Ravens vs. Patriots: Full Report Card Grades for New England
In every Super Bowl run, the eventual champion wins a game where it isn't clicking and faces adversity. For the New England Patriots, their comeback 35-31 thriller over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday may have represented that hurdle.
The Ravens opened the game with an impressive five-play, 71-yard touchdown drive, capped off by former New England practice squad player Kamar Aiken. Following a punt from the offense, Baltimore again reached the end zone on an 11-play, 79-yard drive to extend its lead to 14-0.
Reeling for the first time in months, the Pats answered with a touchdown drive, which ended with a Tom Brady run from four yards out. The offenses proceeded to trade three consecutive punts, and the Pats tied up the game after Danny Amendola finished off a grinding 10-play, 67-yard touchdown drive.
New England had an opportunity for the coveted "double score" bookending halftime, but a head-scratching Brady interception to Daryl Smith killed the drive. Aided by a Darrelle Revis pass interference call, the Ravens retook the lead, 21-14, with a Flacco-to-Daniels connection shortly before halftime.
After the Pats went three-and-out to start the half, the Ravens used another pass interference call, this time on Brandon Browner, to convert a critical 4th-and-6. Justin Forsett subsequently took a swing pass and walked into the end zone after an ostensible blown assignment, restoring Baltimore's two-touchdown lead.
New England responded immediately with its own 80-yard drive, repeatedly attacking the seams and capping things off with a five-yard pitch-and-catch to Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots subsequently capped off the game's fourth big momentum swing, tying the game on a razzle-dazzle 51-yard touchdown pass from Julian Edelman to Danny Amendola.
The Pats were unable to cash in on a subsequent Devin McCourty interception, and the Ravens used their ground game to launch a 16-yard drive that lasted nearly eight minutes, though they were only able to get a Justin Tucker field goal. The Pats made them pay for failing to reach the end zone, as Brady found Brandon LaFell for a 23-yard go-ahead touchdown, giving New England a 35-31 lead, its first of the game.
On Baltimore's final drive, the Ravens converted a 4th-and-3 and moved into Patriots territory, only for Duron Harmon to seal the win by picking off an ill-advised deep shot to Torrey Smith. New England became the first team in NFL history to erase two 14-point deficits in a playoff game and win.
Read on for full position-by-position grades of the Patriots' heart-stopping divisional round win.
Quarterback
1 of 10
The offensive game plan put a ton of pressure on Tom Brady, who attempted 24 passes in the first half and 50 for the game. While that volume forced Brady into his share of mistakes, his exemplary second-half play ultimately carried the Patriots to their comeback.
In the first half, he had his most success when the Pats went uptempo, as the spread formations and quick-hitting three-step concepts helped neutralize the Ravens pass rush at times. Brady's pocket presence was also generally excellent throughout, as he often needed to sidestep pressure from blitzing defensive backs. He again demonstrated his improved scrambling ability, scoring from four yards out for New England's first points of the game.
However, his interception to Daryl Smith shortly before halftime was an absolute killer, as it essentially nullified the hard work New England had done to tie the game after falling behind. The pick was the type of critical mistake that ends seasons in playoff contests, though he was able to bounce back after the intermission.
Indeed, Brady was in total control after halftime, dissecting the Ravens defense through a steady stream of uptempo quick-hitters that challenged any back-seven Baltimore defender who happened to be in one-on-one coverage. The adjustment nullified Baltimore's pass rush and put the onus on the secondary—a matchup the Pats exploited relentlessly.
Brady has had better statistical postseason performances. However, given the seemingly hopeless circumstances at times throughout this game, his steadiness in leading the comeback made this one of his most memorable playoff wins.
Grade: A-
Running Back
2 of 10
Well, now we know why Jonas Gray was inactive. Other than Shane Vereen, who dominated the snaps in this shotgun pass-heavy game plan, the running backs were virtually irrelevant. Brandon Bolden and LeGarrette Blount combined for eight yards on six carries, and for the game, the Pats compiled a pitiful 14 rushing yards on 13 attempts.
