FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The Patriots know one key to handing the Baltimore Ravens their first loss: Avoid Ed Reed, their Pro Bowl safety.

Problem is, every NFL team says that.

“He’s probably the best safety in football, one of the best players in football,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday. “I don’t think there’s ever been anyone better in the game when it comes to disguise, the ability to read a quarterback and make plays. Sometimes it’s routes, sometimes it’s formations, sometimes it’s what the quarterback’s doing. On top of all that, he has a tremendous burst and acceleration to the football … I think the quarterback has to know every time the ball leaves his hand, where Ed Reed is.”

Regardless of how teams prepare for the Ravens, New England quarterback Tom Brady said, they can’t seem to avoid Reed, who had nine interceptions last season and has one so far this year.

“He seems to lead the league in interceptions each year, which is tough to do when every team goes into a game thinking like, ‘We’re not throwing Ed Reed interceptions,'” Brady said.

Brady agreed with his coach that it’s important coming out of the huddle to check where Reed is on the field.

“You don’t break the huddle and think, ‘Let’s just run this play without seeing where he’s at.’ He’ll be exactly where he’s supposed to be. It might not be what the defense was called to be, but he’ll be where the ball is. And that’s what makes him such a great player, it’s the things where it’s not really his responsibility, but he makes the play on the ball,” Brady said.

Reed’s Ravens may be 3-0, but their offense has had as much to do with winning as the defense. Baltimore gave up 24 points to Kansas City, and 26 more points and 436 passing yards by San Diego’s Philip Rivers. But Baltimore won both games.

The Ravens dismantled hapless Cleveland, 34-3.

Baltimore enters the game against the Patriots (2-1) on a 38-game streak of not allowing an opposing back to gain 100 yards on the ground.

NOTES: OT Nick Kaczur (ankle), LB Jerod Mayo (knee) and NT Vince Wilfork (ankle) did not practice for the Patriots. Several other players were limited, including receiver Wes Welker, who missed the last two games; and CB Jonathan Wilhite, who injured his groin running away from two men during an incident that took place outside his home Sunday morning … Linebacker Prescott Burgess, waived Monday, was added to the practice squad.

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