College Sports/Professional

OWINGS MILLS – Joe Flacco delivered crisp spirals all over the field at Gillette Stadium in the AFC championship game Sunday night, nearly leading the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl.

By outdueling New England Patriots legendary quarterback Tom Brady, Flacco might have made his most convincing argument that he’s worthy of a lucrative contract extension.

During the Ravens’ 23-20 loss to the Patriots, Flacco completed 22 of 36 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns with one interception for a 95.4 quarterback rating.

Solaris Sasso, 9, poses for a picture Friday in Glen Burnie with his cousin and brother, Anthony Breland, 7, and Sergio Sasso, 5, with two Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders. A caravan of Ravens cheerleaders pumped up purple-clad fans at several locations around the region in anticipation of Sunday’s AFC Championship game against New England. Was it a coincidence that the boys were all wearing "Angry Bird" hats for a chance to meet Ravens mascot Poe?

OWINGS MILLS - The football would routinely glance off the hands of Torrey Smith, and he would look down as if they had betrayed him.

Back during August training camp and occasionally in the regular season, the Baltimore Ravens' rookie wide receiver was struggling with his confidence and his catching technique.

He would take his eyes off the path of the ball instead of looking it into his hands the way he had been taught, a fundamental gaffe that threatened to become a trend.

OWINGS MILLS – A stalemate could be in the offing when two of the top running games and elite rushing defenses collide Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

If running backs Ray Rice and Arian Foster and linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Cushing counteract each other during the Baltimore Ravens' AFC divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans, this clash could come down to the quarterbacks.