Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith is hugged by teammate Ray Lewis after Baltimore defeated the New England Patriots, 31-30. Smith caught six passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns the day after his brother died in a motorcycle accident. (Getty Images)

Torrey Smith didn't know he would play until about 4 p.m. on Sunday. The performance the Ravens receiver delivered was nothing short of astonishing, less than 24 hours after his brother, Tevin Chris Jones, was killed in a motorcycle accident in Virginia.

Smith caught six passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns to lead Baltimore to a thrilling 31-30 victory over the Patriots.

"I didn't want to hurt my team," Smith said. "I came here, and the more I was around (my teammates), the more comfortable I was. I'm glad I came back up here."

The Ravens held a moment of silence for Jones prior to kickoff.

When the game turned: Looking like it would score another touchdown, New England had just marched the ball to the Baltimore 8-yard line early in the fourth quarter. On third-and-goal, QB Tom Brady found WR Wes Welker underneath, running left, but he was stopped by Ravens CB Lardarius Webb two yards short of the goal line. New England settled for a field goal.

That defensive hold kept the game at 30-21, keepng the Ravens within striking distance. After spending most of the game on its heels, the Baltimore defense buckled down and forced punts on New England's next two offensive possessions, giving the offense the chances it needed to win the game.

Highlight moments: On his first touchdown reception, Smith jumped into the air over Patriots CB Kyle Arrington to come down with the grab in the second quarter. After the score, he took a knee and pointed to the sky, in remembrance of his brother. ... Ravens TE Dennis Pitta split two Patriots defenders zeroing in on him on the sideline after a short completion, leaping past them en route to a 20-yard touchdown. ... Diminutive Patriots RB Danny Woodhead muscled his way past Ray Lewis on his 3-yard touchdown in the third quarter. ... Ravens K Justin Tucker's kick barely cleared the right upright, giving the Ravens a 31-30 victory by the slimmest of margins.

Top-shelf performances: Ravens WR Smith -- 6 catches, 127 yards, 2 TDs; Ravens QB Joe Flacco -- 28-39, 382 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; Ravens RB Ray Rice -- 20 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD, 5 receptions, 49 yards, Ravens LB Dannell Ellerbe -- 8 tackles, 1.5 sacks; Patriots QB Tom Brady -- 28-41, 335 yards, 1 TD; Patriots WR Wes Welker, 8 catches, 142 yards; Patriots WR Brandon Lloyd 9 catches, 108 yards; Patriots LB Jerod Mayo -- 11 tackles.

What they said about  K Justin Tucker's game-winning field goal was, which barely cleared the right upright:

Ravens coach John Harbaugh -- "If I was (worried), I wouldn't admit it."

Ravens S Bernard Pollard  -- “Tucker's been money man. He's different from every other kicker. He has character."

Patriots coach Bill Belichick -- “I couldn't see from the sideline. No. It looked close. Again, you should talk to the people who made the calls. I'm just trying to coach the game."

Numbers you should know: The Ravens have now won their last 14 games coming off a loss. ... The Patriots relied on Lloyd eight times to pick up first downs. ... Fifteen of Flacco's 28 completions (54 percent) came on first down.

Injury update: Patriots WR Julian Edelman left the game with a hand injury early in the third quarter and did not return. The Ravens sustained no major injuries.

Going forward: With the Ravens squeaking out a close one against New England, they have a great chance at beginning the season 3-1 with Cleveland coming to Baltimore this Thursday. After going against Andy Dalton, Michael Vick and Tom Brady, the Ravens defense will likely be relieved to face a rookie quarterback (Brandon Weeden) on such short notice.

The Patriots go on the road again, this time traveling to divisional foe Buffalo. If Bills RB Fred Jackson returns next week then that could spell trouble for the Patriots defense, which looked like it did a year ago. New England is already in unfamiliar territory at 1-2.

Follow Ravens reporter Jason Butt on Twitter: @CBSRavens and @JasonButtCBS.