However, Vereen's effectiveness as a receiver saves this unit's grade. After seeing his production diminish over the second half of the season, he notched four catches on five targets for 39 yards, providing an important outlet for Brady in the flat. Those aren't eye-popping numbers, but they underscore how important he was to the offense's approach and maintaining spacing for the passing game.
Vereen did have a notable near-fumble in the fourth quarter, however—one that likely would have lost the game if it had not gotten overturned on review. In typical Belichickian fashion, Vereen went to the bench in favor of Bolden after that scare.
It's almost impossible to win with such a slanted offensive approach, and the Pats aren't likely to escape if the same pattern emerges again. Vereen was effective enough as a receiver, but ultimately, this will go down as one of the Patriots' worst playoff rushing totals in franchise history, behind only the infamous Super Bowl XX blowout.
Grade: D
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
This unit had the juiciest matchup headed into the game, and given the Patriots' pass-heavy offensive game plan, the receivers also needed to perform the most consistently. Ultimately, their ability to exploit favorable one-on-ones was a huge factor in catalyzing the comeback.
Danny Amendola had his best game of the season, with five catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns. He was a critical part of the game plan, as the Pats went with heavy "11" personnel (3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB) throughout the game, upping his snap count. Amendola showed promising signs toward the end of the regular season, and this showing validated that the talent is still there, even if the production hasn't been.
Rob Gronkowski also eclipsed the 100-yard mark with 108 receiving yards on seven catches and a touchdown. His 46-yarder down the seam spurred the first touchdown drive, and he also schooled Will Hill when isolated on a slant route near the goal line. Gronk was the central part of the passing game and represented New England's most consistent big-play threat throughout the evening.
Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell combined for 13 catches for 136 yards, with the latter catching the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. The perimeter duo kept the offense on track by winning isolation comeback and crossing routes on a consistent basis, often jump-starting drives. Edelman also had arguably the Patriots' most exciting play of the season, tossing a 51-yard touchdown to Amendola on a lateral behind the line that tied the game at 28.
The receivers didn't necessarily run the most diverse route tree—it was essentially seam routes and three-step dropback concepts until the final LaFell touchdown—but they didn't need to against Baltimore's beleaguered secondary. The receivers deserve their share of the credit for the victory.
Grade: A
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Pass protection was largely a struggle for this unit, as many expected. However, given the adversity it faced, the offensive line did well to prevent the Ravens from accumulating even a single sack in the second half, as most of the pressure came over the first 30 minutes.
Bryan Stork's knee injury represented an important turning point, as he did not return after his leg bent awkwardly in the second quarter. Josh Kline subbed in at right guard, with Ryan Wendell shifting over to center, and the Ravens were able to exploit the soft interior with a variety of blitzes and stunts. The worst sequence came on the offense's third drive, when back-to-back sacks ended a drive that had approached the red zone.
However, the Patriots made excellent halftime adjustments in getting the ball out of Brady's hand quickly. Baltimore made the curious decision to blitz Brady rather than using more disguise to try and fluster the new-look O-line, which generally resulted in problems for the Ravens (e.g., Gronkowski TD).
Nonetheless, the line deserves credit for consistently winning its one-on-ones, particularly tackles Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer. Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil combined for 29 sacks in the regular season, but the prolific outside linebackers were largely invisible on Saturday. Solder and Vollmer consistently washed both upfield and prevented the counters from reaching Brady, with each bringing his A-game against stellar opposition.
The lack of success in run blocking does knock the grade down, even if the ground game wasn't a huge part of the plan. Stork's injury will be something to keep an eye on, as it looked ugly live. It will be a tough blow if the rookie center is gone for the rest of the playoff run, but there were promising signs that the line could at least survive without him.
