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“It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t perfect, but it was ... us.” John Harbaugh usually recites this mantra after a hard fought victory, but it applies to the Week 14 30-27 loss to New England.
The Ravens offense was sluggish, and Joe Flacco had issues with inaccuracy, decision making and clock management. A few lucky bounces on special teams helped the Ravens prevent a blowout, but the lack of depth at cornerback was exploited once Jimmy Smith was knocked out of the game. In the end, Baltimore lacked the playmakers or execution to defeat a well coached team on the road.
Winners:
Eric Weddle - Made a beautiful interception in the end zone after faking a blitz pre-snap blitz and floating back into coverage. The pick, along with his third down sack of Brady late in the second quarter kept the Ravens in the game before halftime.
Kyle Juszczzyk - 46 receiving yards and a forced fumble on kickoff coverage from the Pro Bowl worthy fullback.
Zach Orr - The under appreciated linebacker was all over the field with ten tackles, many of them bringing the ballcarrier or pass catcher down short of the sticks on third down.
Darren Waller - He is a physical mismatch in the red zone and is developing into a reliable scorer with his second touchdown grab over the last five games.
Kenneth Dixon - The rookie was featured in this game, he out-carried Terrance West 11-to-2 and made eight catches for 42-yards, including his first professional touchdown in the third quarter.
Patriots Coaching Staff - Belichick, McDaniels and Patricia are the best in the business. Their playcalling was a step ahead on both sides of the ball, and they put their players in position to succeed in all three phases. The Patriots execute their plays with precision every week. Tip of the cap.
Losers:
Devin Hester - Allowed two catchable punts to be downed inside the 2-yard line, the first resulted in a safety. The Ravens would much more dangerous with a quality return man.
Matt Elam - Slipped at the worst possible moment to give up a 79-yard touchdown to Chris Hogan after the Ravens had pulled within a field goal late in the fourth quarter.