The New England Patriots retain the top seed in the AFC playoff picture after Week 9, but there is a challenger to the throne. The Baltimore Ravens thumped the Patriots on Sunday Night Football, winning by a final score of 37-20. The Patriots fought back from a 17-0 deficit, but could never get all the way back and dropped to 8-1. The Ravens improved to 6-2.
Lamar Jackson was a dominant presence throughout the evening. He only threw for 163 yards and a touchdown, but he also rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns. Things quieted midway through the second quarter, but Lamar and the offense turned up the heat in the fourth quarter. The Patriots cut the Ravens lead to 24-20 with 8:03 left in the third quarter, but the Ravens put up a pair of scores in the final frame to win.
Jackson was the big fantasy winner for the Ravens, but Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards had notable appearances. Ingram rushed for 116 yards, while Edwards had a touchdown to go with 27 rushing yards. Ingram had a fumble that looked like it might cost him more snaps, but he remains the workhorse.
Tom Brady threw for 285 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a fairly pedestrian affair. The Patriots got nothing going on the ground, finishing with 74 yards and averaging 4.4 yards per carry, but never really pushing hard. Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu each had ten receptions, combining for 170 yards.
In Week 10, the Patriots head into their bye while the Ravens travel to face the Bengals.