Brady Leads Pats Past Own Miscues To Slide By Baltimore

After jumping out to a big first half lead, the New England Patriots' self-inflicted wounds put them in a tough position against the Baltimore Ravens Monday night. While they struggled to make simple plays on special teams in the third quarter and allowed the Ravens to cut a lead that was as large as 20 points to as little as three, the Pats were able to hold on, thanks to a gritty performance from quarterback Tom Brady, to beat Baltimore 30-23. 

Here are some final thoughts on the game:

It Doesn't Matter- The Ravens defense entered the game as the top defense in the league. While they have posted league highs across multiple defensive categories this season and have shut down opposing quarterbacks week in and week out, it didn't matter Monday night as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady picked them apart. For four quarters, Brady played nearly flawless football, completing 25 of 38 pass attempts for a whopping 406 yards and three scores. With the exception of one poor decision in which he forced a ball into tight coverage in the face of heavy pressure and ended up throwing a pick at the end of the first half, Brady was just about as good as you could possibly be against a defense like Baltimore's. When the Ravens pulled close, thanks to sloppy play in special teams from his Patriot teammates, Brady sat back and delivered an absolute strike to wide out Chris Hogan to give the Pats separation and help them control the final minutes of the win.

Giving Away Points- As it was mentioned above, the Patriots gave away points to the Ravens, due to two inexcusable fumbles on back-to-back special teams opportunities in the third quarter. Both fumbles led to short field scoring drives for the Baltimore offense and the only two touchdowns the Ravens scored on the day. In fact, those two scores came on a total of 25 yards on six plays. Taking those two fumbles and short, short yardage drives away, the Ravens offense was not good in this game. On drives in which they were not gifted the ball inside the New England 22 yard line, Baltimore gained just 323 yards on 62 plays and scored only nine points. So, if the Pats could have handled the ball cleanly on punt and kick returns in the third quarter, this 30-23 win would have most likely been a 30-9 rout.

Carrying The Load- Patriots power running back LeGarrette Blount put the league's top run defense on notice, as he carried the load of an impressive New England rushing attack Monday night. With Baltimore entering the game as the league's best at stopping the run,it was expected that New England would stay away from their running game. In true Patriot fashion, however, they did not shy from running the ball against the Ravens and they were quite successful. On the game, the Pats rushed for 95 yards on 26 carries as a team. No player had a bigger impact in that facet of the game than Blount, as he scampered for a team-high 72 yards on 18 carries. Blount, who scored on a goal line run in the first half and tied Curtis Martin for the franchise's single-season rushing td record with 14, average 4 yards per carry on the game. He also eclipsed 1,000 yards for the second time in his career and set a new career high for rushing yards in a season, as he ended the game with 1,029 yards so far on the season.

Stepping Up- In the absence of Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola, wide out Chris Hogan, who is one of the newest Patriots offensive weapons, had one of his best games Monday. Working as a quality deep threat all season long, Hogan has played well so far this year. On Monday, however, he played his very best game as a Patriot, catching five of seven passes thrown his way for a team-high 129 receiving yards, including a 79-yard touchdown catch that helped the Pats regain momentum late in the fourth quarter as things were spiraling out of control for New England. With a thin passing attack due to injuries, Hogan's emergence helped New England control this game down the stretch. With depth issues likely throughout at least the rest of the regular season, expect Hogan to get an expanded role in the offense, especially if he continues to capitalize on his opportunities to make plays.

Efficiency To Others- On the night, Brady was seven of 15 for 73 yards and no scores, when targeting his favorite target, Julian Edelman. When Brady targeted his other options on the field Monday, he had much greater success. Passing to players not named Edelman, Brady completed 18 of 22 pass attempts for 333 yards and three scores. o, while his top option didn't really sync up that well with him tonight, Brady's secondary options were more than dangerous enough to capitalize on the opportunities the quarterback saw on the field.

7th In A Row- The Pats tied the Indianapolis Colts as the only two teams to have seven straight seasons of at least 11 wins, Monday, as they notched their eleventh victory of the season.

91 In A Row- The game marked the 91st home game in a row that the Patriots took a lead into the fourth quarter and won the game. That is one impressive stat. If you're an opposing team, you better beat em early.

51-1- After the win, Brady's record in his last 52 home games against AFC opponents moved to an unparalleled 51-1. In a league that is full of parity and a lot of inconsistent play, it is completely understandable if that stat is somewhat impossible to wrap your mind around.

All in all, the win was one that showed a mental toughness  the Patriots possess. Even though they made some mistakes and gift wrapped a comeback for the Ravens, they were able to make plays down the stretch to convert on their 11th win of the season. Also, on the more positive side of things, the team's under-manned offense picked apart the league's top defense most of the night. While there is still room for improvement on some part of the team, the Pats are far and away the top team in the AFC.