BALTIMORE — The clash Saturday night between Baltimore Ravens five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith and New England Patriots six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis will be one of the most pivotal matchups of the AFC divisional-round playoff game at Gillette Stadium.

“I think he’s a great corner, I don’t think you get a one-year deal for $10 million for being a slouch,” Smith said of Revis. “I mean, Revis can play. He’s a corner that you have to prepare for. You have to watch film.”

Told that Revis called him an electrifying player, Smith said: “Oh, he did? That’s awesome. Thanks, Revis. Appreciate it.”

Smith also holds Revis in high regard.

“I respect the heck of out of him,” Smith said. “I don’t anticipate any nonsense. He doesn’t anticipate any with me. It’ll be a great veteran game, you know?”

Smith could have played for the Patriots, getting a call from coach Bill Belichick last March and being invited to visit. However, he joined the Ravens and hasn’t looked back.

“Yeah, I talked to (Belichick), and it was a great opportunity as well,” Smith told The Baltimore Sun. “Anytime you have an opportunity to go to some teams, it’s always good. When your phone stops ringing, you need to start thinking about if I’m in the right profession.”

Smith, 35, enjoyed a resurgent season for the Ravens, leading them with 79 receptions for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns. After Smith made his decision, the Patriots re-signed wide receiver Julian Edelman, and he had a productive season with 92 catches for 972 yards and four touchdowns.

“Steve’s had a real good career,” Belichick said in a conference call Tuesday with Baltimore reporters. “I think he’s a real good player on all three levels: short, intermediate and deep. He’s got good run-after-catch skills, so he can take a short pass a long way. Yeah, he’s a dangerous guy.”

Smith provides toughness and leadership for the Ravens while averaging 13.5 yards per catch. He caught five passes for 101 yards during a 30-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Saturday during the AFC wild-card round.

“First, he’s a playmaker,” Baltimore wide receiver Torrey Smith said when asked what Steve Smith adds to the offense. “He’s not old, he doesn’t play old at all. He brings a different type of wisdom, too. To have him here has been a blessing.”

–This is the 12th all-time meeting between the teams. The Patriots lead the series, 8-3. The Ravens are 2-1 over the Patriots in the playoffs, including an AFC Championship Game win two years ago en route to winning Super Bowl XLVII. The Patriots beat the Ravens 41-7 during a regular-season game in December 2013.

–Ravens left tackle Eugene Monroe’s chances of playing Saturday are getting better. Monroe, who is dealing with an ankle injury, practiced on a limited basis Wednesday.

“Making some pretty good progress,” Monroe told reporters. “It’s definitely positive. I feel like time is on our side. The game isn’t until Saturday mid-day. I’m very optimistic, but it’s a tricky little deal. We’ll see how it plays out. (Wednesday) was a major step.”

Monroe has missed the past two games, including the playoff win over the Steelers. He was replaced in the starting lineup by undrafted rookie James Hurst, who allowed six quarterback hurries against the Steelers.

“You get his experience back,” said offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, who also expressed confidence in rookie linemen Hurst and John Urschel. “That’s the biggest thing. He practiced, and we’ll see how he holds up. Hopefully, Eugene is there and that’s a problem (decision) that we have. So, we’ll see what happens.”