They have been the two constant's throughout it all, there has been so much turnover with the Patriots roster over those seasons. As we like to say in New England, in Bill we trust. Most fans are so used to winning that they think this game will be a blowout, I don't think that will be the case. Whenever the Pats and Ravens meet it is a dogfight, except for the 2009 AFC Championship, where we lost by more than ten points, but that was the game right after Wes Welker tore his ACL in the last game of the regular season and Gronk and Hernandez weren't Gronk and Hernandez. This might be the last chance for the Ravens, as their all-star defense is getting old, and has been injury prone throughout the past couple seasons. All-Pro Ray Lewis is retiring after this game, which has been a major storyline since he announced his decision before the wild card playoff game. Ed Reed is 35-years-old, but he is a still a play maker but not the "ballhawk" that he used to be. Terrell Suggs is playing with a torn tricep, which limits the pressure he can put on Brady, which is his biggest asset. So, as a Patriots fan you have to be aware of the Ravens knowing this might be their last stand.
The Ravens have been one of the toughest teams in football over the past decade and that hasn't changed, they still have safety Bernard Pollard, who the Patriots wide receivers need to be aware of, because he likes to lay the lumber. Then you have Haloti Ngata, who is a major run suffer, but I feel Logan Mankins and Ryan Wendell can handle Ngata, who is playing with multiple injuries.
Our offense should be able to take advantage of this slow and old Ravens team with the pass. Brady needs to take advantage the Ray Lewis in the middle of the field with running backs Danny Woodhead and the emerging Shane Vereen. Rob Gronkowski is out, so that puts even more pressure on Aaron Hernandez. I believe he could have his best game as a pro today. He proves to be a major mismatch for any linebacker, as he has speed and size, which most linebackers cannot handle. Ray Lewis five years ago could handle him, but not today.
The Patriots cannot abandon the run tho, they need to keep this Ravens defense honest, and not let them put five defensive backs on the field, and flood the middle of the field on Brady. Steven Ridley has proved he can handle the work load, so 10-15 carries for him should be perfect, and a mix of draws and stretches in the hurry-up for Woodhead and Vereen should be perfect.
Aqib Talib has been brought this defense swagger and confidence. Talib has shut down corner skills, which is tough to find in the NFL. He basically can shut down one side of the field, putting him on the opponents best wide-out relieving the pressure on the other defensive backs like Devin McCourty and rookie Alfonso Dennard. I would put him on Anquan Boldin, as he can move the chains easy, and speedster Torrey Smith may prove to be to fast for Talib. Stopping Ray Rice is also a main factor, but this Patriots run defense has been stout all season long, Vince Wilfork has been playing the best football of his career, along with Kyle Love.
This will be a close game, if the Patriots can stop Ray Rice, and not let Joe Flacco throw the deep ball to Torrey Smith, the Patriots defense will be in good shape. Plus, there are reports that wind gusts may reach upwards of 40 miles per hour, which will work to be in the Patriots favor. As for the Patriots offense, Brady needs to run the no huddle offense, keep this old, slow defense on the field as much as possible and be unpredictable. Losing Gronk hurts, but Brady has enough weapons to survive. Should be one for the ages, people will be sitting on the edge of their seat starting at 6:30ET and will still be there when the clock hits 0:00.
Final Prediction: Patriots 27-- Ravens 23
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