The Ravens' locker room was also abuzz after the game about the officiating, as players questioned two roughing-the-passer penalties and the spotting of the ball. But the reason the Ravens aren't 4-0 for the second time in team history can be blamed, for the first time this season, on the ineffectiveness of the offense.
The AFC's highest-scoring attack managed two offensive touchdowns. The Ravens' offense controlled the ball for 25 minutes, its lowest total of the season. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron ignored the league's fifth-best rushing attack (the Ravens averaged 6.8 yards on a season-low 17 carries). And Flacco finished 27-for-47 for 264 yards, a result of countless hits from the Patriots' blitzes and the shaky hands of the Ravens' receivers.
"We didn't execute when we needed to," Flacco said. "We didn't execute the plays that were critical in the game."
He added, "The most important thing in the NFL is how you respond to a loss."
The Ravens slipped up in other areas. Chris Carr was stripped on the opening kickoff, which led to a New England field goal. The Ravens were penalized twice for roughing quarterback Tom Brady, even though it looked as if defensive tackle Haloti Ngata grazed the side of Brady's helmet.
"I saw it. I'm not allowed to comment on it," Harbaugh said of Ngata's penalty. "I think you guys saw it, too, and you can make judgments for yourself."
Middle linebacker Ray Lewis was more emphatic.
"Without totally going off the wall here, it is embarrassing to the game," Lewis said. "Brady is good enough to make his own plays; let him make the play."
Another eyebrow-raising moment came with the Ravens trailing 24-21 in the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-4 at the Ravens' 9, the Patriots went for a fake field goal, which called for punter Chris Hanson to throw a sideline pass to Chris Baker.
New England was called for illegal motion, but Harbaugh challenged whether Baker caught the ball. Referee Ron Winter upheld the ruling, and the Patriots converted a field goal to go ahead 27-21.
"We were challenging whether he caught it and whether it was in bounds and if it was a first down or not," Harbaugh said. "So, they felt it was all three of those things."
Said Winter: "[He] caught the pass [and it was] good for a first down. When we found out it was a completed pass, then the illegal motion penalty kicks in."
