A lot will be on the line in primetime when the 11-3 New England Patriots face the 7-7 Baltimore Ravens. If the Pats win this game, then they’ll clinch a spot in the 2026 NFL Playoffs. Though the Ravens can't earn a playoff berth this weekend, they'll need this game if they want to keep up with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the race for the AFC North Championship.

Last Sunday, it looked like the Patriots were going to win the AFC East after going up 21-0 on the Buffalo Bills. However, Buffalo stormed back and wound up beating New England 35-31 in what was the third-largest blown lead in Patriots history.

“We weren't able to get any stops. When we had an opportunity to make a play, we weren't able to make it,” said New England head coach Mike Vrabel after the game. “It's how this game goes. [A] few small plays make the difference. We were very prepared for this team. We were going to need 60 minutes to beat this team. This is a good football team, and we had a lot of good football in there. And we had a few plays that we'd like to have back that we'll have to learn from.”

Some members of the Patriots' coaching staff, like offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, see a loss like this as a lesson.

“I think you always look back on those things and evaluate it from both lenses,” he told reporters on Thursday. “Honestly, I think at this time of the year, when you play a team like that and get an opportunity to see the type of precision and level of execution and detail that all of us need to showcase in those types of games, it can be a blessing if we learn from it. I know that's what I'm hard at work trying to do, and I think our guys are too.”

Just like last week, the Patriots will have to prepare for a quarterback who can hurt opposing teams on the ground and through the air. Though Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson has been dealing with injuries for several weeks now, he still presents a challenge for New England’s defense.

“You have to assume every week, nowadays in the National Football League, there's an athletic presence,” Mike Vrabel said during a Thursday interview. “So, that's not going to change unless Joe Flacco comes back around and plays again for the Ravens. Every week is a new challenge. What are you gonna do with the coverage? What are you gonna do with the rush? And you just see how critical it is that you're able to contain that last player with the football. He’s the equalizer.”

Meanwhile, the Ravens were able to exact revenge for the Thanksgiving Day shellacking they suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals. This time around, they shut out Cincy, 24-0.

“[We] played those guys two weeks ago,” said quarterback Lamar Jackson after the win. “They did some great things, but - like I said - I feel like if the turnovers didn't happen, all of those turnovers didn't happen, we would’ve had a chance. And [we] turned the ball over one time today. We had a chance.”

This will also be the second straight week that Baltimore will be going against an elite quarterback. Last Sunday, the Ravens held Cincinnati's Joe Burrow to 225 passing yards and two interceptions. Containing Drake Maye, who is third in the NFL in passer rating (109.1), will be the focus of the Ravens' defense.

“I think he's super mobile. Big arm, big guy,” explained Baltimore All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton. “Just as a player, he presents a lot of problems for defense.s I can't remember the last time we went against a very mobile quarterback like Drake. So, it'll be big for us just to have good rush lanes. But, he can hurt you just as much with his legs as he can with his arm… So, [he’s] probably going to be a problem in the league for a long time. Excited to go up against him [and] the team this Sunday.”

“Really, you’ve got to do fundamental things well,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said of Maye. “He'll throw the ball downfield. They'll do it with designed play action passes sometimes, sometimes drop back passes that are designed, but - as often as not - they'll just throw a nine route out there against press. You’ve got to defend that. And then the extended plays, where he'll step up into the pocket and up and out of the pocket sometimes. [He] makes some throws, but he'll also run.”

Normally, teams have extra motivation to finish the year strong, but that's especially true for the Ravens, who are currently on the outside of the playoff picture. Baltimore will need to win all of its remaining games to make the postseason, and Lamar Jackson recognizes that challenge.

“We feel like each and every game, we’ve got to win,” Jackson said on December 18th. “We’ve got playoff hope, but we’ve just gotta win this game, win-out basically… I'm not going to say it's a playoff game because I feel like every game is a playoff game, man. We’re trying to win.”

Prediction for New England Patriots @ Baltimore Ravens (-3)

This is a very troubling matchup for the Patriots. They just lost to the Bills, whose offense is very similar to Baltimore's. The Ravens are a run-heavy team with a mobile quarterback that ranks third in rushing yards per game (146.2). New England has struggled against teams with mobile QBs - like the Jets, Bills, and Buccaneers - allowing 134.8 rushing yards per game in four matchups this season. On the other side, the Ravens have stepped up their pass defense, holding opponents to a 79.7 passer rating over their last three games, which would be the fifth-best mark in the NFL over the course of an entire season. On the road after a gut-wrenching loss, it feels like the Pats are bound to suffer at least one more loss before the 2026 NFL Playoffs begin.

Prediction: Ravens 26 - 23 Patriots

How to watch New England Patriots @ Baltimore Ravens (-3)

Patriots @ Ravens starts at 8:20 p.m. EDT at M&T Bank Stadium. You can watch it on NBC or stream it via the Peacock app or YouTubeTV.

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