The 2020 New England Patriots aren't done just yet.

New England won its second consecutive game and improved to 4-5 on the season with a 23-17 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday's AFC showdown at Gillette Stadium. Cam Newton, Damien Harris and Rex Burkhead led the way for the Patriots, who are still looking up at the 7-3 Buffalo Bills and 6-3 Miami Dolphins in the AFC East.

As for Baltimore, two touchdown passes from Lamar Jackson was not enough to prevent its first road loss of the campaign. The Ravens, who fell to 6-3 overall and 4-1 on the road, are tied with the Cleveland Browns and behind the 9-0 Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North.

Notable Player Stats

• Cam Newton, QB, NE: 13-of-17 for 118 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 11 rushes for 21 yards, 1 TD
• Damien Harris, RB, NE: 22 carries for 121 yards
• Rex Burkhead, RB, NE: 6 carries for 31 yards; 4 catches for 35 yards, 2 TDs
• Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL: 24-of-34 for 249 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 11 carries for 55 yards
• Willie Snead, WR, BAL: 5 catches for 64 yards, 2 TDs

Patriots' Methodical Approach Enough to Win

While Tom Brady's departure made the most headlines coming into the 2020 campaign, this Patriots team hasn't had the weapons across the board to compete at the level it is accustomed to under Bill Belichick.

That is one reason Newton entered play with just two touchdown passes, although he seemed to turn the corner during Monday's win over the New York Jets with 274 yards through the air. He picked up where he left off with a touchdown strike to Burkhead in the first half as he attempted to keep pace with his talented counterpart.

Newton's willingness to take the short passes in the early going and keep the offense methodically moving wasn't the only spark for the Patriots, as Harris powered his way through arm tackles and Jakobi Meyers connected with Burkhead for another touchdown on a double-pass trick play.

Suddenly, the New England offense that has largely been a pushover this year had life and added to its halftime lead by pounding the ball with Harris to set up a Newton rushing touchdown to start the second half.

It was a replicable formula for success even when Newton struggles as a thrower and was particularly effective in Sunday's driving rain.

The power running and short passing also kept Jackson on the sideline as Baltimore stagnated during the fourth quarter and helped make up for the Patriots' lack of explosive playmakers on the outside.

Don't be surprised if New England relies on a similar game plan the rest of the year.

Familiar Narrative Haunts Ravens

There was a time when playing the Patriots on the road was the ultimate measuring stick for an AFC contender like the Ravens, especially with a young quarterback.

Now, it is a must-have game against an overmatched opponent that is necessary to keep up with squads such as the Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. Fittingly, it didn't take Baltimore long to set the tone as the better team on paper when Jackson directed a 13-play, 94-yard touchdown drive to open the scoring.

He capped it off with a dump pass to Willie Snead, which appeared to set the stage for a dominant showing from the Ravens offense with the lackluster conditions playing into their running and short-passing attack.

So much for that.

Jackson threw an interception to J.C. Jackson to end a disappointing first half, a 4th-and-1 direct snap to Mark Ingram II went awry and the early momentum disappeared as Baltimore fell behind by double digits.

All that did was raise the familiar questions about whether the Ravens can win with Jackson sitting back as a thrower in the pocket. After all, they entered play 0-5 in games they fell behind by double digits with the reigning league MVP under center, and the weather that figured to play into their favor only served as another obstacle.

While Jackson did find Snead with a beautifully placed touchdown pass in the third quarter, the visitors failed to score a single point in the fourth and came up short in yet another comeback attempt.

What's Next?

Both teams face AFC South foes in Week 11 when the Ravens host the Tennessee Titans and the Patriots are at the Houston Texans.