Ravens Know They Can Beat Patriots
by Bruce Raffel on Jan 5, 2010 10:08 AM EST
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PrintThis should not be big news to fans of the Baltimore Ravens, but despite their being winless in their games against the New England Patriots, they are indeed capable of going into Foxboro and beating the Patriots Sunday afternoon. While they came close earlier his season, mistakes and penalties led to their first disappointing loss of many in 2009. Now they have a great chance to make that all fade away into the distant memory with an upset victory and another chance to do the same thing to the Indianapolis Colts.
You can be very sure the Patriots are thinking the same thing and they were not so excited to see the Ravens earn that final Wild Card slot last Sunday afternoon. New England, despite their loss to Houston, would have preferred to see the Texans or even the Denver Broncos in the first round rather than the hard hitting AFC North runner up Ravens.
Teams around the league might not say it publicly, but they fear the pain that both the Ravens and their division counterparts, the Pittsburgh Steelers, bring each game. Football is a violent game but the Ravens and Steelers bring the brutality like few other teams due week in and week out, despite the losses both teams have suffered this season. Teams have to fight to the end to earn their victories over the Ravens and the Patriots are already dealing with recent or lingering injuries that might affect their abilities to play at full strength. Meanwhile the Ravens are flexing their muscles with their impressive running game that has seen both Ray Rice and Willis McGahee have huge games down the stretch and pound the rock as well as anyone the Patriots have faced all season.
If the Ravens can limit the penalties and mistakes, unlike what they did in the teams' first meeting, then there is no reason why Baltimore cannot run over the Patriots and win that game and move onto another showdown with a team that just barely beat them this season.
The limiting of mistakes, much less penalties in big games is a huge obstacle for this team, as they have proven that they have a difficult time avoiding both in the tougher games Rolling up big stats with minimal mistakes has led the team to their nine victories, but the opposite has happened in their seven losses, including the week four loss at New England. A fumble on the opening kickoff, plus a Red Zone interception by Joe Flacco at the end of the first half, could have changed the face of the game early on. Add in the two personal foul penalties by Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata, both on third downs, and we have a very different game. In fact, if those things don't happen, Mark Clayton's dropped pass never happens as we'd most likely kick the field goal on 4th down at that point of the game for the win or extend our lead that we surely should have had.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but...didn''t happen. However, the Ravens know that "if" they can limit those things from happening, that they have every right to be confident going into Foxboro and leaving as the happier team Sunday.
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It's a new season
All the stuff that happened in the first game doesn’t matter. Put Brady on his back (hopefully without a flag) and we’ll win this game.
Go Ravens!
No mysteries to this game. No mistakes or stupid penalties, take out Moss, and pressure Brady. Brady has had his worst showings when he plays without Welker (e.g. Jets loss). The Texans didn’t pressure Brady much in the first half of this past game. With Welker out, they stepped it up in the second half started hitting him. The predictable pleas for flags were ignored. Edelman got his catches but the Patriots were definitely more out of synch. I thought Brady didn’t play the last series because the Texans kept getting awfully close to creaming him. The Ravens have to be looking at that film and hope the refs let them play. The Ravens reputation is always good for an extra flag or two. It’s a tall order with the Ravens secondary, but the Patriots are definitely vulnerable. One thing we know about the Ravens. It will not be a surprise if they self destruct via penalties, kicking game, whatever. Nor will it be a surprise if they play tough and pull it out (Titans game last year). You just have no idea which team will show up.
No doubt...
Lets just hope the team we all know and love shows up and gets some payback. I’m dreaming of a Superbowl run where the Ravens exact revenge on the Pats, Indy, the Bengals and finally Green Bay! Hey, stranger things have happened.
I was listening to 105.7 last night and they said Flacco is playing with a banged up leg right now.
How true is this? They said he has blood all over one of his legs and he can barely even move. He looked fine against OAK.
Also, I thought if we win this game we play San Diego. Is it for sure that we play the Colts next?
Go Ravens!
