Patriots Lose for First Time Against Ravens

The defending Super Bowl champions are the New England Patriots. They entered their game against the Baltimore Ravens with a perfect 8-0 record. There were many fans and members of the media who were already talking about the possibility of the Patriots having a season without any losses. The Ravens put an end to the possibility of a perfect New England season by defeating the Patriots 37-20. The game was a surprise to many people. However, Baltimore is a very solid team with a lot of talent. The Ravens will play the Patriots later this year in New England.

The game was filled with mistakes by both teams. There were a pair of costly New England mistakes in the first quarter that Baltimore cashed in for 10 points. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was not a happy camper after the game. He said that his team got outplayed and outcoached. The Patriots will not play next week. The Ravens definitely made a statement in this game. It was the Sunday Night Football game on NBC. Therefore the entire country got to see it. Baltimore feels that they do not get enough respect even though they are in first place in their division.

It will be very interesting to see how the rest of the season unfolds. There is a very good chance that New England and Baltimore will face each other in the AFC playoffs. Both teams are a near certainty to quality for the playoffs. It is just a question of which seed they will get. There were two key New England turnovers in the second half that sealed the win for the Ravens. Julian Edelman fumbled a ball that was picked up by the Ravens and returned for a touchdown. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady also threw an interception at a very inopportune time. These are mistakes the Patriots usually do not make.

Despite the loss, the Patriots still have the best record in the AFC. They are in a great position going into their bye. The team has been able to avoid injuries to key players. This was the first game where they have not played well. The Ravens feel that they can beat any team and any time. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is one of the brightest stars in the game. He has speed and running ability that no other QB can match. He had another impressive game against the Patriots.