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The Baltimore Ravens will face the New England Patriots in Foxboro, Massachusetts for the seventh time in seven years. The Ravens have a 2-4 record at the Patriots since 2009 with two of those wins occurring in the playoffs. The Ravens have never won a regular season game at the Patriots in franchise history and the team looks to change that tonight.
The Ravens enter the game with the NFL’s number one ranked defense allowing only 296.1 yards per game while the Patriots have the league’s sixth ranked offense averaging 387.5 yards per game. Both teams entered week 14 tied for second in the NFL in points allowed averaging 17.2 points per game.
This game may be one that is decided by the rushing defense of the Ravens and the rushing offense of the Patriots. The Ravens defense is number one in the NFL in rushing yards allowed at 73.8 per game and the Patriots offense is ranked sixth in rushing yards per game at 117.3.
Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is out for the season due to a back injury and Patriots WR Danny Amendola is likely out for the remainder of the regular season due to an ankle injury. With both players being out, it puts more pressure on Patriots running backs in Legarrette Blount, Dion Lewis and James White. It is is critical for the Ravens defense to keep the Patriots offense one dimensional.
The Ravens on offense had its best output of the 2016 season when it dropped 38 points on the Miami Dolphins defense in week 13 with QB Joe Flacco throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns. The Ravens are not only going to need more of that if the team wants to win in New England tonight, but also for the remainder of the regular season as the team sits at 7-5 currently on the outside looking in as it relates to the AFC playoff picture.
A win tonight for the Ravens puts the team at 8-5 to reclaim first place in the AFC North and as the third seed in the AFC.