The New England Patriots built a 20-point lead, nearly gave it away, and then barely held on for a 30-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.
New England's defense dominated the first two and half quarters of this game, and when Tom Brady found Martellus Bennett in the end zone halfway through the third quarter, it gave the Patriots a commanding 23-3 lead:
However, the Patriots would also shoot themselves in the foot, letting Baltimore back in the game. After stopped the Ravens on the ensuing possession, Cyrus Jones fumbled the punt, leading to an easy Baltimore touchdown. Then, Matthew Slater fumbled on the kick return, setting the Ravens up for another score:
Two #Patriots special teams blunders have let the #Ravens right back in this game! #BALvsNE #MNF pic.twitter.com/yVSXe8AC2q
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) December 13, 2016
Because of those miscues, the Ravens were able to cut the lead from 23-3 to 23-17 in just a minute and a half, setting up a thrilling fourth quarter. After Baltimore cut the lead to three with a field goal, Tom Brady hit Chris Hogan with a 79-yard bomb to preserve the victory for the Patriots.
Brady finished with 406 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception. Hogan was his favorite target, catching five passes for 129 yards and that touchdown, while LeGarrette Blount added 72 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
New England moves to 11-2 with the in, giving them sole possession of first place in the AFC. They hit the road to face the Broncos in Denver on Sunday.
Joe Flacco led the way for the Ravens, passing for 324 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also spread the ball around as 11 different players caught passes, and five difference players had at least 40 receiving yards.
Baltimore now falls to 7-6 on the year, and are a game back of both the AFC North lead and the final AFC wild card spot. They will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
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