I haven't bought into the "Ravens know how to win in Foxboro" narrative this week mainly because the 09 game means nothing five years later. The rosters of the two teams who met in back to back AFC Championship Games are vastly different. Something like 31 of the current 53 man NE roster were not on the Patriots in 2012. Last year when these teams met, in Baltimore, in a game that the Ravens needed to win to stay in contention for the playoffs, with a makeshift OL, no Gronk, and and pretty healthy Ravens defense, the Pats won 41-7. The Ravens won't have Anquan Bolden, Ray Rice, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed (who Brady admitted he always took an extra second and located after dropping back), Paul Krueger, etc. The Patriots will have a healthy Gronkowski, a revamped and mostly healthy defense that has given up one second half TD since early November, and they won't have guys like Julian Edelman playing corner or Matthew Slater at wr.
All that being said, the Ravens are a good team, well coached, and one of the most mentally tough teams in the NFL. I think the Pats win something like 28-17 with a late TD making the final margin look larger than it is.
This is a much different, much better Ravens team than a year ago. One big reason is the running game. We have no Jim Caldwell (thank you Detroit,) and have replaced him with Kubiak. Huge upgrade. Your right, there is no Boldin, but there is Steve Smith. There is no Ray Rice, but the is Justin Forsett who has been outstanding this year. No Paul Kruger? That's laughable, Kruger was a product of the D. We have Doom now, again huge upgrade. Now as much as I love Mosley and our safeties have been playing better then early this season, there is no Reed or Lewis. Our D has been fine tho. I am not confident about this game what so ever, but not because of those players being gone. I'm terrified of Gronk but if we can get pressure on #12 I think Hill can do a respectable job against him like he did against Graham earlier this year. No prediction from me. Hoping for a win but honestly I'd be a bit surprised if we pull it off. The history means absolutely nothing btw
Krueger may have been a product of the defense but in that defense he was damn good in that defense, especially against the Pats. Steve Smith is a heck of a wr and I wish he played for the Pats but Bolden was the type of guy who could abuse the Pats all day back in 2011 and 2012. He was a match up nightmare with that secondary. Now the back 7-8 of the Pats' defense is the strength. What concerns me most is that the Ravens lead the league in yards off of DPI calls. With as physical as the Pats' secondary can be, I could see this game turning on a pass interference call. I hope not, I hope the players can play a good, physical game and the better team wins.
Incredible game. Well-called on both sides - lots of punches/counter-punches. The Edelman TD pass was an incredibly well-timed play call. The two teams I worried about most were the Ravens and Seahawks. McDaniels really pulled out all the stops.
I'd question the logic of the call on the interception. On second and five Baltimore going to the endzone... if they score they leave Brady with 2 minutes to beat them. No reason to take that risk.
When a significant part of your offense is PI penalties, that throw is to be expected.
I still can't understand why Collingsworth liked the call on Revis at the end of the half.