Here are the winners and losers from the New England Patriots’ sobering loss against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9 at M&T Stadium on Sunday night. The Ravens stunned the Patriots, 37-20. After scoring on the opening drive, Baltimore had the lead for the entire game.
WINNER: Mohamed Sanu, WR: He proved extremely reliable and was one of the lone bright spots. He played a complete game and limited his mistakes in an offense that’s entirely new, though apparently no longer foreign. He finished the game with 14 targets, 10 receptions, 81 yards and one touchdown.
LOSERS: Julian Edelman/Tom Brady: I lump these two players together because my thoughts on their performances are much the same. On the whole, they put together relatively complete performances, and they were key in New England staying in the game. But they each committed a tremendously costly mistake. Edelman fumbled the ball in the third quarter, and the Ravens scooped and scored. And Brady threw up an ugly interception on a third-and-10 in the fourth quarter, which Earl Thomas caught with ease. These uncharacteristic mistakes were among the most crucial moments in the game. They made the Ravens’ lead insurmountable.
WINNER: Everyone who saw this throw: This was ridiculous: a remarkable pinpoint pass by Brady and an impressive athletic feat by running back White. Brady has come to make special moments look common, so it’s important to pause — even in a tough loss — and appreciate his moments of brilliance (and the outstanding play of his supporting cast).
LOSER: Patriots’ interior run defense: Bill Belichick explained the conundrum that is Lamar Jackson earlier this week. If a team tries to hem him in with strong edge defenders and a spy, that defense is likely to make a sacrifice in the interior. That’s what the Ravens exploited in the first half when they built their lead, with Mark Ingram running free (15 carries, 115 yards). Then, when the Patriots used linebacker Elandon Roberts to strengthen that unit, Jackson’s speed posed problems. It was a riddle New England never solved.
WINNER: Justin Bethel, special teams: On the Patriots’ first three punts, he logged a tackle, a downed punt and a fumble recovery. The fumble recovery in particular helped turn the game’s momentum in New England’s favor after they had fallen behind 17-0. His recovery of former Patriot Cyrus Jones’ muff helped them close the gap to 17-13 by halftime.
LOSER: Shilique Calhoun, LB/Jamie Collins, LB: Let’s lump them together because they ended up being jointly responsible for the Ravens’ touchdown on the opening drive. Officials flagged Calhoun for a neutral zone infraction on a field goal attempt on a fourth-and-3 from the 6-yard line — the penalty gave the Ravens a first down, and they scored on the following play when Collins failed to set the edge and got pancaked on Jackson’s touchdown run. The 30-year-old linebacker struggled to set the edge on multiple plays on that drive.
LOSER: Sony Michel, RB: The Patriots shied away from him past the first quarter, but he managed four carries for 18 yards and a reception for 12 yards in the first 20 minutes of the game. They were also his final stats. The catch was particularly impressive, with Michel showing patience to let his blockers get into the proper place on a screen. It seemed he was poised to put together one of his best games of the season. But he didn’t touch the ball in the second half.
LOSER: Stephon Gilmore, CB: It felt like there were too many instances of loose coverage by New England’s stud cornerback. Perhaps it was a product of the Patriots’ scheme, but Gilmore gave Marquise Brown (3 receptions, 48 yards) a cushion for a few first-down conversions.
