Patriots go back and forth with Ravens, but late turnovers sink comeback attempt in home opener
FOXBORO -- For a stretch on Sunday, it looked as though the Patriots were in control against the Ravens. Then things went a bit sideways.
The Patriots, after taking a 20-14 lead early in the second half, allowed the visiting Ravens to score 17 straight points to take a 31-20 lead. The Patriots threatened to get back into the game, but late turnovers sunk their chances, with the Ravens ultimately winning 37-26.
Mac Jones completed 22 of his 31 passes for 323 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Jones suffered what looked like a lower leg injury on his final snap of the day, sending him limping on one leg to the sideline.
On the other side, Lamar Jackson was sensational, throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for another.
The two teams exchanged punts to start the game, before the Ravens embarked on an 11-play, 69-yard touchdown drive to open up a 7-0 lead with 4:09 remaining in the opening quarter. Mark Andrews, who had a 17-yard catch-and-run earlier in the drive, scored a touchdown on a third-and-1 from the 5-yard line on a cleverly designed play from Baltimore.
New England responded with a scoring drive, though an Isaiah Wynn holding penalty made it more difficult for New England to get into the end zone. After getting into the red zone following a 40-yard play-action pass to DeVante Parker, New England ended up settling for a field goal to cut the lead to 7-3.
New England forced a turnover on Baltimore's next possession, with Christian Barmore collapsing the pocket and Jonathan Jones coming off his man to pick off Jackson's errant throw.
A 16-yard run by Rhamondre Stevenson got the Patriots to the 5-yard line, and Jones scrambled in from the 3 for the first rushing touchdown of his career, giving New England a 10-7 lead.
That lead didn't hold, though. The Ravens marched methodically down the field, highlighted by a 17-yard run from Jackson. And on second-and-7 from the Patriots' 16-yard line, Jackson tossed a ball to the back of the end zone for Andrews. The tight end was able to haul in the pass, despite Devin McCourty's entire upper body being in the way.
The Patriots got the ball back with just 30 seconds left in the half, but they quickly and effectively drove to the Baltimore 32-yard line, and Folk drilled a 50-yard field goal as time expired to cut Baltimore's lead to 14-13 at halftime.
The Patriots then made it a double score, as they came out of halftime with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 20-14 lead. Damien Harris did the honors with a 2-yard plunge into the end zone, but the star of the drive was Parker, who hauled in a 36-yard reception on a go route and then made a toe-tapping reception along the left sideline for 25 more yards.
The game got away from the Patriots a bit after that, though. The Ravens drove 74 yards for a touchdown, reclaiming the lead at 21-20 off Jackson's 1-yard pass to Josh Oliver. The Ravens forced a New England punt next, with Devin Duvernay returning that punt 43 yards. Duvernay then hauled in a touchdown reception in the back of the end zone on the ensuing drive, putting the Ravens up 28-20. Jones then threw an ugly interception to Bynes, with Baltimore tacking on three points on a 56-yard field goal by Justin Tucker, giving Baltimore a 31-20 lead.
But New England rallied, with Stevenson running for 18 yards one play before Parker hauled in a 24-yard reception late in the third quarter. Jones ran around and found Jonnu Smith to convert a fourth-and-1 at the Baltimore 17-yard line, and Stevenson scored from the 1-yard line two plays later. Stevenson almost made an incredible play to lateral to Jones on the two-point conversion, but replay showed the running back's knee was down before pitching the ball back to the QB. So the score sat at 31-26 in favor of the Ravens.
Jonathan Jones then stripped Rashod Bateman after a reception, with Jabrill Peppers scooping up the loose ball and returning it 12 yards to the Baltimore 39-yard line. New England threatened to reclaim the lead, but Jones threw an interception in the back corner of the end zone to Marlon Humphrey, killing the would-be scoring drive.
But the Patriots forced a Baltimore punt, and took over with 6:36 remaining, trailing by five, with the ball at their own 29-yard line. Jones connected with Nelson Agholor for a big gain, but Agholor was caught from behind by Kyle Hamilton, who punched the ball loose. Marcus Peters recovered the fumble, just barely staying in bounds, for the Ravens' third takeaway of the game.
Baltimore took advantage of that turnover, too, driving 73 yards for a touchdown to put the game out of reach for New England.
A 35-yard catch-and-run for Bateman preceded a 20-yard run by Jackson, and the quarterback kept it himself on a 9-yard touchdown run to cap the drive. That rush gave Jackson 110 yards and a touchdown on the ground for the game. Tucker missed the PAT, though it wouldn't matter, as Jones threw his third interception of the day on the ensuing Patriots drive.
Now 1-2, the Patriots head to Green Bay next weekend for a date with the Packers.
