The New England Patriots' defense entered Sunday night in the conversation with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens as one of the best of all time.
But the 2019 Ravens had something to say about that.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson and Co. scored four offensive touchdowns on a New England defense that had allowed four offensive touchdowns in the previous eight games combined, rolling to a 37-20 win at M&T Bank Stadium.
After the game, Ravens wide receiver Willie Snead IV suggested the hype around the Patriots' defense entering Sunday was a little overblown.
"Just watching the film, they definitely have holes in their defense," Snead told reporters, via Ravens.com. "I mean, they're a respectable defense. They had plenty of turnovers to count, and we just had to protect the ball. We knew what we had to do to win the game."
Patriots fans may bristle at Snead's comments, but Baltimore successfully exposed one hole in particular: New England's run defense.
The Ravens racked up 210 rushing yards on 41 carries with three touchdowns -- two of which came from Jackson -- while exploiting the Patriots' fatigued front seven with their physical option-style offense.
New England Patriots
"They were even saying it," Snead said when asked if he felt Baltimore wore the Patriots down on defense. "That’s just what we do. We’re built for that type of brand of football.
" ... If they want to get physical with us, we're going to get physical right back."
The Patriots also beat themselves by making several crucial mistakes, notably Julian Edelman's third-quarter fumble that led to a Marlon Humphrey scoop-and-score touchdown.
But Baltimore dominated time of possession -- 37 minutes to New England's 23 -- and by left tackle Ronnie Stanley's estimation caught the undefeated Patriots a bit off-guard.
"I don’t think teams know how physical we really are on offense, and I think we definitely surprised them in that sense," Stanley told reporters, via The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec.
The 8-1 Patriots still are the class of the AFC entering their bye week. But the Ravens proved Sunday night the defending champs aren't perfect -- literally and figuratively.
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