Torrey Smith Leads Ravens To Win Over Patriots

NFL TV Ratings, Week 3: Solid Numbers For Wacky Patriots-Ravens Game

CBS was mixed, NBC was up and Fox was down in Week 3.

NFL Debrief: Cardinals Undefeated, Saints Winless And We Know Nothing

The Cardinals are one of the league's unbeaten teams, the Saints are winless and everything we thought we knew about the NFL we really don't.

Patriots Vs. Ravens, Week 3: Critical Analysis Turns To Elation For Baltimore Fan

Baltimore Ravens fans like this one thought the officials were going to take victory away from the Ravens in Sunday night's dramatic 31-30 win over the New England Patriots. An emotionally-charged game it was, with wide receiver Torrey Smith playing with a heavy heart and the Ravens having to come from behind to win. Said "lastcallbmore" on Baltimore Beat Down:

Only this time the Referees let the boys play and when you can get physical with the Ravens and they can do the same with you, the Ravens win every time and even though the refs tried to give it to cry baby... sorry, I mean Brady and the Pats, this one was not going to be taken and the Ravens were going to make sure of that.

The Ravens are 2-1 and their defense may not be what it once was, with leaders Ray Lewis and Ed Reed aging and ever so close to retirement. But Baltimore's offense is beginning to emerge with quarterback Joe Flacco still peaking and some talented skill-position players around him.

The Ravens look like they'll be just fine. For now, anyway. And that short week will be easier to handle after a win like this.

For more Patriots coverage, check out Pats Pulpit. For more on the Ravens, head over to Baltimore Beat Down.

Patriots Vs. Ravens, Week 3: Losing Record Is Unfamiliar Territory For New England

The New England Patriots, as the blog Pats Pulpit points out, are below .500 for the first time since 2002 after their 31-30 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. As writer Tony Santorsa opines, among various other things, there's a concern about the Patriots pass rush.

It seemed like Joe Flacco had all day in the pocket and was just able to pick apart New England's secondary—and he most certainly did, as he racked up 382 passing yards.

Flacco was not sacked once and if my memory serves me right, he really never had to leave the pocket.

With so many complaining about the performance of the replacement officials, Santorsa joined in, and so did Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes not long after the field goal that was ruled over the uprights gave the Baltimore Ravens the win.

Can someone please tell these (expletive) zebras foot locker called and they’re needed Back at work !!!! #BreakingPoint

— brandon spikes (@BrandonSpikes55) September 24, 2012

Well, at least Tom Brady, Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd were good.

For more Patriots coverage, check out Pats Pulpit. For more on the Ravens, head over to Baltimore Beat Down.

Patriots Vs. Ravens Game Recap: Baltimore Edges New England, 31-30

A 27-yard Justin Tucker field goal at the gun helped the Baltimore Ravens complete a fourth-quarter comeback and defeat the visiting New England Patriots, 31-30, at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. The victory helped the Ravens improve their record to 2-1 overall, while the Patriots (1-2) dropped their second straight game.

Tucker's lone field goal of the night capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive that began with just under two minutes to go in the game. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco completed 3 of 4 passes for 45 yards on the final drive, but it was a pass interference penalty against Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty (for contact with Baltimore wide receiver Jacoby Jones) that moved the ball to New England's seven-yard line.

After the Ravens ran one play to center the ball in the middle of the field and run down the clock to :02 remaining, Tucker snuck the kick through and above the right upright.

via assets.sbnation.com

A 20-yard field goal by Patriots' kicker Stephen Gostkowski with 14:19 to play in the fourth quarter seemed to have put the game out of reach, as New England led 30-21.

Despite the late-game deficit, the Ravens were able to rally, closing the margin to two points, 30-28, after wide receiver Torrey Smith caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Flacco with 4:08 to play.

The Ravens defense followed up the score with a defensive stand, giving Baltimore the ball with enough time to make a game-winning march.

