The Baltimore Ravens will travel to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional round. This will be the 4th playoff meeting between the two teams in the past 5 years. Baltimore enters the game as 7.5 point underdogs despite winning two of the past three games. Patriot’s fans know all to well that that this will be a hard fought game and may be New England’s toughest test all season. Life long Pats fan Ben Afleck showed some concern about-facing Baltimore,
“I would have liked to have seen somebody else, but I believe in the Pats.”
Either team hasn’t done too much “trash talking” thus far, showing mutual respect across the board. Tom Brady and Terrell Suggs have been known for having a little rivalry between one another, but even they have managed to show respect for each other. In a recent press conference a reporter told Suggs Brady called him Phenomenal, Suggs reacted accordingly.
“Did they record him?” Suggs asked. “I’d love to see his face [when he said it].”
“It’s the same that all defensive players have with quarterbacks. He’s a quarterback; I’m a defender. He’s got a job to do; so do I. So, there’s naturally going to be some disagreements there.”
WHY THE BALTIMORE RAVENS WILL WIN
1. The Ravens Take The Road Well Traveled
Robert Frost’s poem The Road Less Traveled is a perfect juxtaposition to the Raven’s Story. The Baltimore Ravens have been road warriors under head coach John Harbaugh. Posting an impressive 8-4 road playoff record, the Ravens will be geared up and ready to pull off the upset. Harbaugh may in fact have the Patriots number. Harbaugh has managed to beat the Patriots twice while playing on the road. The lone loss was the three point defeat in what is known as the Billy Cundiff game. Since Bill Belicheck became the head coach, New England is 11-1 at home against everyone else. The Ravens have what it takes to beat the Pats. The teams brutal physicality manages to close the gap, which counteracts New England’s finesse perfectly.
Baltimore will also have a sense of confidence heading into this game. Only two years removed from their Super bowl Championship in 2012, the season is shaping up awfully similar to that year. A 13 point road victory over arch rival Pittsburgh will give the team that needed boast to take on New England. The Ravens have managed to get their postseason jitters out the window while getting healthier in the process. Left Tackle Eugene Monroe and defensive end Timmy Jernigan will also return to the team after being inactive last week.
2. Joe Flacco is an ELITE Quarterback. Yeah, I said it; get over it.
You can criticize Flacco all you want, but the numbers and facts simply don’t lie. Here are a list of records that Joe Flacco currently owns.
- First rookie QB to start all 16 games and lead team to playoffs (with Matt Ryan)
- First rookie QB to win 2 playoff games
- Wins by a QB in first 6 seasons – 62
- Only QB to start/win a playoff game in each of his first 5 seasons
- Road playoff wins by a QB – 7 (Tom Brady has 0)
- Passing TDs in a postseason – 11 (with Joe Montana & Kurt Warner)
- First QB to have a passer rating over 100 in all four games of a single postseason
If Flacco can manage to add another super bowl ring to his resume, he may actually have a pretty strong case for a hall of fame contender. Joe Cool has also managed to outplay Tom Brady in their previous 3 encounters.
Quarterback | Completions | Attempts | Completion % | Total Yards | TDs | INTs |
Joe Flacco | 43 | 72 | 59.7 | 546 | 5 | 1 |
Tom Brady | 51 | 90 | 56.6 | 559 | 1 | 4 |
It is hard to count the Ravens out due to their prior success. During the playoffs, Flacco is somehow able to become a playoff prodigy despite having games where he just looks awful. In the past 5 postseason games, Joe has thrown for 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions. The 6’7” gunslinger simply has ice water in his veins….It is something that just simply can’t be explained. This game could come down to whoever has the ball last. Denver fans have to remember the 80 yard touchdown bomb to Jacoby Jones to tie the game with just seconds reaming. The former Delaware alum is about as clutch as they come during the latter portion of the season.
