The Baltimore Ravens have earned a vital win to boost their hopes of reaching the post-season with a 34-27 comeback victory over the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The Ravens took the lead on their first possession of the game after their defense had made a goalline stand to deny the Saints on four plays. Justin Forsett raced upfield to move his team out of danger, and Joe Flacco led his side the rest of the way before firing to Steve Smith for the score.

New Orleans hit straight back at the visitors as Drew Brees fired downfield for Joe Morgan who hauled in a 62-yard reception, and the drive culminated in the quarterback finding Jimmy Graham in the endzone for the touchdown.

John Harbaugh's men spurned a chance to retake the lead when full-back Kyle Juszczyk fumbled on the goalline, but on their next possession they did find the endzone again when Forsett plowed his way though for a 13-yard score.

The home side had the chance to draw level when Brees led them downfield to the five-yard line, but the Ravens held again to prevent the touchdown as Shayne Graham was forced to kick a 20-yard field goal.

The Saints did take the lead just before the break when Brees lofted a pass to the endzone and Marques Colston went up over two defenders to snag the ball for the 26-yard touchdown.

In the second half, the Ravens levelled the scores when they drove into field-goal range and Justin Tucker fired a 31-yarder through the posts.

The crucial moment of the game came when Brees made an error as he threw the ball behind Graham and Will Hill picked the ball off and ran it back to the endzone to put the visitors ahead.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Harbaugh's men began to take the match away from the Saints when Tucker drilled a 55-yard field goal between the uprights to hand his side a 10-point lead, but the hosts brought it back within seven with a field goal from Graham.

However, the Ravens all but secured their win with a solid drive which took precious time off the clock and away from Brees, which culminated in Forsett securing his second score of the game when he found a hole in the defense to run in for a 20-yard touchdown.

Brees kept the game going into the final seconds when he fired a touchdown to Graham on the goalline, who made the catch in tight coverage, giving his side a chance to steal possession with an onside kick.

Graham's kick was good but Kamar Aiken reached up and safely secured the ball under immense pressure to seal his side's seventh win of the season.