Ravens running back Ray Rice rushed for a game-high 101 yards on 20 carries, while Smith caught six passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns - less than 24 hours after learning about the death of his brother in a motorcycle accident. Flacco finished the game 28-for-39 with 382 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady completed 28 of 41 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Wes Welker caught eight balls for a 142 yards, while teammate Brandon Lloyd had nine receptions for 108.

Despite earning the win, the Ravens' one-point victory was not enough to cover the 3-point spread.

On Thursday, the Ravens host the Cleveland Browns (8:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network), while the Patriots visit the Buffalo Bills on Sunday (1 p.m. on CBS).

For more Patriots coverage, check out Pats Pulpit. For more on the Ravens, head over to Baltimore Beat Down.

Jacoby Jones Celebrates Pass Interference With Swag

Bill Belichick Grabs Ref, Argues Last-Second Field Goal Ruling

Al Michaels Calls Out Replacement Refs, Baltimore Crowd Takes A More Direct Approach

Torrey Smith Catches His Second Touchdown

Torrey Smith is having a huge game, doubtlessly fueled as much by emotion as adrenaline. He caught his second touchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter, narrowing the gap for his Baltimore Ravens against the Patriots.

Smith cuts back to his left to shake the defender, and by shake the defender we mean get an extra inch of breathing room to make the catch. It's only a five-yard touchdown, but his moves in the end zone make it highlight worthy.

Smith has six catches on 10 targets for 127 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Baltimore has been talking up Smith's ability to transcend the label of just another speedy role player. He looks to be living up to that on Sunday night. He came into this game with 108 receiving yards and no touchdowns in his first two outings of the season.

For more on the Ravens, check out Baltimore Beatdown.

Ed Reed Rings Deion Branch's Bell

Ravens safety Ed Reed has been delivering tough hits throughout his career, and Sunday night's game against the Patriots is no different. After laying out Julian Edelman in the first quarter, Reed popped Deion Branch in the third quarter. Branch caught a pass from Tom Brady, and Reed was there to greet him with his shoulder, his shoulder on Branch's head.

Reed got the flag, as you might expect, as this is the type of hit the NFL would like to make disappear amid widespread concerns and a class action lawsuit over head injuries.

Ray Rice Adds A Ravens Touchdown

Ray Rice is having a good night for the Baltimore Ravens. A third-quarter rushing touchdown put the Ravens back on top of the Patriots by a single point, 21-20, with plenty more time to play in their Week 3 rematch of last season's AFC Championship game.

Rice got the handoff from Flacco, as he often does, and ran it up the middle in a gap so wide Moses might have done a double take. He ran it seven yards for the score, his first of the night. Watch it happen in the GIF below:

That was rushing attempt No. 15 for Rice. He has 78 rushing yards and an average of 5.2 yards per carry. He also has two catches for four yards. Rice was averaging 6.4 yards per attempt through the first two games of the season. Surprisingly enough, he has yet to break the 100-yard barrier for rushing in a single game this year.

New England grabbed the lead again on the next possession, making it 27-21.

Tom Brady Finds Julian Edelman For The Touchdown

Tom Brady found Julian Edelman as the clock wound down to nothing in the first half of Sunday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens. Brady hit Edelman on a crossing route over the middle for a seven-yard touchdown.

That was the first touchdown for Edelman since 2009. The Patriots took a 20-14 lead into the locker room at the half.

Dennis Pitta Is The First Tight End To Score Sunday Night

Dennis Pitta is winning the tight end battle through the first half of the Ravens-Patriots game on Sunday night. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco hit Pitta for a 20-yard touchdown to give the Ravens a 14-13 lead.

It was Pitta's first catch of the night, but he gets big style points for the spin move on the catch and leaping over Patriots safety Steven Gregory on his way past the goal line.

Pitta now has two touchdowns on the season, tying Rob Gronkowski.

