It was supposed to be a formality. Earlier in the week a cable news headline read, “Ray Lewis’ career will end in Denver.”

The Broncos had the best team in football, the altitude, the weather, the toughest place to play, the quarterback, the best defense, the 13-3 record – it all spelled doom for the upstarts from Baltimore.

No one across the country except for the Baltimore Ravens and their devout following (including this website) believed there was a chance.

But as the sun set on the frigid snow-capped Rockies on Saturday evening, a purple glow enveloped the city.

“Hail Jacoby”

With less than 40 seconds remaining in regulation and the Ravens trailing 35-28 with no timeouts, Joe Flacco dropped back to pass and squirmed through a gap in the collapsing pocket at his own 30-yard line.

The football parties around the city were closing down to ponder another gallant Raven playoff defeat. On the Ravens sideline, Lewis sat shrouded in a hood with his head down like a closed tollbooth.

The picture of cool precision all day, Flacco noticed a Denver safety standing still and unleashed a pass high into the arctic air down the sideline that somehow found a speeding Jacoby Jones behind the defense on a 70-yard bomb that tied the score at 35 and forced overtime.

“I told Joe in the tunnel before the game,” said Lewis. “It is time for you to lead. There was a look in his eyes I’ve never seen.”

Call it a “Hail Jacoby” pass. It was the fifth time the Ravens came from behind to tie the score in the game.

In what will be remembered as one of the greatest games in NFL playoff history, the Ravens shocked the Broncos in double-overtime, 38-35, on a Justin Tucker sudden death 47-yard field goal.

“I’ve never been a part of a game so crazy in my life,” said Lewis, in the post-game press conference.

Joe Flacco played the best game of his career. Ray Lewis had 17 tackles. Corey Graham had two game-changing interceptions.

“Everything was stacked up against us,” said Lewis. “I challenged my team to not listen to anything outside of our building – to buy into who we are as a team.”

Shaky Start

It started horribly for the Ravens with a 90-yard punt return touchdown by Trindon Holiday to give the Broncos the early lead, but the Ravens struck back suddenly with two scores to lead 14-7.

The first was a stunning 59-yard bomb to Torrey Smith who outran all-pro defensive back Champ Bailey. Then Corey Graham intercepted a tipped Manning pass and scored minutes later.

To begin the second half, Holiday ran a kick-off back to give Denver the lead, 28-21 for his second touchdown return – something the opposition rarely recovers from. Manning picked apart the Ravens defense at times and it looked like he was going to emerge victorious.

But Flacco saved the game in overtime when the Ravens were trapped on their own goal line facing a 3rd and 13. He found Pitta with a laser on a seam route to get out of the hole and shift the field position with a solid Sam Koch punt.

The Broncos may have kicked the game winning field goal if we didn’t get that first down.

As extra time wore on, the “junkyard dog” Ravens defense put more and more pressure on Manning, finding new angles and knocking him down. Paul Kruger flushed him from the pocket and forced him into a fatal mistake that landed into Corey Graham’s hands – a play that led the Ravens to victory.

For 75 minutes and two extra sessions on Saturday afternoon, the Baltimore Ravens kept hope alive in Mile High Stadium.

“No matter how many times they ran kick-offs back. No matter what happened. We never wavered,” said Lewis. “We claimed victory on the sidelines.”

The city of Denver will remember the last time Ray Lewis stepped on their frozen gridiron for a long time. In hushed tones, with grudging respect, Denver fans will have to acknowledge the immortal linebacker and the Ravens quarterback who on that day out-dueled the greatest quarterback ever, Peyton Manning

In a season of incomprehensible twists and turns, debilitating injuries, the firing of an offensive coordinator, the retirement of the franchise’s greatest player and wins that ended up as frustrating losses when time ran out, the Baltimore Ravens roared into Denver and played their best football of the year.

“We’re special because of what we’ve been through all year,” said Lewis.

Settling an Old Score

For Baltimore football fans who remember those pure white uniforms with blue numbers and a blue horseshoe on a white helmet, this win went a long way to heal the wounds of Elway, Irsay, and the Mayflower vans.

The Ravens dumped a major load of the city’s lingering football baggage into the Sisson Street dump.

One lasting image that lends insight into the fabric of this team occurred on the last play. As Justin Tucker prepared to kick the game winning field goal, Coach Harbaugh was kneeling on the sidelines with his arm draped around Ray Rice.

“When you make up your mind collectively to do something, anything is possible,” said Lewis.

The best may be yet to come.