Now it gets interesting, doesn't it?
In upsetting the Ravens at Gillette Stadium, 23-17, the Patriots kept their season alive. They did it by churning out yardage on the ground through a monsoon. They did it by getting their hands on Lamar Jackson passes at critical junctures. And they did it through the air to pick up chunk gains against a blitz-happy defense.
All of it mattered.
While Cam Newton was unspectacular, he was extremely solid -- and the Patriots offense got great contributions from a pair of players who barely saw the field at the start of the season: Damien Harris and Jakobi Meyers. Meanwhile, J.C. Jackson's franchise-record fifth straight game with an interception set the tone for an impressive performance on defense.