BALTIMORE -- A few thoughts on the Baltimore Ravens' 20-10 victory Sunday against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium:
What it means: The Ravens (10-6) had to sweat it out, but everything eventually fell into place for them to punch their ticket to the playoffs. They edged the Browns (7-9) in a tougher-than-expected game, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Diego Chargers. The Ravens, who are the AFC's No. 6 seed, will play at the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers or Denver Broncos in the first round. Even though the Ravens struggled for most of the game, they did enough in the fourth quarter to earn a postseason berth for the sixth time in seven seasons.
Flacco flourishes in fourth quarter: After three poor quarters, quarterback Joe Flacco carried the Ravens into the playoffs with a scintillating finish. In the fourth quarter, he completed 8 of 9 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. His passer rating in the fourth quarter was a perfect 158.3. Flacco set a career high with 27 touchdowns this season and fell 14 yards short of his first 4,000-yard season.
Defense remains stingy: Outside of a 49-yard pass on a blown coverage (which set up the Browns' only touchdown), it was another stifling effort by the Ravens defense. The Ravens sacked undrafted rookie Connor Shaw four times and forced two turnovers. They have allowed only two touchdowns in the last 15 quarters.
Stock watch: Rising -- wide receiver Torrey Smith. He turned around the game with two catches in the fourth quarter. His 53-yard catch put the Ravens in the red zone, and his 16-yard touchdown put the Ravens ahead 13-10. Smith has scored three of the Ravens' last four touchdowns.
Game ball: Running back Justin Forsett. He was the Ravens' most valuable player by delivering a career year when Baltimore had a major void at running back after abruptly releasing Ray Rice. Forsett gained 119 yards against the Browns, which is significant. The Ravens are 7-0 when Forsett produces more than 70 yards in a game. His 17 runs over 20 yards this season set a team record.
What's next: The Ravens will have to wait until tonight to find out where they are headed. As the No. 6 seed, the Ravens will play the Bengals, Steelers or Broncos in the first round.
