FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In high school, there was always that rival, the one school you had to beat in football. Same in college, like Ohio State-Michigan or Alabama-Auburn.
In the pros, not so much.
Of note Monday against Baltimore
• Ravens wide receiver Mike Wallace has scored five touchdowns in six career games against New England.
• The Patriots have scored on their final possession of the first half and their opening series of the second half 20 times since 2009. That’s the highest mark in the league, with the New Orleans Saints a distant second with 14.
• New England has won a league-record 85 consecutive home games when leading at halftime. The Patriots last lost after leading at halftime on Dec. 24, 2000.
• The Ravens have outscored their opponents 143-95 in the first half.
• The Ravens have a losing record against just nine NFL opponents, but their 3-9 mark against the Patriots is their worst.
• The Patriots are 7-1 on Monday night since 2001. The Ravens are just 7-8 away from Baltimore on Monday night.
• LeGarrette Blount has 957 rushing yards. The most recent New England back to reach the 1,000-yard mark was Stevan Ridley in 2012. It has been done 14 times in Patriots history.
• In their first 12 games, the Patriots faced five offenses averaging under 20 points per game: Los Angeles (15.0, ranked 32nd), Cleveland (16.4, 31st), the Jets (17.2, 29th), Houston (17.3, 28th) and San Francisco (19.5, 25th).
– From staff and news services
“I think we have a much more professional approach,” said Patriots left tackle Nate Solder.
If fans were to pick New England’s rival, who would it be? The Jets, Dolphins or Bills? All divisional foes, all good choices. The Steelers? They’ve played some big games over the years. How about the Baltimore Ravens?
Unlikely, maybe, but if there’s one team in the AFC that doesn’t seem to shudder at the Patriots’ mystique, it’s the Ravens. Games between these teams are usually dramatic and compelling, with seven of their 12 games decided by eight points or less, including five by four points or less. They’ve met four times in the playoffs, each game at Gillette Stadium, with each team winning twice – once each in an AFC championship game.
They are always brutally physical games. There’s always a lot of trash talking, a lot of pushing and shoving.
“It’s always a hard-fought game,” said Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich. “Every time I’ve played them, I’m pretty sore. It’s a physical mentality they have.”
And that’s why Monday night’s game between the Patriots (10-2) and Ravens (7-5) at Gillette Stadium is the biggest game remaining on New England’s schedule.
Yes, the Patriots play at Denver next Sunday. And the Broncos have twice beaten New England in the AFC championship game, in 2013 and 2015. But the Ravens, with their overwhelming defense and smash-mouth mentality, will provide a bigger measuring stick than the Broncos.
Baltimore, which entered the weekend tied with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North and has won four of its last five, brings the league’s top-ranked defense into the game. The Ravens lead the NFL in fewest yards allowed per game (296.1), fewest rushing yards allowed (73.8) and third-down defense (33.3 percent, as opponents have converted only 55 of 165 third-down chances). They are tied for second with the Patriots in points allowed (17.3) and are ranked seventh against the pass (222.3).
There isn’t much the Ravens don’t do well on defense. “They contest every yard, so I think that’s the mark of a good defense,” said Tom Brady. “They don’t give you anything easy. You have to earn it.”
The Ravens’ defense will provide the greatest test that the Patriots’ still-evolving offense will face. Without tight end Rob Gronkowski, out for the rest of the season following back surgery, the Patriots played an efficient game against Los Angeles last Sunday: 29 rushes for 133 yards, 33 completions in 46 pass attempts for 269 yards and no turnovers.
But New England lost another piece of its offense when wide receiver Danny Amendola suffered an ankle injury returning a punt. So once again the Patriots will have to adjust. And if they can move the ball against Baltimore’s formidable defense, they’ll be sending a message to the rest of the league that they can’t be stopped.
It’s important that the Patriots get LeGarrette Blount into the flow early and often. Blount is 43 yards away from reaching 1,000 yards for the season, and the Patriots would like him to pound at Baltimore’s strength.
The offensive line – Solder, Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon – needs to match Baltimore’s physical style, whether pass blocking for Brady or opening holes for Blount, James White or Dion Lewis.
“We have to be the best best we can be,” said Solder (yes, he said best twice). “And if that’s physical in the run game or pass protection, whatever it is, we have to be at our best this week.”
Defensively, the Patriots must find a way to contain quarterback Joe Flacco, who always seems to hurt the Patriots. He has a rating of 91.3 in eight games against New England, completing 63 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
The Ravens don’t run the ball much – they’re ranked 28th in rushing offense with just 89.7 yards per game – but they can make opponents pay with Flacco’s ability to hit the long pass.
“He’s smart and he understands the game,” said Ninkovich.
The Patriots are usually at their best in these December games. The stakes are always high. Monday is no exception.
“We’re looking at it as an opportunity, an opportunity to get better, an opportunity to see where we are and an opportunity to go against, as far as the way they are playing now, one of the premier teams in the league,” said defensive end Chris Long.
“Obviously, they’ve really turned it around, so we’ll be hard-pressed to find a much better test than these guys coming in.”
And when the game ends, we’ll have a much better understanding of just how good this Patriots team really is.
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