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Ravens top Patriots on last-second FG

Sep 24, 2012 - 5:10 AM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Playing with a heavy heart, Torrey Smith helped the Baltimore Ravens exact a bit of revenge.

After losing his brother earlier on Sunday, Smith had six receptions for 127 yards with two scores, and undrafted rookie kicker Justin Tucker made a game- winning 27-yard field goal in the Ravens' 31-30 win over the New England Patriots in a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game.

Smith's 19-year-old brother Tevin Jones died in a motorcycle accident in northern Virginia.

"Playing receiver, you have to have your mind clear," Smith said. "I didn't want to hurt my team. I'm glad I came back up here and think it helped me out a lot."

Joe Flacco threw for 382 yards on 28-of-39 efficiency with three touchdowns and an interception, while Ray Rice carried the ball 20 times for 101 yards and a score for Baltimore (2-1), which lost the AFC Championship to New England after former kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard chip shot that would've forced overtime.

Tom Brady was 28-of-41 for 335 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots (1-2), who are below .500 for the first time since 2003, when they started the year with a Week-1 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Wes Welker bounced back from a slow start over his first two contests with eight catches for 142 yards. Brandon Lloyd tallied 108 yards on nine receptions.

Trailing, 30-21, midway through the fourth quarter, Flacco capped an 8-play, 92-yard drive when he scrambled to the right and hit Smith with a 5-yard TD pass in the corner of the end zone.

The Patriots got the ball back with 4:01 remaining and picked up a pair of first downs when Welker picked up 11 yards on a 2nd-and-10 and Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb was penalized for an illegal contact on a 3rd-and-9.

Dannell Ellerbe and Haloti Ngata then combined to sack Brady on a 2nd-and-9 at the Baltimore 44-yard line for a 7-yard loss before Brady's pass on 3rd-and-16 fell incomplete.

Baltimore regained possession with 1:55 on the clock and Flacco found Jacoby Jones for a 24-yard pickup on the first play of the trek and then hit Dennis Pitta for a 17-yard gain two plays later to put the ball at the New England 35-yard line.

On a 3rd-and-9 at the 34, Flacco floated a pass down the right sideline for Jones, which fell incomplete, but Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty was flagged for a 27-yard pass interference penalty.

The penalty set up Tucker's game-winning kick, which went straight over the right upright.

Following the kick, New England head coach Bill Belichick grabbed an official and argued adamantly for a review.

"I'm not going to comment on that," Belichick said in his postgame interview.

Earlier, the Patriots jumped out to a 13-0 first-quarter lead.

Stephen Gostowski nailed a 37-yard field goal on New England's second touch of the contest. After Flacco's pass was intercepted by Steve Gregory on the first play of Baltimore's ensuing possession, Brandon Bolden plunged in from three yards out on the third play of the drive. Gostowski added a 49-yard field goal later in the frame for the 13-point cushion.

The Ravens, though, tallied 14 unanswered second-quarter points.

Smith hauled in a 25-yard score early in the stanza, and following a New England punt, Pitta hauled in a 20-yard touchdown, which capped a 10-play, 92- yard march and gave the Ravens a 14-13 margin.

But Brady led the Patriots down the field on their ensuing and final drive of the half when he flipped a TD pass to Julian Edelman for a 7-yard score with seven ticks to go in the half and a 20-14 New England edge. Edelman left the game following the play due to an apparent hand injury.

Both teams scored touchdowns on their opening drives of the second half.

Rice concluded an 8-play, 80-yard trek with a 7-yard TD run over the left guard before Danny Woodhead ran it in from three yards out to cap a 12-play, 80-yard drive, which gave New England a 27-21 lead.

Gostowski added to the margin with a 20-yard field goal in the early stages of the fourth, which made it 30-21.

Game Notes

The Ravens outgained the Patriots, 503-396 ... The Ravens were penalized 14 times for 135 yards, while New England was flagged 10 times for 83 yards.