Just a BS excuse
He injured it a while back and cannot use it as an excuse. It doesn’t stop his head from swiveling to look for onrushing defenders, does it. Like Brady hurt his ribs earlier this season and now people want to say it’s gonna affect him in the playoffs. Media looking for a story that just doesn’t exist.
aka 'Rexx'
I am overlooking NE. Edelman is the real deal folks. I watched NFL replay and Brady never missed a beat with him. I don’t think there is a big drop off from Welker. Where do they find these smart/quick receivers?
I also have to note that the Houston D is faster and hit harder from the LB back than the Ravens. There DB’s are more physical. The LB’s will play a make or break roll in the passing game Sunday. I think Brady will carve us up. There is no way he doesn’t. Frye carved us up in Oakland/ Charlie Frye folks.
Flacco and gang need to just forget about the score and throw their ass off. The Pats will give you the midddle of the field and Houston took full advantage of this. The Pats DB’s are very average and willing to give up the inside. We can’t worry about what Tom does and simply try to put up as many points on the board as possible. The pass will be there for us. Heap will be wide open if he can turn his around quickly about 10 yards off the line. Heap can have the biggest game of his year against NE pass D. Houston’s big back had success up the gut. Rice should slice these guys up pretty easily IF Flacco can burn them with some early passes.
I am not woried about our ability to move the ball in some way. I just hope it’s enough to match Brady who will whip us in the passing game. Ed Reed was totally outed on ESPN for making the wrong reads on too many plays in Oakland. It looks like he is gambling for the INT and getting burned while doing so. Ray Lewis covering Edelman..uuugh. May as well be Welker out there.
Fowworth (plus safety) should be on Moss
Carr will mark Edelman. I’m worried about the TE matchup with our LB’s covering, or trying to.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Jan 6, 2010 12:34 PM EST up reply actions
Kruger's good in coverage.
Soooo….. Yeah, how about JJ?
The key to success in life is doing what people constantly say you cannot do.
by Zachary Beard on Jan 10, 2010 12:48 AM EST up reply actions
I think because we're the last seed (#6),
if we survive the first round, we remain the last seed (#4), regardless of who else wins. Thus, we will play the #1 seed, which is the Colts.
If I’m wrong, someone please feel free to correct me.
The play-offs are like a min-field for us
Beat one, and we will get a tougher one, beat them, we’re screwed. It’s almost like the SB is the easiest game of the play-offs for us.
The key to success in life is doing what people constantly say you cannot do.
by Zachary Beard on Jan 10, 2010 12:49 AM EST up reply actions
reality check
there is no way the refs are gonna let the Ravens play their type of football. all TSizzle or Pryce need to do is breathe on Thomasina Brady and they will throw a flag. After the phantom pass interference call against the Raiders that lead to their touchdown,the refs aren’t even trying to hide it. even the tV announcer said it was a good play and should not have been a penalty. The Flaccman looked like he was playing hurt against the Raiders.hopefully he will have a better game against the Pats. In order to do that,however,our O line needs to do a better job of pass protection. 4 sacks is way too many.Rice and Willis should have a great game,but we still need a passing game. Hopefully our secondary can shut down Moss,that should help a bit. Just go out there and PLAY LIKE A RAVEN!!!!!!!
it's better to be feared than to be loved
by purple and black attack on Jan 5, 2010 1:12 PM EST reply actions
+1
I like the “Thomasina” reference too
Lonely Ravens fan in Cheese Head country (Watertown, WI)
by DorisF on Jan 5, 2010 6:08 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Brady got pushed by a Houston lineman and fell backwards after he released the ball. In mid summersault backwards Brady is already pointing at the ref begging for the flag. It’s amazing, Brady has now incorporated begging into his fall. He pointed directly at the ref like “It’s me , Tom, where’s my flag.” I think the refs are onto him.
Yeah his girlfriend and kids sure think so........
