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After 17 seasons, Ray Lewis was retiring from the NFL. Days after the Ravens had finished the 2012 regular season, Ray announced that this was his last ride and that he would retire after the Ravens exited the 2012 postseason. The 2012 Wild Card game against the Colts was the last time Ray would play in M&T Bank Stadium. Ray Lewis came out of the tunnel doing the squirrel dance that he made so famous during his time in Baltimore to the roar of the crowd.
The first quarter of the game was scoreless. The Ravens got on the board with a Justin Tucker field goal and the Colts would respond with an Adam Vinatieri field goal. The Ravens would take the lead with a Vonta Leach touchdown run and head into half time with a 10-6 lead.
In the second half of the game, Joe Flacco would connect with Dennis Pitta and Anquan Boldin for two touchdowns to put the game out of reach for the Colts. On the last series the Ravens called out Ray Lewis and had him line up in the victory formation. Ray would do the squirrel dance after the final snap to close the game. Ray Lewis would perform a victory lap around the stadium, trying to say farewell to every fan in the building.
The Ray Lewis retirement tour had began and it wouldn't stop until the Super Bowl ended.
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