FOXBORO -- With the Patriots set to meet the Ravens on Sunday night in Baltimore, it’ll mean New England football fans will get another opportunity to get their fill of defensive back Bernard Pollard, one of the greatest villains in franchise history. That got us to thinking -- where does Pollard rank among the most despised opponents in the history of the franchise? With some help from our pals on Twitter, here’s this week’s edition of “The Hot List,” which breaks down the biggest villains in Patriots history.

5. Eli Manning: The only quarterback who has bested Tom Brady in head-to-head Super Bowl matchups, he earns a spot on this list with two comeback wins over the Patriots, one in Super Bowl XLII and the other in Super Bowl XLVI. Manning wasn’t wildly impressive in either matchup, but ultimately proved his grace under pressure by completing big throws when it counted, including key connections with David Tyree, Plaxico Burress and Mario Manningham.

4. Ben Dreith: Like one other name on our list you’ll see later, you’re going to have to go back a bit to recall this one. Dreith was the referee who called roughing the passer in a 1976 playoff game against the Raiders -- by all accounts, one of the most boneheaded calls in league history -- that allowed Oakland to keep a late drive alive. The Raiders capitalized, eventually scoring the go-ahead touchdown and knocking a very talented New England team from the postseason. (The Patriots of the 1970s never got so close to the Super Bowl again.) In 2001, many viewed the Tuck Rule as karmic payback for what happened to New England in that game, and in a 2002 interview with Dennis & Callahan, Dreith fondly reminisced about his time with Oakland owner Al Davis.

3. David Tyree: The guy on the list who has actually done the least. The Giants receiver is here because of one catch he made in Super Bowl XLII, when he managed to hold on to a Manning pass by pinning the ball against the side of his helmet. The reception kept the Giants’ final drive alive, one that ended up with a Manning pass to Plaxico Burress in the corner of the end zone that proved to be the difference in the game. It was the final pass Tyree caught in his NFL career -- he suffered a knee injury during training camp in 2008, which left him on the PUP list for most of that season. After a brief stop with the Ravens in 2009, he signed a one-day contract with the Giants and retired on July 29, 2010. (Tyree made news last year when he said same-sex marriage would lead to “anarchy,” and hinted he’d give up his Super Bowl win if it meant stopping same-sex marriage.)  

2. Bernard Pollard: The defensive back gained a sizable measure of infamy around these parts when he crashed into Tom Brady’s leg in the 2008 regular-season opener. The injury left Brady on the shelf for the entire season. In most circles, that would have been enough, but Pollard also delivered a shot to Rob Gronkowski in last season’s AFC title game that left the big tight end at less than 100 percent for Super Bowl XLVI. (He was also in the neighborhood -- although not culpable -- when Wes Welker went down with his knee injury in the 2009 regular-season finale against the Texans.) Compounding things was an interview Pollard did in the days leading up to the game where he said he hoped the Giants would “just put a thrashing on the Patriots. I really do.” For his part, Pollard wants no part of being known as a Patriot killer: “That’s not me,” Pollard told reporters on Wednesday. “I don’t laugh at anything like that because that’s not my intentions. I’m not a malicious player. I look to play football hard, fast and physical. It just so happened a lot of the injuries came against the Patriots.”

1. Jack Tatum: A relatively easy choice for the top spot. In a preseason game in 1978 between the Patriots and Raiders in Oakland, Tatum collided with New England wide receiver Darryl Stingley on a pass play over the middle. The hit ended up damaging Stingley’s spinal cord, and left him paralyzed from the chest down for the rest of his life. While it was technically a clean shot, the lack of remorse Tatum showed in the wake of the incident angered many. In 2003, Stingley said he forgave Tatum over what happened, but Tatum dug in his heels. “It could have happened to anybody,” he told reporters. “People are always saying, ‘He didn’t apologize.’ I don’t think I did anything wrong that I need to apologize for. It was a clean hit.”

Honorable mention (in no particular order): Joey Porter: The linebacker, who played with the Steelers and Dolphins over the course of his career, took an occasional shot at the Patriots -- mostly through the media. Rex Ryan: The Jets coach has also taken a swipe or two at New England. But as was the case with Porter, the Patriots have frequently gotten the last laugh. Mario Manningham and Plaxico Burress: The two New York receivers made big Super Bowl catches against New England. Eric Mangini: The former assistant coach blew the whistle on the Patriots’ practice of videotaping opponents’ signals when he was with the Jets, earning the scorn of the franchise and its fans.