A tactical change, which came after the Patriots were scorched on third-and-10, third-and-9 and third-and-11 situations early in the game, helped spark the turnaround.

On those third-and-long plays, the Patriots lined up in a 4-2-5 nickel defense, with four rushers, two linebackers and five defensive backs. Obviously unhappy with the results, they substituted a linebacker for a defensive lineman, making it a 3-3-5.

Having one fewer rusher often put the Patriots into more of a coverage mode and explained why rookie linebacker Dane Fletcher – an underdog free agent out of Montana State who wears Ted Johnson’s old No. 52 – started showing up on the field in more key situations.

The goal was to get more physical with Ravens pass-catchers at the line of scrimmage and take away quarterback Joe Flacco’s first read. When Flacco doesn’t see his first read open, Patriots defenders said, he has a tendency to look at the rush, so New England tried to disrupt the rhythm of Baltimore’s passing game that way.