Wilson’s interception gives Ravens OT win

HOUSTON – The Baltimore Ravens almost blew another one, until their trademark defense saved the game.

Josh Wilson intercepted Matt Schaub’s pass and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown in overtime, lifting the Ravens to a 34-28 win over the Houston Texans on Monday night.

The Ravens (9-4) stayed one game behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North despite blowing a 28-7 lead in the second half. Schaub threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson and a 2-point conversion to Jacoby Jones with 21 seconds left in regulation to cap the Texans’ unlikely rally.

In overtime, after a Baltimore punt, Houston started from its 12, and Schaub was trying to connect with Jones on second down when Wilson picked it off and ran into the end zone.

The Ravens seemed to have the game well in hand when rookie David Reed returned the second-half kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown, a franchise record.

The Texans’ offense finally came alive after a listless first half. Schaub went 24 of 41 the last two quarters after a 7-of-21 first half.

He threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jones with 6 minutes left to finish a 99-yard drive, the longest in team history.

The defense forced another Baltimore punt with 2:54 left, and Schaub went 8 of 10 on the 95-yard march, and also scrambled for a first down.

Johnson managed to keep his toes inbounds on the spectacular 5-yard touchdown reception that made it 28-26, and Jones grabbed Houston’s first 2-point conversion of the year to tie it.

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes to Derrick Mason and Willis McGahee also scored in the first half for Baltimore.

While Schaub hit only a third of his passes the first half, star receiver Johnson didn’t make a catch until the final 90 seconds. The Texans were 1 of 7 on third-down conversions in the first half.

Johnson got Houston’s offense going when he grabbed a 46-yard pass from Schaub for a touchdown less than a minute before halftime to get Houston within 21-7.

Reed seemed to end any chance for a Houston comeback when he fought off tacklers, raced down the sideline and somersaulted across the goal line on his kickoff return.

The Texans settled for a 24-yard field goal by Neil Rackers that made it 28-10 with 7 minutes left in the third quarter after Jones dropped a ball in the end zone. Rackers kicked a field goal from 42 yards near the end of the third quarter to make it 28-13.

That field goal came after Walter was ruled out of bounds on a catch in the end zone and the play was upheld on review.