Grade: B
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Given how well the Pats had stuffed the run in the season's second half, it seemed likely that the Ravens would have to win through the air. However, Baltimore's zone-blocking scheme worked wonders on the Patriots' front seven, and the Ravens' ability to maintain offensive balance keyed their upset bid.
In the first half alone, Justin Forsett picked up 78 yards on a gaudy 7.8 yards per attempt. Baltimore particularly targeted Chandler Jones early, as surprisingly he had trouble containing the edge against struggling undrafted rookie tackle James Hurst. The Pats lost a lot of one-on-one matchups they would be expected to win (e.g., Rob Ninkovich getting sealed off by wide receiver Marlon Brown).
Forsett ended up with 129 yards on 5.4 yards per attempt, as the Patriots never really solved the problem. The Denver Broncos have taken to running more zone schemes with C.J. Anderson as the starting back, so this could be a problem if the Broncos advance to the AFC Championship Game. Overall, Baltimore averaged 4.9 yards per attempt.
The pass rush was also lacking, partially because the Ravens utilized so much play action and kept the Pats off balance. New England defenders didn't get many opportunities to simply pin their ears back and rush Joe Flacco, but it's still discouraging that they ended with just four quarterback hits.
Whether they face Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck next week, the rush will need to force the opposing quarterback off his spot more. Flacco routinely shredded the defense, and much of that stemmed from his ability to pass out of favorable down-and-distance situations because of the success in the trenches on first down.
Grade: D+
Linebacker
6 of 10
Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins each had a pair of critical coverage gaffes that bookended the halves. Hightower was beaten by Owen Daniels on his 11-yard score before the half, while Collins got caught up in a crossing route and failed to account for Forsett on his 19-yard gallop into the end zone to start the third quarter. The touchdowns re-established Baltimore's two-touchdown lead, a deflating occurrence after the defense had generated three straight stands.
However, the linebackers were otherwise largely solid. Both provided nice coverage on running back screens while also helping lessen the Ravens' second-half success on the ground through their interior gap-shooting. Collins and Hightower were much more aggressive as clear one-gapping penetrators in the second half, and while that didn't necessarily stop the Ravens running game, it certainly helped.
Collins also had a monster strip-sack and recovery at the 2-yard line that got nullified due to a penalty in the secondary. He and Patrick Chung generally had the coverage on tight end Owen Daniels, who received a team-high 11 targets yet had just four catches. The second-year linebacker stepped up in a coverage-heavy assignment this week, apart from the Forsett mistake.
Despite the lapses in coverage, it's hard to complain too much with New England's two leading tacklers (19 combined tackles). Hightower and Collins continue to be the Swiss Army knives who serve as the defense's fulcrum, and their impact was largely positive, even if they didn't bring their A-games.
Grade: B+
Secondary
7 of 10
Largely playing man coverage, the defensive backs had significant issues early with crossing routes, as Joe Flacco completed nine of his first 10 passes. For the game, he tossed four touchdowns and 292 yards, though his two second-half interceptions represented the difference in the game's outcome.
Darrelle Revis had a rough time covering Steve Smith, getting beaten on a slant route for Baltimore's second touchdown of the game and picking up his first pass interference call of the year on a deep fade. The penalty led to the Daniels touchdown before half, gifting the Ravens their biggest chunk of yardage on the drive. Revis also had a critical holding penalty that nullified the aforementioned Collins strip-sack, his second penalty after committing just three during the regular season.
Brandon Browner largely followed Torrey Smith around. After a relatively successful first half, Browner committed a game-changing pass interference on 4th-and-6 in "no-man's land," which led to a Ravens touchdown on their first second-half possession. Browner left the game in the second half with an undisclosed injury and did not return.
Patrick Chung also had some coverage issues, most notably failing to wrap up on Kamar Aiken's 19-yard touchdown to open the game. However, he did have a nice sequence on a goal-to-go sequence to open the fourth, helping break up a third-down pass to Owen Daniels to force Baltimore to settle for a field goal.
