The New England Patriots will be looking to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time this season and remain in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs when they visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.
The Patriots (11-3) are coming off last Sunday’s 35-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Denver (12-2) is the only AFC team with a better record than New England, but the Broncos own the tiebreaker against the Patriots if the teams finish with the same record.
New England would clinch a playoff berth with a win. Coach Mike Vrabel was asked Wednesday if a team can benefit from a late-season loss.
“I would say that’s TBD,” Vrabel said. “I don’t know. It’s only depending on how you respond, how you prepare, how you practice and ultimately how you play. So, we’ll see. There’s a lot of good things in there and we’ll need all those things on Sunday night against this football team that’s 6-2 after their bye, and really coming off a big win last week. A dominant win.”
The Ravens (7-7) ended a two-game losing streak by beating Cincinnati 24-0 last Sunday. Baltimore, however, will likely need a strong finish to earn a playoff berth.
If the Ravens win their final three regular-season games (New England, at Green Bay and at Pittsburgh), they will win the AFC North, although there are other scenarios in which Baltimore can qualify for the playoffs.
“You just assume that you have to take care of your business,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “It would be a stretch for us not to have to win out. So, we’ll plan on that and that’s what we’re going to have to try to do.”
New England is 6-0 on the road this season and will be facing a Baltimore team that’s 3-5 at home. The Ravens were without quarterback Lamar Jackson for home losses to Houston (44-10) and the Los Angeles Rams (7-3) in early October because of a hamstring injury.
“The Houston game was probably our worst home game that I can ever remember, (but) our guys were fighting their butts off — the guys that were out there playing, who were playing in the game,” Harbaugh said. “That game is what it was. The Rams game is what it was. Guys are fighting their butts off in that game, too. So, those games are history.”
New England ranks seventh among NFL teams in both scoring offense (27.3) and scoring defense (19.7). Baltimore is 14th in scoring offense (23.9) and 15th in scoring defense (22.8).
“Obviously, someone is coming into our house,” Baltimore center Tyler Linderbaum said. “We have to win games. We have to put on a show for our crowd and end up getting wins like how we’re supposed to.”
Jackson (illness) is one of six Ravens who didn’t participate in practice Wednesday. Linebacker Roquan Smith (knee), linebacker Kyle Van Noy (quadriceps) linebacker Teddye Buchanan (knee), tackle Ronnie Stanley (knee/ankle) and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (foot) are the others.
Five Patriots did not participate in practice Wednesday: cornerback Carlton Davis (hip), cornerback Marcus Jones (knee), linebacker Robert Spillane (ankle), linebacker Harold Landry (knee) and linebacker Christian Ellliss (illness). Defensive tackle Christian Barmore was listed as a limited participant on the team’s participation report, but his situation is non-injury related.
