I'm giving out game balls to running back Sammy Morris, wide receiver Wes Welker, safety Brandon Meriweather, linebacker Gary Guyton and cornerback Darius Butler.
I'm wrapping up the live blog for the day. Stick with NESN.com for more in-depth Patriots coverage from New England's 27-21 victory against the Ravens at Gillette Stadium.
6:13 p.m.: Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden on those who doubt the team's defense: "We've just got to keep doing it, keep proving whoever wrong, whoever is doubting us. We've got to prove them wrong, and we've been doing it so far."
6:11 p.m.: Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather on the defense coming together: "I felt like we were already jelling together. I felt like we were super glued together. We're having fun together."
6:05 p.m.: Ravens wide receiver Mark Clayton on his fourth-down drop that ended the game: "We had a really good call. I got open and just dropped the ball. … Flat-out drop. It was a perfect ball. Joe [Flacco] put it on the money. To not come up with it is tough. It cost us the game."
5:53 p.m.: Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis was heated after the game about the roughing-the-passer penalties that were called. Lewis spoke candidly and said the league can fine him or do whatever they want, but he is sick of the officials treating the quarterback differently than the other players on the field.
"Without totally going off the wall here, it is embarrassing to the game," Lewis said of the penalties. "[Tom] Brady is good enough to make his own plays. Let him make the play. When you have two great teams that are going at it, let them go at it. Both of their touchdown drives had personal fouls on them that kept the drives alive. Did that win or lose the game? No, but it got them 14 points."
Patriots 27, Ravens 21. Final. The Patriots improved to 3-1 with the victory, and the Ravens fell to 3-1. I'm heading to the locker room and will check back after.
Fourth quarter, 0:24: The Ravens drove it all the way to the Patriots' 13-yard line, but their drive stalled when wide receiver Mark Clayton dropped a fourth-down pass that would have been good for a first down. The Patriots will take over and take a knee to seal up the victory. The interesting note on that drive was the substitution of Darius Butler for Jonathan Wilhite. Wilhite allowed Clayton to catch a few early passes, and Butler stepped in and shut down Clayton for the rest of the drive.
Fourth quarter, 3:32: Chris Hanson's punt sailed into the end zone, and the Ravens take over at their own 20-yard line. Baltimore trails by six points and has one timeout.
Fourth quarter, 5:09: The Patriots stuffed Willis McGahee for no gain on a fourth-and-1, and the Patriots are taking over at the Baltimore 45-yard line. Give credit to the Pats' defensive line for pushing back the Baltimore line, and linebacker Gary Guyton shot through the only open gap to smack McGahee.
Fourth quarter, 7:03. Lardarius Webb returned the kickoff to the Baltimore 36-yard line.
Patriots 27, Ravens 21. Fourth quarter, 7:10: After all of that, Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 33-yard field goal, and the Patriots have a six-point lead.
Fourth quarter, 7:14: I'm going to do my best to describe what has turned into a sloppy situation here at Gillette Stadium. It was fourth-and-4 at the Ravens' 9-yard line, and the Patriots lined up for a field goal. It turned out to be a fake, as holder Chris Hanson threw a pass to Chris Baker at the left sideline, and Baker dove toward the first-down marker. However, Baker was flagged for illegal procedure, and the play was negated. Now, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has challenged whether or not it was a completion. Of course, more information will follow. (Update: Baker caught the ball, the Ravens are charged with a timeout and a lost challenge.)
Fourth quarter, 11:15: Patriots fans just booed Laurence Maroney after he lost one yard on a first-down rushing attempt, and they cheered when he was replaced in the huddle by Sammy Morris.
Fourth quarter, 14:10: Laurence Maroney returned the kickoff to the Patriots' 26-yard line. If you're counting at home, it took Maroney seven seconds to run the ball 20 yards because of all of the moves he made.
Patriots 24, Ravens 21. Fourth quarter, 14:17: Joe Flacco hit running back Willis McGahee for a 14-yard touchdown pass over the middle of the field, and Baltimore has again trimmed the Patriots' lead to three points. The play capped off a quick, seven-play, 80-yard drive that spanned 3:10.
End of third quarter. Patriots 24, Ravens 14: The Ravens are moving deep into Patriots territory on a drive that was catapulted by Ray Rice's 50-yard rush. Baltimore has a first-and-10 at New England's 15-yard line coming up.
