The Baltimore Ravens defeated the New England Patriots 31-30 in a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game.

The Ravens had a -1.4 deficit in The Trench Counter, despite averaging 2.6 more yards per play due to their turnover and racking up 135 yards lost to penalties. The Patriots had a +8 advantage in Total Rushes/Completions.

Joe Flacco had an excellent game, going 28-for-39 for 382 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

But the story was Torrey Smith catching six balls for 127 yards and two touchdowns just hours after his brother died in a motorcycle accident.

Ray Rice was the lynchpin of the Ravens' offense, rushing 20 times for 101 yards to go with five catches for 49 yards.

Tom Brady went 28-for-41 for one touchdown, connecting with Wes Welker eight times for 142 yards and Brandon Lloyd nine times for 108 yards in the first full game without Aaron Hernandez. Rob Gronkowski was limited to just two catches for 21 yards.

The Patriots relied heavily on the running game, as Steven Ridley and Danny Woodhead combined for 28 carries and 71 yards.