Pollard: We'll see Patriots again

BALTIMORE -- Ravens defensive back Bernard Pollard was happy with the win over the Patriots Sunday night, but said he anticipates seeing New England again later this season.

"We know we're probably going to see them down the road," Pollard said after the game. "With [Tom Brady], you have to get pressure on that man's face. If you let him sit back there, he'll eat you alive, and I think you guys saw that. Allowing him to sit back with guys running around him, that guy can thread the needle."

Buoyed by Brady, the Patriots held a 30-21 lead early in the fourth quarter, but a 10-0 run down the stretch -- capped off by a last-second field goal by Justin Tucker -- gave Baltimore a 31-30 win. Pollard, who gained a measure of infamy in New England after he delivered a hit that resulted in a season-ending injury to Brady in the 2008 opener and a tackle on Rob Gronkowski in last year's AFC title game that left the tight end hobbled for the Super Bowl, said one of the reasons the Ravens played well down the stretch was because they got back to basics.

"We just went out there and played," he said of Baltimore's defensive effort that left the Patriots scoreless over the final 14 minutes. "We weren't worried about how many points we were down. When we were down, we just went out and played. I think for us, we played the Ravens way toward the end of the game. We kind of got some miscues in there, but like I said, nobody is going to be perfect."

Another of the Ravens' keys was their ability to slow down tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was held to just two catches for 21 yards.

"We just played football," Pollard said. "He's a big target -- you can't miss him out there. We just knew where he was at at all times. I think we did a really good job. But once again, we let some plays slip. We're not happy about that. We're gong to watch film and we'll get back at it."

It was the latest dramatic game between the Patriots and Ravens, a list that includes last season's AFC title game, a 23-20 New England victory.

"That's just football. That's big-time football," Pollard said of the rivalry. "That's a really good team and we're very similar."

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