Patriots 24, Ravens 14. Third quarter, 2:27: OK, if I could read that blitz from the opposite side of the stadium, did the Ravens really think they could sneak that one past Tom Brady? Baltimore brought everyone from the right side of the defense, which left cornerback Domonique Foxworth alone on Randy Moss. Brady immediately recognized the blitz and lobbed the ball up to Moss, who hauled it in for a 14-yard touchdown, his first of the season.
Third quarter, 6:10: Laurence Maroney danced the kickoff back to the Patriots' 21-yard line, and that's where New England takes over with its 17-14 lead.
Patriots 17, Ravens 14. Third quarter, 6:19: Well, that was quick. Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs screamed past Patriots left tackle Matt Light and stripped the ball from Tom Brady. Defensive end Dwan Edwards closed in and jumped on the fumble in the Patriots' end zone, and New England's comfortable lead is down to three points.
Third quarter, 6:27: Mike Wright recorded his second sack of the game to halt the Ravens. Kevin Faulk returned Sam Koch's punt four yards before fumbling the ball, which got recovered by Johnny-on-the-spot Leigh Bodden. The Patriots take over at their own 14-yard line.
Third quarter, 10:16: The Patriots' drive stalled at midfield, and after Chris Hanson's punt, Baltimore will take over at its own 16-yard line.
Halftime. Patriots 17, Ravens 7: Great first-half performance from the Patriots, who really controlled the pace of play and out-classed the Ravens in the turnover department. New England forced a fumble on the opening kickoff and turned it into three points, and it intercepted Joe Flacco in the red zone to keep it a 10-point game as the teams head into their locker rooms.
Sammy Morris had a strong first half, and the biggest story for the Patriots was their two red-zone touchdowns. The Pats have now come away with six touchdowns and 10 field goals in their 16 trips to the red zone this season.
Second quarter, 1:11: The Ravens just announced left tackle Jared Gaither has been taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for tests on his neck and shoulders, and Gaither has movement in all of his extremities. Good news on that front.
Second quarter, 1:11: Leigh Bodden just intercepted Joe Flacco's pass intended for wide receiver Mark Clayton, but the play is under review. Bodden caught the pass along the left sideline, and it was tough to tell if Bodden got both feet down. (Update: The ruling stands, and the Patriots take over at their own 9-yard line.)
Second quarter, 1:15: The Patriots' medical staff is looking at safety James Sanders, who hurt his right arm while attempting to tackle Ray Rice on a screen pass. It looked like it might have been an elbow or shoulder injury.
Second quarter, 3:57: The Ravens are taking over at their own 20-yard line.
Patriots 17, Ravens 7. Second quarter, 3:57: Sammy Morris is having himself a ballgame, and he just ran in from 12 yards to extend the Patriots' lead. Meanwhile, everyone who is starting Fred Taylor on their fantasy team this week is fuming. Morris' 12-yard run capped off a six-play, 63-yard drive that took 2:54.
This is a really important drive for the Ravens' offense. They don't necessarily need to score, but they can't go three-and-out and give the Patriots' offense the ball back before the half. New England has been moving it too well on that side of the ball.
Second quarter, 6:51: After a lengthy delay, the Ravens failed to convert on third down and had to punt. Kevin Faulk returned it to the Patriots' 37-yard line.
Jared Gaither didn't appear to move his arms or legs while he was getting carted off of the field. The Gillette Stadium crowd gave him a nice ovation, but there has been a sullen mood in the stadium since Gaither went down.
Second quarter, 7:11: Television replays showed Jared Gaither's head hitting the back of quarterback Joe Flacco while Flacco was getting sent backward. Gaither is 23 years old and in his third season out of the University of Maryland.
Second quarter, 7:11: Ravens left tackle Jared Gaither has been on the ground for a few minutes, and it really doesn't look good for the talented offensive lineman. It was tough to tell exactly how Gaither got hurt, but he was involved in a four-player collision in Baltimore's backfield. The medical staff is looking at his head and neck, and they're bringing a stretcher onto the field to carry Gaither off.
Second quarter, 7:58: Chris Hanson's punt sailed into the end zone, and the Ravens will take over at their own 20-yard line.
Second quarter, 11:42: Joe Flacco had Derrick Mason wide open down the field — he was a full 10 yards behind the Patriots' secondary — but Joe Flacco threw off of his back foot and couldn't get the ball to his receiver. Brandon Meriweather closed in on the ball in time to break up the pass and force the Ravens to punt, and the Patriots' offense will take over at their own 9-yard line.
