Prediction---Pats and Ravens

[donyell34]

Pats fan expecting brutally tough game. Pats 24-20.

 

[dsturdy5]

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.

 

[Bonehead]

Obviously I have no horse in this race but I sort of believe the Ravens have some Patriot kryptonite. That was before browner and revis on the back end of the D which is huge difference. NE hasn't one since they got caught cheating (look it up) but this is the year for the Pats.
NE 27 Balt 17

 

[1999.2004.2011]

New England 28
Baltimore 10

Ravens' have two wins all season against teams with winning records (both against Pittsburgh). I think the biggest matchup is Revis/Browner versus Steve and Torrey Smith. Patriots run defense is much improved up the middle, and Forsett hasn't been incredibly productive during the second half of the season. Everyone will point to the previous NE/Bal matchups in the past five years, but this is by far the most talented/physical defense the Patriots defense has had in that time. The other matchup to watch is Chandler Jones against a rookie at LT for the Ravens.

 

[J187Money]

I like the Pats big today.

 

[jcaprio90]

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

 

[dsturdy5]

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.

 

[jcaprio90]

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.

Most of the PIs we draw are due to the DBs not turning around and seeing the ball (something we UConn fans are used to seeing.) I think the Pats understand they need to and will do a good job of avoiding getting the flags. I think the Ravens key will be to try and get Owen Daniels the ball because Smith and Smith will be covered very well. So if Daniels or our secondary wideouts have a good game we have a shot. Hoping for a fun game, like you said a good physical one with the best team winning.

 

[J187Money]

Game time!

 

[huskypantz]

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.

 

[whaler11]

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.

 

[upstater]

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.

 

[upstater]

By the way, folks, Brady had one horrible interception.

But. On a day with absolutely no Patriots running game (the Patriots set a playoff record for fewest rushing yards EVER with 14), a day where the rock on the OL goes down and they insert a sieve, a day on which Brady takes shot after shot after shot from the defense, a day in which the team falls behind by 2 TDs not once but twice, a day when the defense couldn't stop the opposition, Brady threw for 367 yards, 3 TDs, and he ran for 1 TD.

Great performance.

 

[whaler11]

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.

Not that I want to engage a Patriots fan on the subject - but you miss my point. They not only need to score they can't score quickly.

 

[J187Money]

My buddy bet Phelps straight up and won.