The New England Patriots suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday night, as the Baltimore Ravens topped them by a score of 37-20 in what could have been a playoff preview.

The Patriots fell behind 17-0 in the first half and never recovered, as Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' offense hit New England in the mouth early on and kept their foot on the gas.

This was certainly a sudden change for a Pats defense that had been thoroughly dominant all season long.

Here are three things we learned about the Patriots in their Week 9 defeat.

3. They played a soft schedule

Yes, New England started the season 8-0, but only one of its wins came against a team with a winning record, which was when the Pats beat the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 29.

Otherwise, the Patriots had played a very soft schedule up until having to go to Baltimore on Sunday evening, and it showed.

Of course, the Patriots are the Patriots, so we generally don't make too much out of who they beat, but perhaps one of the reasons why New England's defense looked so impenetrable over the first eight weeks was because of weak competition.

Against the Ravens, however, the Pats were going up against a unique offense, one that they had not really seen in any of their first eight games.

2. Tom Brady can't do it all 16 games anymore

Tom Brady wasn't terrible on Sunday night, as he completed 30 of his 46 passes for 285 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, but he certainly wasn't great.

On the season, Brady has posted a passer rating of 93.1, which is his lowest mark since 2013 and his second-lowest since 2006.

He is now 42 years old, so it's only natural that he is declining and, as a result, is coasting through the regular season.

Article Continues Below
More Patriots News
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens before their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden.
Patriots rookie reveals Brad Stevens, Joe Mazzulla messageJaren Kawada ·
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrate a touchdown in the second quarter at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens
Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski recreate Lombardi Trophy boat moment with a twistGuillermo Guajardo ·
New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (16) warms up before the start of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium.
Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers earns prestigious tag that’ll leave Patriots fans screamingJaren Kawada ·
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) walks to the podium to speak to the media after minicamp held in the WIN Field House at Gillette Stadium.
Josh Allen sends Patriots’ Drake Maye an inspiring Stefon Diggs messageBenedetto Vitale ·
New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams (18) makes a catch during minicamp at Gillette Stadium.
Patriots’ Kyle Williams shows rookie swagger, ready to prove himselfJosh Davis ·
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel talks with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) before the preseason game at Nissan Stadium.
Tom Brady’s endorsement of Mike Vrabel will inspire confidenceScotty White ·

We saw this from Brady last year, only to see him turn it on once the playoffs rolled around en route to leading the Patriots to their sixth Super Bowl championship.

It should be said that one of these years, Brady won't be able to flip that switch any longer, but right now, it just looks like he is conserving energy for the postseason, and possibly more than ever before.

1. The Patriots don't have a big-play threat

Coming into this season, it looked like the Patriots would have Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon in addition to Julian Edelman.

Now, New England is left with Edelman and recent pickup Mohamed Sanu, both of whom are good receivers, but neither of which represent the big-play threats that Brown and Gordon do.

This is clearly a problem for the Pats, as both Edelman and Sanu logged 10 catches apiece against the Ravens, but neither wideout even eclipsed 100 yards.

Brady also averaged just 9.5 yards per completion.

This isn't an issue that will correct itself between now and January. This is just something the Patriots will have to live with, as they don't have any true vertical threats.

Maybe rookie receiver N'Keal Harry will come in and fill that role, but he just came off injured reserve and is yet to play a game this season.