This was a back and forth game, with nearly constant swings in momentum. The Patriots dug themselves out of two fourteen point holes and we found ourselves in a tie game at the start of the fourth quarter.
So it’s no surprise that all of these GIFs come from that fourth quarter, with the game on the line. This is where the big plays had to be made, and these four are the ones that got the Patriots the win.
We begin with a third-and-goal early in the fourth, with the Patriots defense having yet to get a red zone stop the entire game. This was a strength of the defense this year, and here they came through in the clutch, which is all that matters.
It should’ve been no surprise that Flacco looked to his tight end in the middle of the field. The Ravens have scored a bunch of touchdowns on this route, including one earlier in the game that the Pats had pretty well-covered. Daniels’ stutter step is enough to open some space behind Collins, but Chung comes through, getting just enough of a hand in to break it up. Forcing a field goal here opened things up for the Pats to finally take their first lead of the game.
Next we have the Patriots on their very next drive after holding the Ravens to a field goal, facing a difficult third-and-6 outside of field goal range. Danny Amendola has gotten plenty of criticism this year, but this play, where he fights off two tacklers to pick up the first down is nothing short of amazing. He should’ve been stopped. The Pats should’ve been punting. But he wasn’t and the drive continued.
Now, after two plays that haven’t gotten much attention, we have two that have gotten plenty. First up is Brady’s game-winning touchdown to Brandon LaFell. I was excited for LaFell in this game all week but he was relatively quiet until this huge play. Just an absolute dime from Brady, who’s long distance accuracy has been fodder for criticism constantly the past five years. Just a money play to the best free agent outside wide receiver acquisition since Randy Moss.
Lastly comes the final interception that all but sealed the game. Duron Harmon has shown great range in his first two seasons and it’s on display here. Credit also has to go to Jamie Collins, whose pass rush forces Flacco to throw off his back foot. That was the ball game.
Find all of the regular season GIFs The Defined… articles here.