Live Commentary: New England Patriots 41-7 Baltimore Ravens - as it happened

Good evening! We're just a few minutes away from kickoff at the M&T Bank Stadium. Let's take a look at both side's inactive players for this contest.

RAVENS INACTIVES: Jackson, Brown, McClellan, Jensen, Thompson, Clark, Williams

PATRIOTS INACTIVES: Solder, Williams, Fletcher, Boyce, Thompkins, Sopoaga, Bequette

The Ravens are without tight end Dallas Clark, but quarterback Joe Flacco, who is carrying a knee sprain, is alright to start, as is running back Ray Rice, who has a hip injury.

The good news for the Patriots is that Aaron Dobson is active after a three-game absense. Kenbrell Thompkins is still out though.

The Super Bowl champions won the toss and chose to defer, so the Patriots will receive the opening kickoff.

KICKOFF! Tucker gets the game underway, kicking off towards the Patriots.

It's a quick three and out for the Patriots, and Blount has a couple of carries, but can only pick up five yards, before a pass towards Edelman fails to find its target.

Incidentally, the Miami Dolphins' loss earlier today means that the Patriots are already guaranteed to finish top in their division. A Ravens win would leave them in a strong position to secure a wildcard spot.

Joe Flacco tries a deep pass to Torrey Smith, but it's almost picked off by McCourty. On third down, he looks for Ray Rice, but the running back can't get the catch, so it will be a punt for the home side.

Blount secured the first first down of the game with a 14-yard burst from the backfield. Vereen comes into the game on the next play to pick up four. The running back takes it again on the next play, but the third down will have to wait as Darryl Smith has sustained a knee injury.

Tom Brady connects with Michael Hoomanawanui to get the first down, moving New England to the Baltimore 35.

The Patriots move to the one-yard line after Jimmy Smith is flagged for a pass interference play on Edelman while the wide receiver was looking for the end zone, gifting the Patriots a 34-yard penalty.

LeGarrette Blount smashes his way into the end zone to open the scoring for the Patriots, while kicker Stephen Gostkowski adds the extra point. It's a good start by the AFC East champions.

Should the Patriots lose this game, the Denver Broncos will secure the number one seeding heading into the playoffs.

INTERCEPTION! The Ravens make a better start to this drive with Pierce securing a first down, but a deep pass intended for Jacoby Jones is picked off by Logan Ryan at the New England 47.

Stevan Ridley moves the Patriots to midfield with a three-yard carry, before Lardarius Webb is penalised for illegal contact against Edelman.

Ridley picks up seven yards, but is brought down for a loss of two on the following play after being trapped by Arthur Jones. Danny Amendola rescues to drive on third down though with a superb run down the middle, moving the Patriots to the Baltimore 6

Shane Vereen doubles the Patriots lead after collecting a four-yard pass from Brady before carrying it over in the corner of the end zone, before Gostkowski adds the extra.

Just ahead of kickoff, Tom Brady lost his record for most touchdowns in a single NFL season. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning surpassed Brady's mark of 50 during the AFC West side's win over the Houston Texans.

SACK! Ray Rice gets a first down for the Ravens, but Flacco losing his footing, allowing Carter to sack him for a loss of six, forcing a Baltimore punt.

Flacco does have quite a substantial knee brace on to protect his sprain, and it's clearly affecting him mobility, there was no-one near him when he slipped then.

Brady gets the Patriots drive off to a quick start, picking out Edelman for a 17-yard gain, before Blount rushes for 11 to keep the chains moving.

Blount looks for another rushing gain, but Terrell Suggs is quick off the mark to bring him down for a loss of three. It's a good play from the Ravens defense, but they may need a few more like that if they're to get back into contention, with the offense clearly struggling.

Just before the end of the opening quarter, Brandon Bolden managed to pick up 12 yards, leaving the Patriots just short of the first down, so Gostkowski will come on for a field goal attempt when play resumes.

The Patriots kicker makes the 45-yard effort look easy to extend the visitors' lead over the Super Bowl champions.

After Pierce manages a net gain of four from two rushing effort, Flacco targets the running back with a pass, and he finds a gap to pick up 15, moving the Ravens to their own 40-yard line.

SACK! Flacco is living dangerously as he desperately tries to get the Ravens on the board. He tries a deep pass for Jacoby Jones, but it comes up short, and is almost intercepted by McCourty. On third down, the quarterback is sacked for a loss of seven to end the drive. This is in danger of becoming a bit of a rout.

From their first four drives of the game, the Ravens have punter three times, thrown an interception and managed just three first downs. These are not the stats of a team on the verge of clinching a playoff place.

Some solid protection from the Patriots offensive line gives Brady plenty of time to spot an open Edelman, securing another first down for the AFC East side. The wide receiver gets the ball again on the next play as the Patriots patiently move towards midfield.

As Brady looks to get the ball to Bolden, Ngata stretches up high to block the pass. The quarterback hands the ball off to Bolden on the next play, and he gets six, but the team is moved back for a false start penalty.