The key to success in life is doing what people constantly say you cannot do.
by Zachary Beard on Jan 10, 2010 12:56 AM EST up reply actions
My biggest fear is the penalties of course. Like Pitt., NE will play a smart game and we will struggle to keep our knuckle heads from melting down. It is always a struggle to play it cool for 60 minutes. The refs are laser locked onto our DB’s. They have earned a rep for fouls so every little touch will be called. Nothing new. We have lived with this rep for 10 years.
Here’s a Welker stat given on ESPN today. Welker had 60+ first down catches to lead the league. Ward had 40+. NE sure loves to throw it on first down. I am not sure what they will do now. The NE fans are pretty high on Welkers replacement. Can’t remember his name though.
I will assume that most of these 1st down catches are pin point timed short slants aqnd I am not sure Brady will have that relationship with the replacement. Maybe that is why Brady stayed in the game Sunday with the replacement. I look for the Pats to run on first more than usual now. This is good for us because Ray Lewis and the LB’s could not contain Welker.
I’d ike to see Ray Lewis out on 3rd and longs and replaced with a Safety. Their is little need for a bruising LB on 3rd and longs when everyone knows that Tom will pass. Actually, I think I would play a Safety at LB more often when there is a greater possibility of a pass. Just makes sense to me.
Do not underestimate Julian Edelman
He had 10 catches in Welker’s absence Sunday and is pretty much in the same mold and will give us fits if we try to ignore him.
aka 'Rexx'
We almost beat a lot of teams : ) We are the Baltimore Almost Beatdown. It is amazing how we have managed to lose games. I think we have done everything possible to lose games in the 4th against the elite teams. Penalties, missed kicks, INT"S, drops, fumbles, sacks, throwing the refs flag, coaches calling time outs at wrong times, PF’s, hands to the face, leg dives, clock management. WOW. So close. We’re due!
Not with flacco
The raven will not beat the Pats with Flacco as their QB. I think Troy Smith is a better QB and brings more to the table. I have seen this guy play and he’s not that good the raven probably would have won more games with Troy at QB. GL Ravens
Are you stupid?
We probably would have won more games with Troy Smith, oh and we woulda gone undefeated with Kyle Boller.
by BitterYetDieHard on Jan 5, 2010 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
Hey - leave damo alone
He’s had nowhere to post since Troy got the protective order and shut down his Troy Smith shrine-site. If we run him off from here, he’s gonna have to go back to camping in Troy’s bushes…
"Talk’s cheap. Let’s go play." - Unitas
Troy Smith wants a trade
yeah, Troy and what do we get in return, much less who wants ya!? Want to head back to Ohio, as we’ll gladly get any draft pick we can from the brownies for you. Buh-bye!
aka 'Rexx'
Are you a pedifile?
The key to success in life is doing what people constantly say you cannot do.
by Zachary Beard on Jan 10, 2010 12:51 AM EST up reply actions
understand where he's coming from
flacco has a big are but troy is more mobile and i think troy is a better passer then flacco. outside the running game the offense is not strong or reliable at all. and i think both of them should be playing for a starting position bcus he’s not that good to have the QB spot lock down. but in b-more we tend to ride a QB out no matter how their playing. troy is a lot better than KB and KB started fro years here.
On another team...
Too small, too short. Flutie is one of the only guys in the last 20 years who could compensate for his diminutive size… Troy (and his agent are crybaby’s and they deserve to pull there trade-request BS with some other organization. We didn’t need that stuff here that late in the season when winning the game should have been the only thing on the entire, collective team’s minds…
i'm a buckeye and a loyal fan of troy smith and i think ur smokin crack
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
pound the rock
We definitely need to bring back more of the three headed monster from last year and pound the ball like we know how to do. this keeps less pressure off of flacco and brady off the field. Also wilfork and warren have been a little banged up as of late so we need to use that to our advantage
I won’t get into this because I like Troy and he’ll be a decent QB somewhere else. I think the Rams should go after him.
