BALTIMORE (AP) – The New England Patriots are still perfect, but looking mighty vulnerable.

New England pulled off its greatest escape thus far to become the sixth team in NFL history to start a season with 12 victories. For the second straight week, it was a struggle against a losing team, but the incredibly resourceful Patriots got Tom Brady’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney with 44 seconds left to beat the Baltimore Ravens 27-24 Monday night.

The winning drive in the final minutes covered 73 yards and required two fourth-down conversions, one on a defensive holding penalty 6 seconds before Gaffney beat Dawan Landry in the left corner of the end zone.

Driven to distraction by a Baltimore defense at times reminiscent of the 2000 unit that led the Ravens (4-8) to a Super Bowl victory, Brady came through late – as he always seems to.

Eight days after edging Philadelphia 31-28, the Patriots barely kept alive their pursuit of the only unblemished record in NFL history, Miami’s 17-0 in 1972.

With Pittsburgh (9-3) up next, the Patriots must recapture some of their record-setting ways from earlier in the season to keep their flawless record intact.

As the biggest road favorite in a non-replacement game (19 points), the Patriots nearly laid a dud in swirling winds and occasional snow flurries. They trailed for much of the game, but Brady relentlessly guided them downfield for the winning score and his 41st touchdown pass of the season. He’s eight short of Peyton Manning’s record with four games left.

And New England is four wins shy of the only 16-0 regular season ever. Remaining after the Steelers are the weak Dolphins and Jets, and a Saturday night visit to the New York Giants.

That the Ravens, losers of five straight, would test the Patriots so severely was stunning. Indeed, if not for untimely penalties and a fumble of an interception return by Ed Reed, the Ravens might have pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history.

Baltimore got a brilliant effort from Willis McGahee, who rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown. Boller threw for two scores, and the Ravens managed three sacks.

But they couldn’t manage to hang on.

Thomas fits in with Pats

During his seven years with the Baltimore Ravens, Adalius Thomas played in two Pro Bowls and started 73 games at linebacker for one of the league’s best defensive units.

His fondest memory of his time in Baltimore, however, stems from a season in which he played in only three games and made just one tackle. The Ravens won the Super Bowl during Thomas’ rookie year, and he’s got the ring to prove it.

“I think that was one of the most fun times that we had, when Goose (Tony Siragusa) was there and everybody,” Thomas recalled. “Winning cures a lot. When you win the Super Bowl, I think, especially being your first year, I think that says a lot.”

The Ravens never got back to the Super Bowl, and Thomas left last March to sign a five-year, $37.5 deal with the New England Patriots. If playing for the NFL championship influenced his decision to choose the Patriots, Thomas appears to have made a wise career move.

New England (11-0) owned the best record in the league and the Ravens (4-7) had lost five straight entering Monday night’s game in Baltimore.

After gaining popularity as an effective special teams player, Thomas developed into a standout linebacker and was witty enough to warrant his own radio show. But the man known affectionately as “A.D.” was unsure of the reception awaiting him during his first trip back to the place he once called home.

“Probably mixed. Some people think that I’m a jerk, some people think that I did what I had to do,” he said. “The fans were great with me when I was there. I respect the fans and however they feel. It’s their opinion, they’re entitled to it. I don’t have anything but good things to say about Baltimore.”

The Ravens, quite simply, were not willing to compete against New England’s offer. Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome was concerned about the team’s salary cap, but it’s quite possible the Ravens underestimated Thomas’ importance.

Baltimore, which led the NFL in defense last year, has already allowed more points than all of last season and has produced only 22 sacks compared to 60 in 2006. The only starter missing from last year’s team is Adalius Thomas.

“He gave us a lot of fond memories,” Ravens coach Brian Billick said. “Like any player that comes back, it’s always interesting when that happens. He’s obviously doing very well with a team that’s doing very well.”

With Baltimore, Thomas played outside linebacker and did everything from rush the quarterback to drop back 20 yards and cover for the safety. With the Patriots, he’s been used almost exclusively inside. As a result, his sacks and tackles are down compared to last year.

But the Patriots are happy with his contribution to defense that would probably receive much more publicity if New England didn’t have Tom Brady, Randy Moss and an offense averaging more than 40 points a game.

“Adalius has given us great flexibility defensively, and he has a great work ethic,” coach Bill Belichick said. “He’s a smart guy, has a good sense of humor, brings a good attitude to the team and to his job.”

Thomas has never dressed in the visitor’s locker room at the Ravens’ stadium, and he’s not sure if it will feel strange standing on the opposite sideline. But he expects to see a lot of friendly faces, even before he gets on the field.

“You know the people there, you know the guys, you’re familiar with where you’re going, you know the stadium,” he said. “You know the back way to get in, you know the escort people. Instead of a road trip, it will be like a home game on the road.”

AP-ES-12-03-07 1458EST