Ravens down Colts, set up meeting with Broncos

The Baltimore Ravens, with emotional team leader Ray Lewis back from injury, beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-9 on Sunday to reach the second round of the NFL playoffs. Lewis, playing for the first time since he tore his right triceps in mid-October -- and days after saying he would retire at the end of the season -- notched 13 tackles to lead a Ravens defense that held the Colts to three field goals by Adam Vinatieri and spoiled the post-season debut of rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. Ravens defender Paul Kruger also excelled, registering 2 1/2 of the Ravens' three sacks of Luck and causing one of three turnovers by forcing a fumble. Baltimore signal-caller Joe Flacco threw a pair of touchdown passes, and Anquan Boldin amassed 145 yards and a touchdown. The defeat was the end of an emotional season for the Colts, who thrived despite the inexperience of Luck and the lengthy absence of head coach Chuck Pagano as he underwent treatment for leukemia. Pagano, who spent four years as an assistant coach in Baltimore, returned to the sidelines in time for the final regular-season game and the playoff contest against his old team. The Ravens, who had been unable to beat the Colts in the playoffs in the years that the Indianapolis offense was run by quarterback great Peyton Manning, earned a second-round meeting with Manning and his new team -- the American Conference top seeds Denver. Sunday's National Conference first-round clash pits two stand-out rookie quarterbacks against each other as explosive Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins host the Seattle Seahawks and their first-year signal-caller Russell Wilson. From AFP