ARE YOU NEW HERE? NOT LOGGED IN? PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REGISTER FOR AN ACCOUNT AND LOGIN TO REMOVE THIS WINDOW
Welcome to PatsFans.com. Do you have an account? If not - please take a moment to register for our forum and experience a much smoother experience with fewer ads, along with no longer having to see this notification window. Also learn about how you can receive a free Patriots T-Shirt from the Patriots Official ProShop by CLICKING HERE. Please enjoy your stay here, and Go Pats!
Peter Schrager of Fox Sports is going with the Ravens by one.
Quote:
Baltimore at New England: Talk about a colossal showdown. Baltimore's offense (430.3 yards per game) ranks No. 1 in the AFC and No. 2 in the NFL, while the defense (282.7) is fourth and seventh. New England ranks No. 3 in the AFC and No. 5 in the NFL in offense (395.0) and third in the conference and sixth in the league in defense (262.3). Crazy stat of the week? Both Joe Flacco and Tom Brady won 14 of their first 19 starts. Too soon to compare the two quarterbacks? I don't think so. Flacco is for real, folks. Give me the new-look, high-flyin', offensive-minded Ravens on the road in a tight one Sunday. The pick: Ravens 27, Patriots 26
Adam Schein believes Flacco will outperform Brady this week.
Quote:
In a game that features up to five future Hall of Famers, Flacco will be the star. You still have to game plan for the Ravens running attack first and foremost. But these are not your older brother's Ravens. Flacco, Derrick Mason, Todd Heap and the rest of the players in Cam Cameron's passing attack will pose problems for the New England defense. Do you realize the Ravens rank first in the AFC with 430 yards per game? Flacco has thrown for 839 yards this year and can exploit areas of weakness in the Pats defense.
And Tom Brady is still Tom Brady. But the Ravens defense is playing brilliantly right now. The Pats will be fine, but Brady, Randy Moss and the offense are just not totally there yet.
Fox's computer game-simulator, WhatIfSports projects a 60% chance of the Ravens winning and a 23-22 Pats loss to Baltimore. They have Randy Moss getting 100 yards receiving, both quarterbacks throwing one pick and both teams rushing for over 100 yards.
FEATURED ADVERTISEMENT
DONATE TO PATSFANS.COM
RECEIVE A FREE PATS T-SHIRT AND SAVE 15% OFF WHEN YOU BUY FROM THE OFFICIAL PROSHOP!
Free T-Shirt & Save 15% Off!
Like Our Site? Please help support our site and server costs by DONATING TO PATSFANS.COM and receive a FREE PATRIOTS T-SHIRT and SAVE 15% off EVERY purchase you make from PatriotsProShop.com. You'll also receive added benefits to your account including Removing All Ads During Your Experience Here At Our Forum.
NEEDED YEARLY SITE DONATIONS: 345 | CURRENT # OF SUBSCRIBED SUPPORTERS: 98
Re: Sporting News: 6 out of 7 pick the Ravens to win
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmt57
Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News picks the Ravens by two.
AFC Game of the Week
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots. For the second consecutive game, the Patriots host an undefeated team led by a second-year quarterback. Few teams in the league, however, are playing better all-around football than the Ravens.
Their offense has scored in the 30s in every game, with Joe Flacco's fine passing boosting their powerful rushing attack. Defensively, although the signature big plays haven't been there, they haven't been necessary. When you can put up that many points, your "D" just needs to be steady.
The defense still excels at shutting down the run and rendering offenses one-dimensional. When the Patriots haven't run well, it has allowed teams to get pressure in Tom Brady's face. The Ravens have defenders who can both rush him and take advantage of any mistakes he makes. It will be tough, but Flacco and John Harbaugh will get the first big road win of their short careers. Ravens 23, Patriots 21
I thought the divisional playoff win at #1 seed Tennessee last year was a pretty big road win. Not to mention the Wild Card win at Miami, and even the prime time win to shut down Texas Stadium and hold on to the final playoff berth over the Pats.
Predicting against the spread - Pats by 1.5 points - five out of six at CBS Sports went with the Ravens to cover. Only Pete Prisco went with the Pats while Harmon Forecast, Clark Judge, Greg Urbano, Peter Madden and Dave Richard went with the Ravens plus the points. In their fan vote it's evenly split, 51% going with the Pats and 49% with Baltimore.