Torrey Smith Plays Through Personal Tragedy, Scores Ravens First Touchdown

What a weekend for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith. On Sunday morning, he learned that his brother died in a motocycle accident. Smith made it quite clear that he would play, and he is doing that just, playing well under circumstances that would leave most people too distraught to go to work that day. He caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco in the second quarter, adding an emotional high note to an awful day.

Smith's incredible speed has been a real asset for the Ravens this season. He had no problems getting past a lone defender as he streaked down the sidelines and into the end zone.

That one is Smith's only catch of the evening, which made it a one score game for the Ravens, who now trail 13-7. A win would be the real upswing on an emotional roller coaster of a day for Smith.

For more on the Ravens, check out Baltimore Beatdown.

Bill Belichick Is NSFW

Avert your eyes, kids. Uncle Bill is making bad words.

Patriots-Ravens Is Actually A Boxing Match

The refs have lost control of the Patriots-Ravens matchup. It's a matchup that's filled with bad blood anyway, but without any control, things are going to be feisty. And hey, that's okay. Not my problem.

I'm just here for the boxing match.

And the GIFs.

Think that round goes to the purple corner.

Brandon Bolden Gives New England Their First Touchdown Of The Night

Have you noticed that the New England Patriots are running the ball more these days? They were at it again on Sunday night against the Ravens. Brandon Bolden, an undrafted rookie from Ole Miss, punched it in from the two-yard line to give the Patriots their first touchdown of the night.

Heading into this game, through two weeks of play, the Patriots had the fifth-most rushing attempts of any team in the league and the ninth-most rushing yards.

Julian Edelman Will Remember Ed Reed In The Morning

So this Ed Reed guy, the Baltimore Ravens safety, happens to be pretty good at football. Handy with the interception, the Ravens' legendary safety also knows how to lay a hit, just ask Julian Edelman.

Edelman was streaking into the end zone, with what should have been a touchdown catch. He bobbled the ball and didn't see Reed coming.

Ouch.

Oh, is that a helmet-to-helmet hit?

Tom Brady Gets Hit With A Football

NFL Inactive List, Patriots Vs. Ravens: Aaron Hernandez Among Those To Miss Sunday Night Football

The New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens have released the list of players who won't be dressing for tonight's nationally televised game, and the only moderate surprise is a name that doesn't appear on the list. Torrey Smith, the Ravens wide receiver, found out his brother died about 18 hours before, but is suited up and will play.

Aaron Hernandez is the only name that jumps off the list for the Patriots, but we knew he'd be out after suffering a lengthy ankle injury last week. The other inactives are cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick, defensive end Jake Bequette, defensive end Justin Francis, running back Shane Vereen and offensive lineman Nick McDonald.

For the Ravens, sitting out will be wide receiver LaQuan Williams, cornerback Asa Jackson, offensive lineman Jah Reid, tight end Billy Bajema, defensive end Deangelo Tyson, linebacker Sergio Kindle and defensive tackle Bryan Hall.

For more Patriots coverage, check out Pats Pulpit. For more on the Ravens, head over to Baltimore Beat Down.

Patriots Vs. Ravens: 3 Questions Before Kickoff

The Patriots and Ravens meet on Sunday Night Football. One of these teams will be in a very unfamiliar position after this game.

Torrey Smith's Brother Dies In Motorcycle Accident

Reports confirm that Baltimore Ravens WR Torrey Smith has left the team hotel to be with his family after his younger brother passed away following a motorcycle accident on Sunday.

Patriots Vs. Ravens: Game Time, TV Schedule, Odds And More

The Patriots take on the Ravens on Sunday night in a rematch of the 2011 AFC Championship Game.

Week 3 NFL Picks And Predictions: Patriots Vs. Ravens

According to the experts, the Baltimore Ravens appear to be slight favorites against the New England Patriots.

NFL Odds Week 3: Patriots Vs. Ravens

The New England Patriots are field goal underdogs to the Baltimore Ravens in their Sunday Night Football matchup.