Mile High Miracle

2012 AFC Divisional playoff

Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the site of the game
Baltimore Ravens (10–6) Denver Broncos (13–3) 38 35 Head coach: John Harbaugh Head coach: John Fox
1 2 3 4 OT 2OT Total BAL 14 7 7 7 0 3 38 DEN 14 7 7 7 0 0 35
Date	January 12, 2013, 4:30 PM EST
Stadium	Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Favorite	Denver by 9.5 points
Referee	Bill Vinovich
Attendance	76,732
TV in the United States
Network	CBS
Announcers	Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf and Solomon Wilcots

The Mile High Miracle is the name given to both the NFL 2012 AFC Divisional playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos on January 12, 2013, and its defining play, a game-tying 70-yard touchdown pass from Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco to receiver Jacoby Jones with under a minute left in regulation. Playing on the road against the heavily favored Broncos, who had decisively defeated the struggling Ravens late in the regular season while on an 11-game winning streak, Flacco and the Ravens forced the Peyton Manning-led Broncos into double overtime, when Justin Tucker kicked a 47-yard field goal to secure a 38–35 win. With 28 points scored in the first eleven minutes of the game, three return touchdowns, five lead changes, and single-digit temperatures, the game was described by Sports Illustrated as "one of the most exciting and entertaining postseason games in NFL history." The Ravens would go on to beat the New England Patriots, and two weeks later, defeat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII for the franchise's second championship.

The Mile High Miracle was ranked #1 on NFL.com's Top 20 NFL Games of 2012. The game was described as "a contest that had everything: two special teams touchdowns, two bombs for scores and a pick-six – all without disintegrating into one of those nobody-can-stop-anybody affairs. The defenses did not play poorly; this was not a track meet. It had some balance."

On December 16, 2012, in Week 15, the 9–4 Ravens had an AFC duel with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. The Broncos jumped ahead early with a 10–0 lead. The Ravens were threatening to narrow the Broncos' lead just before halftime; however, Broncos' cornerback Chris Harris stepped in front of a pass from Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco, returning an interception 98 yards for a touchdown. The Ravens would then ultimately lose that game 34–17, suffering the most embarrassing home loss in the John Harbaugh era and leading to a widespread criticism of Flacco in the media. However, later that evening, the Ravens clinched their fifth straight playoff berth after the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys. Despite making the playoffs, the Ravens were, by then, on a three-game losing streak, having lost to the Steelers at home in Week 13, and to the Washington Redskins on the road in Week 14. This slump led some media outlets to question the Ravens' ability to win football games, but after making a statement with a decisive 33–14 victory over the Super Bowl champion New York Giants and securing back to back division titles for the first time in franchise history, they finished with a regular season record of 10–6 and a rare home playoff game in the Wildcard Round. The 2012 season also saw long-serving linebacker Ray Lewis announce his retirement heading into the AFC Wildcard game against the Indianapolis Colts. Lewis tore his triceps midway through October in his 17th season with the Ravens after Baltimore selected him with the 26th overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft. They defeated the Colts during the Wild Card round on January 6, 2013 at M&T Bank Stadium, with Ray Lewis celebrating his final game at home with his trademark dance both at the start of the game as he was introduced and on the final play of the game when he was brought back onto the field. This set up the Divisional round playoff, and Week 15 rematch with the number-one seeded Denver Broncos.