Pete Prisco predicts the Pats win 31-28. We thought we'd be talking about that vaunted New England offense against that great Ravens defense, but the Patriots haven't lived up to the hype. Two years ago, the Ravens should have defeated the Patriots, only to lose on a questionable call. Those were different teams. I think this one will be a shootout for both teams. Tom Brady will hit some big throws, but so will Joe Flacco to keep it close.
Harmon Forecast predicts the Pats win 20-19. This should be a great defensive game. The Ravens' defense has dominated every running back it has faced this season. Meanwhile, the Patriots' defense took away the Falcons' rushing attack last week. Patriots QB Tom Brady is looking sharper, but he still hasn't hit his stride yet.
Prisco forgets his history....dont blame the refs for a low tier coach calling a TO at the worst possible moment....
__________________
Last time I lived in New England the Pats became a Dynasty
Walter Football joins the ranks of those picking the Ravens this week.
Quote:
Line: Patriots by 2. Total: 44.5.
Walt's Projected Line (Before Week 3):Patriots -3.
Walt's Projected Line (After Week 3): Patriots -3.
NEW ENGLAND OFFENSE: The Patriots put up 26 on the Falcons, but they did not look good in the process. Tom Brady once again was hesitant and misfired on some throws he normally would have converted. When Brady was on target, Joey Galloway was dropping a pass or Sam Aiken was running the wrong route. Brady was so frustrated that he yelled at Aiken, "How f***ing hard is that!?"
New England was able to win because the team established Fred Taylor on the ground. Taylor looked impressive, breaking numerous tackles en route to a 105-yard performance.
However, don't expect that again. The Falcons are horrendous versus the run, while the Ravens are ranked second against it. The Patriots will be forced to utilize a one-dimensional offense once again.
Baltimore's stop unit is too good and Brady is not himself. Brady had major problems against the Jets, so it doesn't bode well here because the Ravens run a similar style of defense.
BALTIMORE OFFENSE: The other problem for New England is its defense. With Richard Seymour gone and Jerod Mayo out, they're having major problems stopping the pass and getting to the quarterback. Their ability to defend the run is the best aspect of their stop unit, and they rank just 14th against it.
Joe Flacco is really coming into his own, and I really can't see the Patriots containing him. Stationed behind one of the best offensive lines in the league, Flacco will have tons of time to find his targets.
Flacco will also have the luxury of just handing the ball off to Ray Rice and Willis McGahee, who haven't been stopped yet this season. New England's defense doesn't have the manpower to make that happen.
RECAP: The wrong team is favored here. The Patriots did a great job bouncing back last week, but they managed to do so against an overrated Falcons squad that was playing out of its element on the road and in the rain.
Baltimore, on the other hand, has an outstanding and underrated offense to match its prolific defense. Brady has not been himself this year, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't struggle on Sunday.
on the other hand peter king has picked the pats..
Jaworski and Schefter are by far the sharpest 2 out of that group, and both pick the Pats. Merrill Hoge and Chris Mortenson ... gimme a break.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid
"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi
I think I'm finally starting to get into the Pats flying under everyone's radar. It's been a while, so I'd almost forgotten how sweet the stunned surprise is when they end up on top!
Also, I'm absolutely convinced that they pay some staffer every week just to remind Merrill Hoge that he can only pick the Steelers to win in the game they actually play, and not the other 15 as well. As consolation, they let him holler out "factor back" as many times as he can manage during his segments.
__________________
Chris Chambers on Wes Welker: "When we go bowling, he wins. When we shoot pool, he wins. When we golf, he wins."
Laughing at Pats haters makes me tingly in my lady parts!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Last edited by patriots pam; 10-01-2009 at 10:35 PM..
Jarrett Bell, Jim Corbett, Sean Leahy and Gary Mihoces predict a Pats win.
Nate Davis, Pete O'Brien, Tom Pedulla and Skip Wood went with the Ravens.
O'Brien, who has the highest correct percentage of the group through week three, also predicted the Ravens would win the Super Bowl in preseason. He says the Ravens will deny Patriots Sunday.
Quote:
Baltimore (+2) at New England
Tom Brady is 11-0 at home since 2007 and the Ravens have never beaten the Patriots. But I don't particularly care. Remember, I was the guy picking Baltimore to win the Super Bowl before it was cool. RAVENS, 34-27
On Yahoo two out of three of their 'experts' pick the Ravens to win, and 60% of their audience picked Baltimore as well. Charles Robinson and Jason Cole went with the Ravens, while Michael Silver - a columnist I've never thought much of for his football knowledge - picked the Pats to win.
Fox Sports picks the Ravens
Linear Mode