3. The Ravens Defense Will Rattle Tom Brady
The heart and sole of the defense is outside linebacker Terrell Suggs. T-Sizzle has had previous success in toying with the Pats quarterback. Suggs refers to Brady as the Pretty Boy up North and will make sure to be a pest in Brady’s ear during the entire game. His on the field impact will be far greater this time around compared to the game back in 2012. During the 2012 offseason, sizzle suffered a torn Achilles and was rather ineffective when he was able to return. This time number 55 will be planning a rampage after playing very little in the 2012 game.
The Ravens are able to replicate the formula the Giants created in their two super bowl victories over New England. With Suggs on one side and Elvis Dumervil on the other Mr. Brady will have to very comfortable with taking hits on Sunday. The question of whether Brady can remain effective after taking consecutive blows remains to be seen. Let’s also not forget about Courtney Upshaw and Pernell McPhee who will also get their fair share of hits. McPhee is a player to watch, as he is a free agent to be looking to cash in with a big playoff performance.
The person Tom Brady might be the most afraid of can’t actually lay a finger on him. Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees was a former Patriot coach and knows the tendencies of Tom Brady very well. Pees spent 6 seasons in New England before being let go by team. Since then, Pees has found a new home in Baltimore and has become the Patriots worst nightmare. Brady will often times will look foolish today being baited into poor decisions. No defensive minded coach knows the Patriots offense better than Dean Pees.
While the Ravens defense is different from a personal standpoint they may actually be an improved unit from two years ago. Tom Brady spoke to the media on Monday with this to say,
“Everything’s different at this point,” Brady said Monday, per WEEI.com. “We can never change anything that’s happened in the past, nor can they. You can’t bring players out of retirement, they can’t either. It’s the guys we’ve got versus the guys they’ve got, which that’s an entirely new team that we have and an entirely new team that they have.”
The retirement reference is obviously pointing at Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. The one thing Brady did forget to mention is that Lewis and Reed were far past their prime in 2012. While the leadership of Ray Lewis cannot be entirely mitigated his on the field impact has been. Rookie phenom C.J. Mosely could be the next great Raven linebacker making the pro bowl in his first season. Will Hill on the other hand has been a revelation at the free safety position. While Hill is not what Reed was during his glory days he will be an improved version of the 2012 Reed who played much of the postseason with a torn hip labrum. Hill will take the role of the center fielder in the Raven secondary. If Hill can play the role up to par it will give the Patriot air attack problems while already having to get rid of the ball early with that lurking pass rush.
WHY THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS WILL WIN
1. Can you really bet against Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck
The Patriots haven’t won the super bowl in over a decade and are hungry to end that streak. Brady has even taken serious hometown discounts to bring in or retain players. Then again, “It’s the Patriot way” – Bill Belicheck wouldn’t have it any other way. Foxboro is often a death sentence for teams come January falling victim to that cold weather syndrome. The Jets are the only other team to defeat the Patriots at home in January under Belicheck. This will be all but familiar territory for Tom Brady speaking on behalf of the cold weather
“I know exactly what to wear. I know how many layers to wear every degree,” Brady told CSNNE’s Tom Curran on Wednesday. “I’m a (bleeping) machine, man, I’m a (bleeping) machine! C’mon baby!”
Brady sure sounds fired up about about playing in the freezing cold weather. The Pats are known for changing their game plans from week to week; the coaching staff will defiantly be prepared. Josh McDaniel’s addition to the coaching staff will give the team a much-needed punch they lacked in the past facing Baltimore. If McDaniel’s can call a great game plan to counter the tough Baltimore D, it will go a long way to securing the win. The Patriots have also been known to run a lot of no huddle to reduce the pass rushing threat. A quick no huddle attack mixing in a tough running game could be the antidote needed. The ability to integrate running backs LeGarette Blount and Shane Vereen will go a long way in deciding the outcome.
2. The supporting cast around Tom Brady is vastly improved compared to 2012.
Rob Gronkowski will play this time around after missing a vast majority in the other previous games. Gronk is the main target in the offense while his impact can fail to understated. Gronkowski is truly a matchup nightmare; its just not fair to be that big and to be that fast. Julian Edelman has emerged into that Wes Welker the Patriot offense has sorely been missing. While New England doesn’t have the sexiest receiving core, they should have the advantage squaring a decimated secondary. Baltimore has 7 defensive backs on injured reserve at times looking more beat up than Charlie Sheen. A key to the game will be the battle outside. Can Lardarius Webb and a bunch of no name secondary members shut down the Patriot receivers? That scenario is highly unlikely.
