Patriots Report Card: High marks all-around after home upset of Ravens

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.

But we'll start where we always do, at the quarterback spot. Because even though Cam Newton's numbers weren't gaudy, they were significant. The Patriots aren't enjoying their biggest win of the season if not for him.

Cam Newton threw just 17 passes in the game, completing 13 for 118 yards and a touchdown . . . good for a quarterback rating of 114.3.

But the devil is in the details. Coming into the game with a yards-per attempt figure of just 5.1 against the blitz, he went 9-for-12 for 103 yards and that touchdown when the Ravens sent five or more rushers. He knew they'd be bringing heat. They do it at the second-highest rate in the NFL, and he was ready for it.

Newton threw quickly and accurately to hot routes. He made plays over the top -- including a 26-yarder to Jakobi Meyers and a 20-yarder to Ryan Izzo that helped set up touchdowns. And he adjusted at the line when he saw pressure coming, checking into runs to get away from Ravens defenders. His numbers weren't out of this world. But his impact was key. And his team's season is alive thanks in large part to his efforts.

Damien Harris said he was "overcome with emotion" after the game and with good reason -- so long as that emotion was joy. He ran for 121 yards on 22 carries and punished the Ravens with both his aggressive running style as well as his vision. He ran over defenders for 12 yards toward the end of the second quarter. Then in the third he saw his run lane get swallowed up so he bounced it outside for 13. To create yards on his own the way he does? There's real value there.

Rex Burkhead was also a factor, running efficiently (31 yards on six carries) and becoming a go-to threat deep in Ravens territory. He was the focal point of a well-designed crack-block play to get Burkhead to the edge for the first Patriots score. On the second, he tracked Jakobi Meyers' touchdown pass superbly. Hard to find much fault in anything this group did Sunday night.

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Jakobi Meyers is the money receiver on the Patriots roster right now. N'Keal Harry returned to action for the first time since making his way through the league's concussion protocol, but Meyers remained top dog. Meyers was targeted seven times, while Harry was not targeted once.

Meyers, the only Patriots receiver to catch a pass Sunday, reeled in five for 59 yards. He also, of course, laid out a beautifully-thrown rainbow through the driving precipitation for Rex Burkhead. To fit that throw in -- despite the conditions, despite Burkhead's man-to-man defender not being fooled by the play, and with a safety quickly closing the opening from the middle of the field -- was remarkable.

Meyers, Harry and Damiere Byrd all contributed as blockers, including on Cam Newton's third-quarter running touchdown. But without more production from the unit, it's difficult to go any higher than a "B" with this mark.

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Upon first glance, that might've been one of Ryan Izzo's best games as a pro. He had just one catch for 20 yards, making the most of his only target, but he appeared to assert himself as a blocker on some of Harris' angrier runs.

Jakob Johnson, who we consistently include in this group, was also at the point of attack for some of Harris' most explosive runs. That includes Harris' longest trot of the day, a 25-yarder where Johnson wiped out rookie linebacker Malik Harrison, while fellow rookie Patrick Queen did the Patriots the favor of taking himself out of the play.

Not much in the way of breakdowns here. Outside of a sack allowed early in the game when right tackle Michael Onwenu was beaten around the edge, this group was rock solid.

Isaiah Wynn was a forceful lead blocker on a second-quarter toss play. Shaq Mason was quick to get to the second level and wall off a 'backer in the third on Cam Newton's touchdown run. Joe Thuney and Wynn threw around defensive lineman Broderick Washington on a 16-yard tone-setting run to start the second half. David Andrews handled his snaps like a pro (ask the Ravens how tough it was to snap in those conditions), and as a group they combined to help the Patriots convert 50 percent (6 of 12) of their third and fourth-down opportunities.

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Jake Bailey and Gunner Olszewski earned some praise from their head coach after the game for their ability to securely handle the football in adverse conditions.

Bailey had a 52-yard punt in the fourth quarter -- kicking away from the open end of the stadium -- to help win the Patriots some field position. He also hit a wobbly-but-effective 40-yarder to pin the Ravens inside their own 20 when they needed to get into the end zone to come back with about a minute left.

Nick Folk made his chip-shot field goal and two of his three extra-point tries. This grade would be higher if not for that wayward boot.

Carl Davis played a real role in this one. The Patriots deployed what looked like a 3-3 defense -- with Lawrence Guy, Davis and Byron Cowart in the middle and John Simon, Chase Winovich and Terez Hall as the linebackers -- that required its bigger bodies to eat up space. Davis did that effectively, chipping in on a tackle for a loss and two more run-stuffs.

Having Guy back on the field after he missed last week's matchup with the Jets was key. To hold the Ravens to 4.1 yards per carry is a solid number against the most prolific rushing attack in the league. And to hold Jackson to 11 carries for 55 yards is no small deal to the big people up front in Bill Belichick's defense. They contained Jackson (though not perfectly) well enough to ensure that his longest run was just 11 yards.

To prevent explosive plays on the ground meant the Ravens had to try to mount a comeback by airing it out. That's not their strong suit.

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The Patriots got creative with their front seven on Sunday night. They played Chase Winovich at the second level. They started John Simon at the second level and then dropped him onto the line once the offensive formation was set. They used four linebackers in their base defense deep in their own territory. They used three linebackers with three big defensive linemen on the field simultaneously. They went lighter at times as well, with Terez Hall in the middle thanks to Ja'Whaun Bentley (groin) being out injured.

Simon was a force as an edge-setter, he had a tackle for a loss, he deflected a pass, and he exhibited discipline in the flat against speedy Ravens skill-position players, understanding his help would arrive soon enough. Winovich was all over the field, tracking plays down from behind, using his instincts to seek out ball-carriers, and getting after Lamar Jackson as a pass-rusher occasionally.

The reason this grade isn't higher, though, is because there were times when Winovich flushed Jackson from the pocket and Jackson broke contain for a good gain. Josh Uche had a bit of an up-and-down day. He recorded his first NFL sack, meeting Winovich and Deatrich Wise in the backfield to punish Jackson. He also committed a neutral-zone infraction penalty. All in all though, a nice day from this group without one of its most senior players.

J.C. Jackson now leads the NFL in interceptions with six, having recorded one in each of his last five games. That is a franchise record -- and considering the ball-hawking talent that has come through New England, it's an impressive one at that. Jackson plays the ball so well in the air, it's getting to the point that if he can get his eyes on it -- as he did while in coverage of Hollywood Brown down the sideline at the end of the first half -- you couldn't be blamed for expecting him to come down with it.

Devin McCourty nearly had a pick in the fourth quarter as he read Jackson's eyes and dove for the pass-breakup. Jason McCourty also had a key stop on a third down early in the game, running stride for stride with Brown down the sideline and then boxing him out of bounds to make sure his assignment wouldn't sniff the football.

Kyle Dugger is also worth mentioning in this space as the team's leading tackler. In his first start, he was consistently around the action, which remarkably is what happened at training camp despite the fact he was making the leap from Division II to the NFL. Though he's dealt with injury as a rookie, his growth is apparent just about every time he steps onto the field.