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Foxboro, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh called Joe Flacco the NFLs best quarterback last week. Tom Brady had something to say about that this week. Bradys 367 yards and three touchdowns, the last a go-ahead 23-yard strike to Brandon LaFell with 5;13 remaining, rallied the New England Patriots to a 35-31 AFC Divisional Playoff victory over Harbaughs Ravens at Gillette Stadium. The fourth postseason meeting between the teams in six years was another classic, with the Patriots twice battling back from 14 points down -- including a 28-14 deficit midway through the third quarter -- and not taking their first lead until Bradys final TD delivery of the day. New England also overcome a career postseason-best four touchdown throws from Flacco, though his second interception of the game virtually ended Baltimores own comeback hopes with 1:39 left to play. Hats off to our team. They worked hard this week, said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. It certainly wasnt our best game -- well need to play a lot better next week, whoever we play -- but its good to win. The top-seeded Patriots advanced to their fourth straight AFC Championship Game, where theyll await the winner of Sundays Indianapolis-Denver clash. Bradys yardage total and 33 completions in 50 attempts each shattered his own franchise records for a playoff game, while the three-time Super Bowl champs connection with LaFell gave him 46 career postseason touchdown passes to break the leagues all-time record held by Bradys boyhood idol, Joe Montana. He also ran for a touchdown. Hes a pretty good quarterback, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said of Brady. He sat in there and made the plays they needed him to make. Rob Gronkowski caught one of Bradys touchdown throws in a 7-reception, 108- yard effort. Danny Amendola finished with a pair of touchdown grabs for New England, including a 51-yard catch from wide receiver Julian Edelman on a trick play in the third quarter. Flacco, aiming to extend his own NFL record with an eighth career playoff win on the road, ended with 292 yards on a 28-of-45 completion rate. Justin Forsett had a touchdown catch while running for 129 yards on 24 carries for Baltimore, which owns two of the three victories by visiting teams against New England in the Brady/Belichick era and very nearly pulled off a third. The Ravens owned a 31-28 lead following Justin Tuckers 25-yard field goal with 10:17 remaining, before Brady sent New England ahead with a terrific performance on the ensuing drive. He completed 8-of-9 attempts while marching the Patriots 74 yards in 10 plays, with Amendola coming up with a key 6-yard catch on 3rd-and-6 to move the chains at the Baltimore 38. Three snaps later, Brady launched a perfect downfield throw that LaFell cradled down the left sideline for the go-ahead -- and record-setting -- score. Flaccos 17-yard hookup with Owen Daniels on 4th-and-3 had the Ravens in New England territory at the two-minute warning, but he overthrew Torrey Smith on a deep route and New Englands Duron Harmon picked off the pass in the end zone to just about seal the outcome. The Ravens did get back the ball near midfield with four seconds left. However, Flaccos Hail Mary heave into the end zone was knocked away as time expired. Youve got to give credit to (New England), said Flacco. They dont panic, they just play the game and keep at it. They got themselves back in the game, we pulled away, (then) they were in striking distance and they made the play. Flaccos fourth touchdown toss of the afternoon, a 16-yarder to Forsett, staked Baltimore to a 28-14 advantage early in the third quarter. The battle- tested Pats were undaunted, however, as Brady engineered touchdowns on the next two possessions. After 9-play, 80-yard sequence in which Brady threw on every down resulted in Gronkowskis 5-yard touchdown catch, New England wasted little time striking again after its defense induced a three-and-out. Brady initially looked downfield before tossing the ball behind the line of scrimmage to Edelman, who hit an uncovered Amendola in stride to draw the Patriots even with 4:20 to go in the third quarter. Weve had it in for 10 weeks, and the coaches finally got to call it, Edelman said of the play. I had to loosen up the arm a little bit. A sack of Flacco and fumble recovery by Jamie Collins deep in the Ravens own end on the following series was negated by a defensive holding call on Darrelle Revis, and Baltimore capitalized on the penalty. The Ravens moved into scoring range behind several strong runs from Forsett, though they ended up settling for Tuckers field goal when Daniels couldnt come down with Flaccos third-down pass in the end zone. Flacco was right on the mark during Baltimores first two drives of the game, both of which resulted in touchdowns to stake the Ravens to a 14-0 lead. He went 4-for-4 for 69 yards on the opening series as Baltimore reached the end zone in just five plays, the last a 19-yard catch by Kamar Aiken on a well-executed play fake by Flacco