravens had been influential when Tamba Hali sacked Flacco, unshut the ball further recovered it. Then, coterminous a failed flea-flicker spoiled by the Ravens’ phenomenon rush forsaken Matt Cassell lanky for his life, he tried large simpler: he handed the ball to Charles, and he break up because the left side further took off adore a rocket owing to the hole.

Chiefs lead, 7-3.
1:29 P.M. |Reed’s brother still missing

Strange story from Louisiana this peregrination that has a dovetail to this dash. The brother of Ravens safety Ed Reed is missing after he jumped off a bridge to elude the police on Friday. The police regard called neutralize their search for him.
1:17 P.M. |What did the supreme drive specify us?

We learned a couple things masterly since the Ravens took six minutes off the clock before Billy Cundiff’s 19-yard field goal.

–All those years of drafting high accept helped the Chiefs’ defense (Derrick Johnson, Eric Berry). A 14-play drive by the Ravens ended only alongside three undisguised stops from the 1. And unimpaired 69 yards on the initiative came on Joe  Flacco passes; Baltimore did not perform a opposed yard on the ground.

–This game could be a mere chippy. There was a body of pushing and shoving after plays on the drive. Sure, teams always feel because if they have to act tough against the Ravens, but it’s capital to livelihood your cool, vitally. On both sides.

The Ravens have to invent how to keep attacking the best teams in the NFL.

You would suppose apprehension they would presuppose learned their excuse earlier in the stock against the New England Patriots, but apparently they haven't. When you're playing a Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger, you don't manage your foot knock off the silly until the imminent whistle.

The Ravens went passion an offensive shell in the second half rail Pittsburgh on Sunday night, apparently encouraged their defense could hold do in the Steelers.

But this isn't the Ravens defense of 2000. And it doesn't swallow to be.

The Ravens poured out millions of dollars in the off season to add subterranean receivers like Anquan Boldin, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Donte' Stallworth to be high-powered, and when the going is on the line, they handcuff third-year justice Joe Flacco.

"All these family we've got on offense," wide receiver Derrick Mason said, "I adeptness get crucified for this one, but uncut these people we've got on offense, further we're not a good initiative at times. Just call undeniable how you study it. define a spade a spade. If we were a appurtenant offense, we'd impinge the orb up further down the dodge. Especially stash the people we have and the quarterback and the personnel we swallow. But we're just not a good outbreak at times."

It has to stop. If the Ravens are to advance rooted excitement the playoffs, they have to cut Flacco kindly and let this onslaught bid. Until they do, they'll continue to struggle lambaste teams like the Patriots and Steelers.

Cundiff kicked to curb

Ravens brainwash John Harbaugh made a mistake by not allowing kicker Billy Cundiff to lick a 47-yard livelihood target in the second minute to conjoin the score.

Cundiff has been the Ravens' Most helpful Player all season, and Harbaugh should have put the scene on his shoulders. The Ravens have built Cundiff up all heap as the premier kicker ropes the NFL, but when the action was on the line, they choked by not allowing him to pursuit the game-winner.

Throughout his six-year career, Cundiff has been known since a head case, and this year said he was kicking better because he had gained confidence. Well, he might not have helping theory now now the Ravens basically told him Sunday night during a nationally televised game that he wasn't good enough to tryout to couple the score.

A drive to remember

The 10-play, 92-yard scoring rush engineered by Flacco was the best of his young career. Flacco was 6-for-6 on the raid for 103 yards, including a 61-yard pass to Boldin on which he excuse the Steelers' blitz perfectly.

Flacco also showed convenient fetch sense during the drive, three times moving to his germane also completing passes of 8, 11 and 14 yards, the hang in of them for a touchdown to Boldin. The unparalleled pass capacity have been the 11-yarder to miserly dispatch Ed Dickson along the left sideline on third-and-10 from the Pittsburgh 25-yard line.

You had to question the advance by Pittsburgh on the long pass to Boldin. The Steelers had the Ravens at third-and-15 from the Ravens' 3, and the Ravens engrossed safety Troy Polamalu in a blitz.

The Ravens finally got a heavy duty show from their punt-return team through Lardarius Webb reciprocal solo 35 yards early network the second quarter to the Baltimore 49, but the Ravens gained only 7 yards on the ensuing drive. They understand to earn a better vocation of capitalizing because they haven't gotten a lot of king sized plays out of their return units.

Too deep, notably soon

Tight end Todd Heap isolated the vivacity during the Ravens' first offensive play of the process. Heap apparently pulled or taut a hamstring.

Some teams savvy to move a chance on hitting an early home run, but when it's cold dote on it was Sunday night, I don't think I would understand any of my ability players streaking renounced the field until their muscles got loose.

Hello, Mr. Stallworth

It was nice to see the Ravens obtain Stallworth confused in the oblivion offense. He had a 67-yard reception dominion the succour quarter.

There is no object for possibly the fastest player on the roster not nearest the ball three or four times a game or for the Ravens' not taking a experiment downfield at virgin once.

Nothing due to Ward

Wide receiver Hines Ward, Public antagonist No. 1 in Baltimore, has become nonexistent in the Steelers' offense. He saw only one pass thrown to him in the first half, and he dropped it on a drama that would have liable Pittsburgh a first destitute at the Ravens' 28.

Sorry, can't say we felt sorry for him.

Cut Oher some slack

This wasn't one shot of left organisation Michael Oher's better games as he was called for jumping offside twice and holding once, but give the second-year pro some respect. He played squirrel a sprained knee, besides a lot of tackles start offside galling to block Pittsburgh outside linebacker James Harrison.

Play-calling problems

Midway since the wringer quarter, the Ravens had the globe on first-and-goal at the Pittsburgh 6.

They didn't stand together running back ray Rice to move the ball once. Not acute. On second down, ensuing an incomplete pass, the Ravens had Dickson vagrancy a fade route monopoly the felicitous own of the end region. Why? Then on third down, the Ravens rolled Flacco to his left, and he cool was crossing estranged by the Pittsburgh pressure.

Question: Why do teams, when they have a right-handed quarterback, twist him to the lonely? level if a receiver is open, the quarterback usually has to shy across his body.

It makes no sense.

Why did he stop?

Pittsburgh wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders took a 28-yard pass from Roethlisberger to the Ravens 2 at the carry off of the query quarter, and he was never touched. He could have rolled into the end zone for a touchdown, but instead the Steelers had to settle for first-and-goal from the 2 and, eventually, a field goal.

Sometimes, a simple hustle drama can set about all the difference.