Ravens can change their season’s dynamic by getting after the Patriots…

RAVENS AT PATRIOTS Monday, December 12 | 8:30 pm EST Gillette Stadium NBC/WBAL-TV (Ch. 11) | ESPN 98 Rock | WBAL-1090 AM

HC John Harbaugh is fond of saying he likes to build his teams to play their best football in December and January. Historically he has been on point with that philosophy, with the exception of 2015’s injury-riddled disaster and the Super Bowl Hangover season of 2013.

It feels like the Ravens (7-5) got over the hump in their big convincing win over the Miami Dolphins last Sunday. But now they head up to Foxboro to face Tom Brady and the Patriots. The good news for Ravens fans is this team is not intimidated by the Patriots.

New England is certainly the best with the AFC’s top record (tied with the Oakland Raiders) at 10-2. You could feel Harbaugh’s relish for the challenge as he talked about the opportunity to play New England on Monday Night Football.

“They do a great job, obviously, year-in and year-out, because they’re always at the top, and they’ve earned it,” Harbaugh said at his weekly Monday afternoon presser. “That’s something that we’ve been honored enough to be in some big games against them over the years. We feel like that’s a place we want to be, and we’re excited about the opportunity.”

Certainly the Ravens have a fighter’s chance to go into Gillette Stadium with an upset win in mind. The Sporting News said quarterback Joe Flacco’s breakout game Sunday is good news for the Ravens, but bad news for the rest of the AFC. ESPN declared the Ravens a “gathering threat” in the playoff race.

“As limited as they seemed on offense, the more aesthetically pleasing side of the ball, the Baltimore Ravens always figured to be a problem in the AFC,” wrote ESPN’s Ian O’Connor. “They still have a defense that is no fun to play against, and they still have a coach and a quarterback who have proven they can win the Super Bowl.”

What’s been gradually happening for the Ravens over the past four weeks is they are getting healthier physically, they are developing last year’s projects like Breshad Perriman into real offensive weapons, and they are finally getting solid offensive line play and better-than-average pass protection for Flacco.

And there’s solid history—the Ravens have won two playoff games at Gillette Stadium, and came close to stealing two more. Just like at Heinz Field, the Ravens embrace the opportunity to walk into the lion’s den.

The Patriots are losing firepower after All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski suffered a season-ending back injury and now wide receiver Danny Amendola has reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain. Amendola is not expected to play against the Ravens, and the Patriots hope he’ll be back for the playoffs.

Bill Belichick will find a way to compensate for those losses of personnel. “But in the post-Gronk AFC, everybody is vulnerable and nobody with a defense, a coach, a kicker and a quarterback can be counted out,” wrote O’Connor.