that began the scoring just 2:42 in. Flacco hit on 5-of-6 throws to complement a pair of long runs from Forsett on the Ravens next possession, which ended when Steve Smith beat Revis to make a juggling 9-yard touchdown catch on 3rd-and-7. Two big plays from Gronkowski, a 16-yard reception on 3rd-and-8 and a 46-yard connection with Brady, helped New England close the gap on the following drive. Brady cut the lead to 14-7 by scrambling into the end zone from four yards out on a 3rd-and-goal play in the final minute of the first quarter. The Patriots converted two more third downs on Brady completions, one a 23- yard strike to Gronkowski, on a game-tying 10-play trek late in the second quarter. Amendola capped it by shaking free of a tackle on a short catch and diving across the goal line for a 15-yard touchdown 3:37 before halftime. Bradys lone critical mistake of the day came on New Englands next offensive set, as he failed to recognize Daryl Smith in underneath coverage and the veteran linebacker intercepted the intended pass for Gronkowski at the Ravens 43. After a 20-yard pass interference penalty on Revis put the Ravens deep into New England territory, Daniels came down with Flaccos pinpoint back-shoulder throw into a tight window for an 11-yard touchdown that sent Baltimore into the half up 21-14. A gutsy 4th-and-6 call on its initial series of the second half enabled Baltimore to extend the lead, as Torrey Smith hauled in Flaccos deep pass while being mugged by Brandon Browner at the Patriots 1-yard line. Though the wideouts taunting penalty pushed the ball back 15 yards, Flacco found a wide- open Forsett in the flat on the ensuing snap to restore the 14-point differential. Game Notes The win was the 20th for Belichick in the postseason, tying him with Dallas Cowboys legend Tom Landry for the most by a head coach in league history ... In addition to breaking Montanas mark, Brady became the NFLs all-time leader in postseason passing yards with 6,791 ... Brady posted his seventh career 300-yard passing game in the playoffs, second only to Peyton Manning in NFL history ... Flacco had gone 188 straight pass attempts without an interception before being picked by Devin McCourty in the third quarter ... Edelman had eight catches for 74 yards, with Amendola totaling 81 yards on five receptions ... Patriots rookie center Bryan Stork did not return after injuring his right knee. . Chris Heisey followed with a two-run triple and Billy Hamilton added an RBI double, all but sealing Cincinnatis fourth straight victory and seventh in eight games. Brandon Phillips, celebrating his 33rd birthday, hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth for the Reds before pinch-hitter Buster Posey tied it with an RBI double off hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom half. . The Asheville, N.C. native, who signed as a free agent with the CFL club last May, didnt see any action with Edmonton this season after opening the year on the injured list. . Its Wu-Tang and Outkast in the final. Now, we all know youve played the role of Andre 3000 in the past, does that mean Outkast is getting your vote?AJ: You know it, you know it. .com) - Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall left Saturdays game against the Senators in the second period with a left knee injury. . The incident occurred at 6:28 of the first period in Anaheims 6-3 home win over Dallas on Sunday. Garbutt left the penalty box and skated at Penner before leaving his skates to deliver a check.Manchester City are in advanced talks with Borussia Dortmund over the signing of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sky sources understand. Aubameyang, the Bundesliga Player of the Year, had been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid, but the Spanish giants could be on the verge of losing out to City. Aubameyang is the Bundesliga Player of the Year The Gabon internationals value sky-rocketed last season, with a haul of 25 goals in 29 Bundesliga games bettered only by Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. He could become another high-profile capture from Dortmund for new City boss Pep Guardiola, who made his first signing - midfielder Ilkay Gundogan - from the same club last week.Guardiola could be busy in the coming weeks, despite the Euro 2016 tournament starting in France on Friday, as he has also been linked with two big-money moves for defenders. Defender Aymeric Laporte could also be on his way to England this summer France international Aymeric Laporte, who plays for Athletic Bilbao, and Evertons England international John Stones are also on Guardiolas wanted list, Sky sources understand.dddddddddddd Is Laporte the answer? Is Athletic Bilbaos Aymeric Laporte the answer to Manchester Citys defensive woes? The Spaniard is looking to add up to five players who would go straight into his first-team ahead of his first season in charge at the Etihad. Also See: City expect players to leave Is Laporte the answer? Peps City to face Bayern Pep tipped to transform City ' ' '
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