3. Revis Island and company will be enough to shut down Flacco
Darrelle Revis’ on the field impact is far greater than one may realize. Revis essentially eliminates one side of the field for a large portion of the game giving fewer options to throw to. When Revis Island goes into effect the other side of the field becomes double-teamed making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. The other members of the secondary are no joke including Brandon Browner, Logan Ryan, Devin McCourty, and Pat Chung. Even dime cornerback Kyle Arrington has made a pro bowl in the past. The New England secondary is vastly superior to Baltimore’s. If Joe Flacco loses viable options in the passing game it could get ugly sooner than later for the Ravens. Flacco has stated he will not avoid Revis
“We’re going to have to make contested catches, contested throws, all those things,” “I think as a play-caller, you have to just go out there, rely on your guys that you have that are out there, rely on the fact that they have ability,” Flacco said.
“And as a quarterback, you have to go out there and just go through your reads. And if he’s open, throw it to him; if he’s not, don’t.”
Although Flacco is smart to say he will not eliminate one side of the field he will have to make sure not to be to careless with the football.Tight end Owen Daniels will need to find ways to get open providing a security blanked on those crucial 3rd downs.
SLEEPER IN GAME MATCHUPS THAT WILL DECIDE THE OUTCOME
- MARSHAL YANDA VS. CHANDLER JONES
Yanda is considered the cream of the crop in terms of Guards. Today he will assume the role of right tackle. Yanda did an excellent job last week shutting down Pittsburgh, but Chandler Jones is a different animal. Brother of MMA fighter Jon “Bones” Jones, Chandler is just as freakish of an athlete. If Chandler can get to Flacco, it would go a long way in turning the tide for the Pats. On the other hand, if Yanda is able to stonewall Jones quarterback Joe Flacco will have more time to throw the ball.
- BRYAN STORK VS. HALOTI NGATA
Rookie center out of Florida State draws a assignment lining up across from Haloti Ngata. Stork will be responsible for making line changes and blocking the 340 pound behemoth. The rookie center has done an adequate job so far this season but today will provide an almost impossible task. The Ravens also do a great job of rotating their lineman, as Brandon Williams and Timmy Jernigan are also up and coming studs. Bryan Stork’s ability to call the necessary line changes, while implementing proper double teams when necessary will be provide to crucial to the outcome of the game.
- ROB GRONKOWSKI VS. TBD
This is a next man up approach for the Ravens. The Gronk will get his touches but this is about containing the big man. C.J. Mosely, Will Hill, and Daryl Smith will draw a majority of the assignment. The Ravens will look to change up the coverage to confuse the tight end as much as possible. A team group effort will be needed to make sure Gronk isn’t spiking the ball to often in the end zone.
WHY YOU WILL REGRET PICKING THE PATRIOTS
I’m picking the Baltimore Ravens in the upset over New England. Even if you believe the Patriots will emerge victories, you should take the 7.5 points if you are considering betting this game. The game will be a hard fought heavy weight showdown likely wining by no more than a touchdown or field goal in either direction. For those considering eating the cheese picking New England, consider the following…….You forgot that Joe Flacco has outperformed Tom Brady the past five times they played each other. You forgot the Ravens have Justin Forsett who averaged over 5 yards a carry in Gary Kubiak’s zone running scheme. You forgot that the Ravens are the eerily similar to the Giants who were able constantly pressure Tom Brady forcing him into mistakes. You forgot that Tom Brady doesn’t like being hit and will often be shown with that famous puss face crying to a referee about who knows what. You forgot that John Harbaugh is on the Ravens sideline, and the only man who can draw up a game plan to beat the Patriots……AGAIN.
Prediction 27-24 Baltimore
