Ravens coach John Harbaugh leaves the field with QB Joe Flacco, who threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns.
APFOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Lee Evans had victory in his hands. Billy Cundiff had a tie game on his toe.
Two chances in the final 30 seconds to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive and the Baltimore Ravens let both slip away.
Evans was stripped after briefly hauling in Joe Flacco's pass in the back right corner of the end zone and, two plays later, Cundiff pushed a 32-yard field goal attempt wide left in Sunday's AFC title game.
“We're grinders,” said linebacker Ray Lewis. “We're coming home, and we're coming home with smiles. But, most importantly, when we start back training, we're coming back (ticked) off. Why wouldn't we be?”
On second-and-1 at the Patriots 14 with 27 seconds left, Evans had the pass in his grasp. But Sterling Moore, a rookie free agent who was cut once by the Patriots this season, arrived just in time to knock out the ball.
“It hit me right where you would want to be hit,” Evans said. “It was a great pass by Joe and a play not completed by me. Nobody else can take the fault.”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh thought the play should have been reviewed, but coaches can't ask for a review in the last two minutes of a half.
“Obviously, in that situation I thought they would look at it,” he said, “but they didn't.”
Cundiff had made 10 of 12 field goals between 30 and 39 yards this season. Not this time.
“The timing was just a little off,” Cundiff said. “I'm disappointed. I let my teammates down.”