The three Rutgers products were the game's best defensive backs. Safeties Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon each picked off a pass; the latter one came in the final two minutes and effectively sealed the game. Logan Ryan also filled in well during Browner's absence, as the Ravens targeted him unsuccessfully on both interceptions.
The defensive backs played poorly by their standards, though they made the crucial plays down the stretch to preserve the win. That brings up the grade slightly, but this was still a subpar showing.
Grade: C
Special Teams
8 of 10
With the cold weather preventing touchbacks, the return games played a larger factor than they typically would. New England's kickoff coverage team was excellent on dangerous weapon Jacoby Jones, who averaged just 24.7 yards per return and never got one out past the 30-yard line. On a day when he didn't attempt a field goal, Stephen Gostkowski still made his impact felt with high, long hang-time kickoffs that gave the coverage team enough time to converge.
Danny Amendola was slightly better average-wise, with 25.0 yards per return, but his fumble on the opening kickoff could have been a game-changer. He was fortunate that a teammate recovered the ball, but considering that the Ravens had just romped down the field for a touchdown, the game could have quickly snowballed out of control if Baltimore had recovered.
Julian Edelman was also slippery as a punt returner, averaging 15 yards on three opportunities and consistently providing a boost in field position. Just one of Ryan Allen's five punts were downed inside the 20, though he had one taken away by a boneheaded taunting penalty on Chris White.
The kick return and coverage units were net pluses for New England, though the special teams still couldn't escape a game without committing a penalty. Still, on a day where kicking was difficult, the unit found a way to make a positive impact nonetheless.
Grade: B+
Coaching
9 of 10
The defense was flat in conceding two touchdown drives to open the game, and there was even confusion about the personnel on the first drive. That type of unpreparedness is inexcusable in a playoff setting, which reflects poorly on a coaching staff that typically has no issues getting its players up to perform.
However, give credit to the coaches for recovering with excellent adjustments. Offensively, it's hard to fault Josh McDaniels for abandoning the run. The Pats trailed for the majority of the game, and the Stork injury was a killer loss for an offensive line that totally lacks depth. The switch to an uptempo attack that made the trenches largely irrelevant was an important game-changing adjustment for the Patriots.
McDaniels also emptied out his bag of tricks with the Edelman pass, as well as an interesting wrinkle involving Michael Hoomanawanui. "Hooman" had plays where he ostensibly lined up as the left tackle, but Shane Vereen would declare himself as ineligible, thus making the tight end an eligible receiver. Baltimore didn't pick up on this, and Hoomanawanui exceeded his entire regular-season total with four catches in this contest.
Belichick and Matt Patricia never really figured out a way to consistently stymie the Ravens offense, though the aforementioned linebacker gap-shooting adjustments helped slow Forsett at times. This seems like more of an execution-based fault, as the players simply lost the majority of one-on-one matchups.
While the Ravens out-game-planned the Patriots, the New England staff made up the ground with the halftime adjustments. Those wrinkles may have saved the season, making this an overall positive showing despite the slow start.
Grade: B+
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Position Unit | Grade |
| QB | A- |
| RB | D |
| WR/TE | A |
| OL | B |
| DL | D+ |
| LB | B+ |
| DB | C |
| ST | B+ |
| Coaching | B+ |
| Cumulative Grade | B |
As mentioned at the top, the Patriots did not bring their best. The lapses they made throughout the game are often fatal against a playoff opponent, but give credit to the players and coaches for compensating and converting on the game's most crucial plays.
Patriots fans should probably take more encouragement than concern away from this showing, as the mental toughness required to win this game was extraordinary. Against a physical Baltimore team that clearly brought the wood, few teams could have responded and erased two double-digit deficits against a Ravens squad with a polished killer instinct.
In short, this was the type of win the Patriots used to pull out during their Super Bowl-winning days. Time will tell if this squad is as special, but one-third of the task is now down.
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