BALTIMORE -- Quarterback Joe Flacco suffered a season-ending knee injury on the winning drive of the Baltimore Ravens' 16-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, continuing a nightmare season for the injury-riddled team.
Flacco has not yet had an MRI, but he said he tore his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee on the first play of the final drive, when backup left tackle James Hurst accidentally rolled up on him. He handed off on the next two plays while hobbling and spiked the ball to stop the clock for Justin Tucker's 47-yard field goal.
"I think it was a courageous performance by [Flacco] at the end," coach John Harbaugh said.
This will mark the first time Flacco will miss a game since he was drafted by the Ravens in 2008. He has started 122 straight games in his career, the fifth-longest streak in NFL history.
Matt Schaub, who hasn't started a game in two years, will finish the season for the Ravens (3-7). Baltimore plays the Cleveland Browns (2-8) on Monday Night Football on Nov. 30.
No one, including Harbaugh, knew the severity of Flacco's injury until after the game. Flacco said he felt "a lot of crunches" when he took that hit, but he didn't know what he had injured.
"I wanted to win a game," he said. "I don't know if [staying on the field] was the best thing, but it's just a reaction."
The Ravens are expected to rework Flacco's contract this offseason. His salary cap number balloons to $28.55 million next season.
Asked whether the injury will affect him next season, Flacco said, "I have no idea at this point. We just have to see what we can do and get back as quick as possible."
Flacco was hurt three quarters after the Ravens lost starting running back Justin Forsett to a broken right arm. The Ravens have placed four other significant offensive players on injured reserve this month: wide receivers Steve Smith Sr. (Achilles) and Breshad Perriman (knee), tight end Dennis Pitta (hip) and center Jeremy Zuttah (hip).
"Obviously, it's tremendously disappointing for those guys," Harbaugh said. "We'll be fine as a football team. We'll bounce back. That's what you do."