Joe Flacco was under siege in the second half Monday. He took hit after hit, including a helmet to the lower leg that wobbled his left knee.
The Baltimore Ravens quarterback said after the game that he felt fine after the blow that caused his knee to "cave in" with just under nine minutes remaining in the 18-16 victory.
"It wasn't really bothering me after the initial hit," Flacco said, per the Ravens' official website. "It was more probably scary than anything, just from what I felt. And also trying to get a couple yards out of (the hit). It feels fine. It feels strong."
Flacco displayed his frustration that the hit wasn't flagged under the "Brady Rule" after Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy fell into the quarterback's leg on a pass.
"That was tough, he got a helmet right there below the knee," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "That's something that I'm sure (the league) will take a look at."
The NFL will determine if Levy was pushed toward Flacco by left guard A.Q. Shipley, who was moving out to block on a screen pass.
Flacco didn't miss a play but clearly looked off. He missed two throws badly after the hit and primarily threw off his back foot the rest of the way. However, his 2-of-5 passing on the Ravens' final drive -- including a key 27-yard completion to Jacoby Jones on third-and-15 -- was enough to set up the game-winning 61-yard field goal.
The reigning Super Bowl MVP, who has never missed a game, did just enough on the injured knee to keep his team in the catbird seat for the final spot in the AFC playoffs.
UPDATE: Good news for the Ravens. According to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun, who cites multiple sources, the hit Flacco took in Monday's win doesn't appear to have resulted in anything more than a case of soreness.
*The latest "Around The League Podcast" broke down the Cowboys loss and every other Week 15 game. *