The Ravens think they have a sack against Brady as Upshaw knocks him down for a loss of 10, but the home side are penalised for an illegal hold, cancelling the play.

INJURY UPDATE: The Patriots have announced that Shane Vereen is questionable to return after picking up a groin injury.

After challenging the previous ruling, the Ravens are awarded the sack, which is jointly awarded to Upshaw and Smith. The ruling also forces the Patriots to punt.

Flacco gets the Ravens drive underway with a 17-yard completion to tight end Ed Dickson, but the game is delayed as Dont'a Hightower has been left on the ground with an injury following the play.

Flacco tosses a short pass forward for Rice, and this time it's safety Steve Gregory who gets injured and has to be helped to the sideline. The injuries are starting to stack up for the Patriots.

SACK! Flacco thinks he's got time to look for an open receiver on third down, but Ninkovich forces his way through to sack the quarterback, and force Koch to come out for the punt.

An illegal formation forces Koch to have to take the punt again, but his second effort goes an extra 15 yards and out the back of the end zone.

Brady continues to look for Edelman, picking out the wide receiver for a 19-yard gain, moving New England for the 41-yard line.

The Ravens think they have a turnover, as Amendola appears to have fumbled while making a catch near midfield, but the officials are going to review the play.

McClain forced the ball out of the wide receivers hands as he was falling to the ground, before Webb scooped up the loose ball at the New England 37. However, the officials decide that Amendola was safely down before the ball came loose, so it's a New England first down at the 45-yard line.

TWO MINUTE WARNING: Blount picks up a short gain, but the Patriots are moved back as Hoomanawanui is penalised for offensive holding just ahead of the two minute warning timeout.

The Patriots pick up a series of offensive holding calls, leaving them facing first and 30, but Blount starts well, picking up 14 with a quick dash down the middle. Blount manages another nine on second down, before the Patriots take a timeout.

Brady throws it away on third down, but the Patriots are penalised again for offensive holding, something which has really cost them on this drive. It means there outside field goal range, so will have to punt it back to the Ravens for the final moments of the first half.

The officials are really being made to earn their money late in this second quarter! Allen punts the ball away, but the Ravens are penalised for running into the Patriots punter, giving the visitors another chance on offense.

The Patriots think better of keeping the offense on the field on decide to try the punt again. The ball is downed at the Baltimore 2. This game has really got very scrappy in the last few minutes.

Flacco comes back on with the Ravens offense and takes a knee, allowing the clock to run down.

So after a rather messy finish to the half, the New England Patriots remain well in control against a struggling Baltimore Ravens.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco seems to be really hampered by a knee sprain. He's made five of his 10 attempts for 52 yards, but he's also thrown an interception, and was sacked on third down on three consecutive drives. He's been talking to his backup on the sideline, so it's possible he won't play all of the second half.

Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman have continued to provide the threat through the air for the Patriots, picking up 89 yards from five receptions between them. Meanwhile, quarterback Tom Brady has 114 passing yards and a touchdown from the opening spell.

KICKOFF Gostkowski gets the third quarter underway.

Flacco makes a reasonable start to the drive, connecting with Brown for a 14-yard gain before Dickson hauls in a 15-yard pass. However, their progress if halted while McCourty receives attention for an injury.

INJURY UPDATE! Steve Gregory, who was injured in the first half, has returned for the Patriots for this quarter.

Flacco targets tight end Dennis Pitta for the first time, securing a first down, but he's knocked down on the next play by Chandler Jones while targetting Torrey Smith.

The Ravens leave the offense on the field for fourth down, needing just three yards for a fresh set, but Flacco's effort towards Jones comes up short, returning the ball to the Patriots.

It's a quick three and out for the Patriots. Brady targets Edelman, Dobson and Amendola, but none are able to take the catch, so Allen comes on for the punt.

INTERCEPTION! The Ravens picks up a couple of short gains through Pierce, before Flacco looks for Pitta again, but the tight end loses out to Ryan, who intercepts Flacco for the second time today.

INJURY UPDATE! The Patriots have confirmed that Devin McCourty will not return after picking up a head injury.

Ridley gets the drive underway with a couple of short rushes, before Edelman dashes out wide before picking up a pass from Brady to secure the first down. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco looks lost on the sideline. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tyrod Taylor taking over soon, as last season's Super Bowl MVP is clearly out of sorts.

Brady has a couple of incompletions while Edelman can only gain three, leaving the Patriots short on third down, so Gostkowski comes on for the field goal attempt. Despite the 42-yard distance, he makes it look like a mere chip shot, sending the ball straight through the middle of the uprights.

Flacco thinks he's got Doss for the first down, but the Ravens are penalised for illegal use of hands by Shipley. He finds Rice with a short pass before Pierce secures the first down. The Ravens' continued their positive play as Torrey Smith got out on the sideline to claim a catch before sprinting for a 42-yard gain. The is looking promising.

