2009 NFL Wild Card Sunday Games
Ravens Beat Dolphins, Eagles Beat Vikings
Baltimore Ravens Force Five Turnovers and Eliminate the Miami Dolphins, 27-9
Everyone always wonders how well a rookie NFL QB will play in his first playoff game. But with the outstanding performance of Baltimore's defense against Miami on Sunday afternoon, Joe Flacco's day on the field - good or bad - didn't really matter anyway. Flacco went 9-for-23 for just 135 yards and no passing TDs and watched as his defense caused headaches for the Dolphins all afternoon. With the score tied at three late in the second quarter, a Chad Pennington pass was intercepted by Ed Reed and returned 64 yards for a TD and a 10-3 lead. The Ravens added a FG before halftime for a 10-point lead.
It got much worse for Pennington and the Dolphins in the second half as Pennington's first pass attempt was intercepted. Although the Ravens wouldn't score off that turnover they would force a fumble on the Dolphins' next possession and capitalize three plays later when Le'Ron McClain scooted eight yards in for the score and a 20-3 lead. Pennington's rough afternoon and the Dolphins' amazing season was, for all intents and purposes, over when the QB threw his fourth interception into the arms of Reed. Any chance Miami had of making a comeback was essentially extinguished with the cornerback's second pick of the day and the fifth of his postseason career.
Miami had committed a league-low 13 turnovers during the season but were tormented by a Baltimore defense that led the league with 34 takeaways this year. The heartbreaking loss ended a remarkable season which saw the Dolphins go from a 1-15 record just one year ago to the AFC East title.
Baltimore will visit the Tennessee Titans next Saturday afternoon.
Ravens Leaders
- Flacco: 9-for-23 for 135 yards; 5 rushes for 8 yards and one TD
- McClain: 19 rushes for 75 yards and one TD
- Derrick Mason: 4 catches for 71 yards
- Reed: 1 tackle, 2 INTs, 1 defensive TD
Dolphins Leaders
- Pennington: 25-for-38 for 252 yards, one TD and four INTs
- Ronnie Brown: 12 rushes for 19 yards; 6 catches for 43 yards and one TD
- Patrick Cobbs: 4 catches for 55 yards
- Will Allen: 5 tackles
Brian Westbrook's 4th Quarter Scoring Play Leads Eagles Past Vikings, 26-14
Philadelphia's offense runs through Westbrook. Minnesota knows that and did a stellar job containing him for most of the game. Key word: "most." With the Eagles clinging to a precarious 16-14 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Westbrook caught a screen pass from Donovan McNabb and with the help of some incredible blocking from his teammates, and some crafty footwork, turned a seemingly harmless reception into a 71-yard score and a nine-point Eagles lead. Philadelphia then thwarted any chance of a Minnesota comeback when Juqua Parker jumped on a fumble resulting from a botched snap in Vikings' territory. David Akers added his fourth field goal of the game with two minutes left, cementing the Eagles victory.
Early in the second quarter, it was looking up for Minnesota when Adrian Peterson rumbled 40 yards in for a TD and 7-6 Vikings lead. But the Eagles regained the lead with an Akers' FG on their next possession and made sure they kept it for good when Asante Samuel intercepted a Tarvaris Jackson pass on the next Minnesota drive and took it back 44 yards for a defensive TD. The Vikings managed to trim the deficit to two (16-14) before halftime when Peterson ran in a three-yard score. And that's where the deficit would remain until Westbrook's backbreaking play in the fourth quarter that silenced the Minnesota crowd and ensured Philadelphia's right to advance.
The Eagles will travel to New York to face the Giants next Sunday afternoon.
Eagles Leaders
- McNabb: 23-for-34 for 300 yards, one TD and one INT
- Westbrook: 20 rushes for 38 yards; 3 catches for 83 yards and one TD
- Brent Celek: 6 catches for 56 yards
- Brian Dawkins: 5 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble
Vikings Leaders
- Jackson: 15-for-35 for 164 yards, no TDs and one INT
- Peterson: 20 rushes for 83 yards and two TDs
- Chester Taylor: 5 catches for 36 yards
- Cedric Griffin: 5 tackles, one INT
Stats Source:
nfl.com
Click here for the scores from Saturday's wild card games
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