Anyway, Flacco hasn’t done much to give me a whole lot of confidence outside the running game. On obvious pass downs he is terrible. The line could do better on third down BUT Flacco NEEDS to see the blitz and get it off. He cannot continue to take sacks or leave the pocket so early. It’s not always the lines fault.
You can’t pass protect a guy who takes a 10 yard drop and then goes laterally. If Joe is going to take such a deep drop he needs to step back up towards the line and either throw it away or unload it.
The Rams took one of our castoffs
and what did that get them? Think they’ll take a shot at another one?
aka 'Rexx'
So stoked yet so nervous
I am so stoked we made it to the playoffs with the 6th seed knocking out the damn steelers but one has to wonder…..how’s our kicking game gonna be? Sure we made it but let me tell you this one known fact…..If our kicker(s) would have made all those field goals this year we would have had a better record in the AFC and avoided that nail-bitting last games of the season. I hope to see a better performance from the kickers this off season….Go Ravens!!!
Yep. The kicking and snapping needs to get better fast. Cundiff seems to push the ball as much as Hauschka hooked it. Can we find someone who can hit it straight.
A lot Cundiff's problem on his few missed kicks
has definitely been the snapping. As far as him pushing it right, we just have to be smart and wind up – pre-kick – on the left hash – he’ll be fine then.
"Talk’s cheap. Let’s go play." - Unitas
Brady:"We only score 23 points?"
Lewis:“Shut the Fu$& up before I stab you in your anus chin”
Brady: Bursts into tears and begs the ref for a flag.
The key to success in life is doing what people constantly say you cannot do.
by Zachary Beard on Jan 10, 2010 12:53 AM EST up reply actions
we def got a chance
welkers out and brady has broken ribs. tear em apart ravens!
Brady's ribs are FINE!
The report is BS, as they were originally hurt in pre season and have had zero effect on him as he ranks in the top 5 of almost every passing category aND HE IS NOT HURTING FROM THAT NOR HIS SO-CALLED PINKY FINGER INJURY EITHER. jUST MEDIA HYPE TO GIVE US UNNECESSARY HOPE THAT WE DON’T NEED TO WIN!
Sorry, accidentally hit the CAPS button and too lazy to re-type!
aka 'Rexx'
Sorry, but we still have to beat the refs too...
If we don’t pick ourselves up and off of the penalty band wagon, Sunday is going to be a long day… Evryone knows Baltimore just isn’t primetime enough like Indy, Minnesota or New England. But, who cares??? We just gotta get out there and pound the ball up the field. (That means run, Cam.) No trick plays, just Ravens-style football. We can certainly beat the Pats, barring any referee influence going on out there on the field… Go Ravens, beat those Patsies…..
Are you saying....?
That the refs and the NFL have something against our Ravens? What!? This is an outrage!
aka 'Rexx'
frankly
I think the Ravens could beat most of the teams in the NFL if we didn’t get so many penalties (including bad calls). That Steelers game would have been a joke—-we would have played circles around them in that second half.
Even with penalties, only two times in the 2009 season were the Ravens really badly outplayed—-the second game against the Bengals and the game against the Packers. All the other games were close ones that hinged on just a few plays (for example, the game against the Patriots was lost partly because of penalties, the game against Minnesota because of a bad kick—-etc etc)
Hopefully
he’ll be with Troy Smith on another team next year. Then if we play them Troy can throw a bunch of passes at the backs of his offensive linemen (short reference) and Frank can garner about five pass interference calls…. Sweet!
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
“…and they were not so excited to see the Ravens earn that final Wild Card slot last Sunday afternoon.”
That is just precious. Tell me, which team, the Ravens or the Steelers knocked Brady out for the season, letalone ever injured him???
Yeah, there’s alot of fear playing those 2 who needed the last weekend of theseason to even make the playoffs.
This isn’t 2001 anymore Baltimore, far from it.
Go Bmore
I hope the ravens win the supper bowl
Complete doushebag that needed a signing bonus.
The key to success in life is doing what people constantly say you cannot do.
by Zachary Beard on Jan 10, 2010 12:55 AM EST up reply actions
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