Dickson moves the Ravens to the four-yard line, before Flacco looks for Pitta in the end zone, but he throws too hard for the tight end to take the catch.

On fourth down, the Ravens pass on the chance of a field goal, needing just a yard for a first down, and little more for the touchdown. Rice reaches for the first down but the officials aren't sure that he did enough, so they'll take a measurement.

SACK! The Patriots drive comes to nothing as Edelman manages an eight yard gain on second down, but Brady is brought down by Terrell Suggs for a loss of six.

Joe Flacco is starting to look a lot more comfortable in charge of this Ravens offense as he finds Smith for a first down, before Dickson moves them a further five yards.

The Ravens resume just inside the red zone, but reach fourth down without moving further, so Justin Tucker will come on for a field goal try.

FIELD GOAL NO GOOD! Justin Tucker has been one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL this season, but somehow he manages to slice his effort wide from 37 yards. To put it into context, he easily made a 61-yard effort to seal a win for the Ravens against the Detroit Lions on Monday.

Brady starts with a couple of well-placed passes, connecting with Edelman for a 15-yard gain before Dobson picks up 21. However, incompletions to Edelman and Bolden help bring up fourth down, so it will be another Allen punt.

SACK! Flacco had looked a little sharper on the last couple of drives for the Ravens, but he starts badly here, getting sacked for a loss of seven by Siliga on the opening play, before failing to get the ball to Smith with a short pass attempt, leaving the team facing third and 17.

The Ravens get to move five yards closer when Jones is penalised for a neutral zone infraction. That allows Flacco to find Pitta for 15 yards and the first down, but they've still got a long way to go, as that leaves them on their own 23-yard line.

Flacco is starting to look more confident throwing longer passes, and he manages to find Brown with a 21-yard effort. Rice manages to keep the threat up on the ground, bursting through the Patriots offense to pick up eight yards.

Dennis Pitta tries to take a catch out wide, but it's called incomplete. Baltimore challenge the call though, as the tight end is convinced that he got his feet in bounds. After a lengthy review, the officials decide that he did have the ball, so it's a 15-yard gain for the hosts.

A pass interference call helps move the Ravens towards the end zone, and Flacco deciced to take it in himself, leaping over from one-yard out. Tucker makes amends for his earlier miss, adding the extra point.

Amendola takes a touchback from the kickoff, so Brady tries a deep pass to Edelman to move the Patriots towards midfield, but the wide receiver can't hold on. McClain blocks Ridley, restricting him to five yards before Bolden is held up short by Webb, sealing a three and out. New England have been restricted to just 59 offensive yards since half time. While the Ravens offense has not been at its best today, the defense has been solid.

Torrey Smith grabs a 17-yard catch for a first down, but misses a deep pass from Flacco on the next play. Two efforts from Flacco intended for Brown also miss, but the Ravens stay on the field on fourth down. Flacco targets Pitta deep down field, but it was always a long shot, and ends up nowhere near the tight end.

The Patriots mainly look concerned with running down the clock as they stick with the running game. Ridley picks up a first down from a couple of carries before Blount takes over the running back duties and does the same, leaving the Patriots at the Baltimore 26.

Ridley breaks off several tackles to move the Patriots further into the red zone and pick up another first down.

Blount returns at running back and slips through the Ravens' defense. Much to the Ravens fans' annoyance, he celebrates his second touchdown of the game by doing former Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis's infamous squirrel dance. Gostkowski easily adds the extras.

TWO MINUTE WARNING! As the Ravens prepare to try and increase their score, the clock ticks down to two minutes, resulting in the timeout.

There's a bit of a delay after the two minute warning as John Harbaugh decides to challenge the placing of the ball, but he's unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Tyrod Taylor has taken over from Flacco at quarterback.

That play just sums up the Ravens' day. Taylor gets ready for his first play, but fumbles the snap and it flies forwards towards the end zone. Chandler Jones is the first to react and scoops it up for a defensive touchdown. Gostkowski is there to add the extra point.

Taylor throws a couple of incompletions as he tries to recover from his first play of the day. On third down, he keeps the ball himself, and dashes 25 yards for the first down at the Baltimore 47.

This has been a nightmare cameo for Taylor! For the second time since replacing Flacco at the two minute warning, the backup throws an interception, this time to Tavon Wilson, who returns it a massive 74 yards for their Patriots' second defensive touchdown in as many drives. Once again, Gostkowski adds the extra point.

The Patriots offense comes back out, and Scott rushes for nine, and that should be enough for the Patriots to let the clock run down.

Well that will be a game and certainly a last two minutes that the Baltimore Ravens will be keen to forget. For the Patriots, the result keeps them in contention to be the AFC's top seed heading into the playoffs.

The defending Super Bowl champions will still be able to clinch a place in the post-season next week.

Well that's all from this game, but stick around to read reports from all of today's games in the NFL, and follow live coverage at the Chicago Bears trip to the Philadelphia Eagles, which kicks off shortly. Thanks for joining me this evening, goodbye.