Second quarter, 13:06: There is a really strong contingent of Ravens fans at the game. They could be heard chanting "Ohh" during the national anthem, which is a tradition that started at Orioles games, and there was also a loud cheer for tight end Todd Heap's first-down catch.
Second quarter, 14:03: Chris Carr returned the kickoff to the Ravens' 24-yard line. This is just their second offensive possession of the game.
Patriots 10, Ravens 7. Second quarter, 14:08: Tom Brady plunged from the 1-yard line to give the Patriots the lead in the second quarter. It was just the Patriots' second touchdown in their last 10 red-zone trips. The Pats also answered Baltimore's 15-play touchdown drive with a 14-play, 76-yard drive that spanned 7:51. It was Brady's sixth career rushing touchdown and the first since he recorded two rushing touchdowns against the Redskins in 2007.
End of first quarter. Ravens 7, Patriots 3: Sammy Morris lined up at fullback on fourth-and-1 from the Ravens' 3-yard line, and he took the hand-off from Tom Brady and rushed for two yards to pick up a Patriots first down. New England has a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line on the other side of the break.
First quarter, 6:40: Wes Welker caught a 10-yard pass from Tom Brady, and the Gillette Stadium crowd greeted the wide receiver with a loud reception.
First quarter, 6:52: Laurence Maroney returned the kickoff to the Patriots' 24-yard line.
First quarter, 6:59: Derrick Mason had a hard landing on the touchdown reception and stayed on the ground for a few minutes. Mason appeared to hurt his back, and he had to be helped off the field by the Ravens' medical staff.
Ravens 7, Patriots 3. First quarter, 6:59: Derrick Mason torched Jonathan Wilhite for a 20-yard touchdown reception on third-and-goal to give the Ravens the lead. Give credit to quarterback Joe Flacco for making the throw and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron for airing it out on the long-yardage situation. Cameron isn't one to play conservatively, and his players rewarded him with perfect execution. It was a 15-play, 81-yard drive that took 6:35.
First quarter, 13:20: I charted all of the Patriots' red-zone plays for a story last week, and using those numbers in addition to their first offensive series Sunday, 28 of their 40 red-zone plays this season have resulted in two or less yards.
First quarter, 13:24: Chris Carr returned the Ravens' kickoff to the Baltimore 19-yard line, and that's where the Ravens start their first offensive possession.
Patriots 3, Ravens 0. First quarter, 13:34: So much for ending those red-zone issues. The Patriots lost two yards on three offensive plays, and Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 32-yard field goal to put New England ahead early into this one.
First quarter, 14:54: Eric Alexander forced Chris Carr to fumble the game's opening kickoff, and Brandon McGowan recovered it at the Ravens' 12-yard line and promptly celebrated with the fans just beyond the end zone. The Patriots have a chance to end their red-zone woes right off the bat here.
1:00 p.m.: The crowd is still filing into Gillette Stadium, and the Patriots just won the coin toss. The Patriots deferred and will kick off to start the game. The Pats are wearing their dark blue jerseys with silver pants, and the Ravens are wearing white jerseys with black pants. Kickoff is in one minute.
12:49 p.m.: Via Twitter, Vince Wilfork's wife isn't overjoyed about her husband playing against the Ravens: "Not sure if i like you playig [sic] today but its not like u have your phone so we can talk about it :(".
11:31 a.m.: An interesting inactive list for the Patriots. First, Wes Welker and Vince Wilfork will play Sunday against the Ravens. Now, for the inactives — Joey Galloway, Terrence Wheatley, Bret Lockett, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Jerod Mayo, Rich Ohrnberger, Kendall Simmons and Ron Brace.
Galloway has been less than productive for the Patriots, and he hasn't been on the injury report all week, leading the belief that he is a healthy scratch now that Welker is feeling good enough to play.
11:23 a.m.: Wide receiver Wes Welker has been working out on the field, and we'll find out in about 10 minutes whether or not he'll play Sunday against the Ravens.
In honor of the NFL's Breast Cancer Awareness Week, pink ribbons have been painted on the field, and the pads around the goal posts are pink, too. Some Patriots will be wearing pink gloves that will be auctioned off after the game.
9:02 a.m.: The New England Patriots will attempt to knock off their second consecutive undefeated opponent when they take on the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. There is also the possibility the Patriots could get some of their injured stars back into the lineup, as linebacker Jerod Mayo, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and wide receiver Wes Welker all appeared to improve at practice last week. They should be game-time decisions, so keep checking back for updates.
As always, stay with NESN.com's live blog throughout the afternoon to get all of your Patriots information.
