Bring on the Ravens

[Keep Up With The Joneses]

I won't lie. This game scares the **** out of me. Ray Rice is nasty and can certainly keep the offense on the bench. While the D isn't as good as in the past, it is certainly still formidable.

Thank God the Pats aren't going to Baltimore, that would make me feel much worse. I think Brady will get his. To me the key is if the Pats can run the ball late in the game. I like what they did yesterday, mixing AH into the running game to help keep the flying Tebows honest.

There aren't any easy outs from the 4 teams left. Should be good.

 

[flynismo]

Oh yeah when Brady had 3 broken ribs and a broken finger? When our only weapons were Welker and Moss? When we had a mentally weak team with locker room cancers? Should I go on?

Sure, whatever excusues you have, I'd love to hear them. I'm really not sure what an injured Brady and lack of talent on offense has to do with us dropping 33 points on you.

 

[mgcolby]

You guys are funny. I thought you'd learn your lesson about talking smack the last time we came into your house.

I don't see any smack talk in this thread. I see opinions backed up with facts. If you care to enlighten us as to what makes you think your team will win....we're all ears.

And the last time you "came into our house" you lost.

 

[flynismo]

I won't lie. This game scares the **** out of me. Ray Rice is nasty and can certainly keep the offense on the bench. While the D isn't as good as in the past, it is certainly still formidable.

Thank God the Pats aren't going to Baltimore, that would make me feel much worse. I think Brady will get his. To me the key is if the Pats can run the ball late in the game. I like what they did yesterday, mixing AH into the running game to help keep the flying Tebows honest.

There aren't any easy outs from the 4 teams left. Should be good.

That's exactly how we feel. We'd be a lot more confident if this were played in Baltimore rather than Foxboro. We are both nearly unbeatable at home.

 

[mgcolby]

Sure, whatever excusues you have, I'd love to hear them. I'm really not sure what an injured Brady and lack of talent on offense has to do with us dropping 33 points on you.

Ah...4 turnovers and unable to move the ball?

 

[Kontradiction]

I won't lie. This game scares the **** out of me. Ray Rice is nasty and can certainly keep the offense on the bench. While the D isn't as good as in the past, it is certainly still formidable.

Thank God the Pats aren't going to Baltimore, that would make me feel much worse. I think Brady will get his. To me the key is if the Pats can run the ball late in the game. I like what they did yesterday, mixing AH into the running game to help keep the flying Tebows honest.

There aren't any easy outs from the 4 teams left. Should be good.

The Pats will use the run in this game like they do with the Steelers. They'll pass first and use the run as a change of pace.

 

[upstater1]

Sure, whatever excusues you have, I'd love to hear them. I'm really not sure what an injured Brady and lack of talent on offense has to do with us dropping 33 points on you.

Could it be a fumble and three interceptions deep in the Patriots side of the field (around the 20) that all lead to scores, for 20 points total, 17 points in the first quarter alone?

 

[flynismo]

I don't see any smack talk in this thread. I see opinions backed up with facts. If you care to enlighten us as to what makes you think your team will win....we're all ears.

And the last time you "came into our house" you lost.

I meant in the playoffs...

Why do I think we will win? I don't know if we will or not. NE is a great team. And like it or not, so are we.

All I do know is that other than the thrashing we gave you in 2009, our games are generally decided by one score or less. This game is a toss up; it could be a nailbiter, one of us could get blown out; I can see many different outcomes to this game, and all of them are very plausible.

 

[Kontradiction]

I meant in the playoffs...

Why do I think we will win? I don't know if we will or not. NE is a great team. And like it or not, so are we.

All I do know is that other than the thrashing we gave you in 2009, our games are generally decided by one score or less. This game is a toss up; it could be a nailbiter, one of us could get blown out; I can see many different outcomes to this game, and all of them are very plausible.

Quick question: How do you think your defense will contain our TE's?

 

[letekro]

You guys are funny. I thought you'd learn your lesson about talking smack the last time we came into your house.

Umm. You fools lost last time you were in NE.

 

[flynismo]

Ah...4 turnovers and unable to move the ball?

That's a great excuse.

Is it against the rules to stop us from scoring once in a while?

 

[deroc5050]

I meant in the playoffs...

Why do I think we will win? I don't know if we will or not. NE is a great team. And like it or not, so are we.

All I do know is that other than the thrashing we gave you in 2009, our games are generally decided by one score or less. This game is a toss up; it could be a nailbiter, one of us could get blown out; I can see many different outcomes to this game, and all of them are very plausible.

thats true we werent even competitve but that was the worst pats team since 2002.. heavily relied on Welker all season.. he goes down in the last game. Brady had an off year coming back from his knee surgery..and the defense played uninspired all year. I don't see the Ravens coming into Foxboro and beating the Pats if the teams play evenly. If each team plays a clean game I would take the pats by 10-14 points. I just think the pats are a bit better. And Flacco is very unimpressive especially if the ravens get behind early.. the game is over.. he can't throw to win.

 

[letekro]

Sure, whatever excusues you have, I'd love to hear them. I'm really not sure what an injured Brady and lack of talent on offense has to do with us dropping 33 points on you.

In all honesty, the 2011 Patriots are light years better than that putrid 2009 squad and I really don't see a lot of significant improvements on the Baltimore side. You lost Heap but got the two young guys--that's a wash. Flacco still sucks. Rice is still great. Your defense is largely the same but 2 years older. Let me know what I am missing, but that's the way I see it. I don't think you have the horses to play man on NE's dominant skill position players--- Welker, Gronkowski, and Hernandez--none of which you had to deal with in 2009.

 

[mgcolby]

That's a great excuse.

Is it against the rules to stop us from scoring once in a while?

Wow an excuse? You turn the ball over 4 times, 3 in your own end you will probably give up some points. Your team had 268 yards of offense and scored 33 points. It's not an excuse it's a fact.

The Pats had 196 yards in the game, that would tell me they had a hard time moving the ball.

 

[flynismo]

thats true we werent even competitve but that was the worst pats team since 2002.. heavily relied on Welker all season.. he goes down in the last game. Brady had an off year.. coming back from his knee surgery..and the defense played uninspired all year. I don't see the Ravens coming into Foxboro and beating the Pats if the teams play evenly. If each team plays a clean game I would take the pats by 10-14 points. I just think the pats are a bit better. And Flacco is very unimpressive especially if the ravens get behind early.. the game is over.. he can't throw to win.

All else being equal (injuries, no BS penalties, etc), I'd have to say the Pats are favorites, simply because this is at home, and no other reason. I would say the same thing if this were played in Baltimore (we'd by favorites, only because it is at home).

As for Flacco not being able to throw to win, you haven't been following him at all, especially this season (not that I expect you to). I wouldn't put any stock into what the media says about him; that's been the downfall of many teams this season. He's not Brady, but if the Pats think he cant put this game on his shoulders and win it in crunch time, they'll be disappointed.

 

[flynismo]

Wow an excuse? You turn the ball over 4 times, 3 in your own end you will probably give up some points. Your team had 268 yards of offense and scored 33 points. It's not an excuse it's a fact.

The Pats had 196 yards in the game, that would tell me they had a hard time moving the ball.

If we're playing on a short field so often, then logically we dont have the opportunity to put up flashy yardage numbers.

And I really dislike the injury excuse. Our entire defense plays banged up all year, every year. Ed Reed is a violent beer fart away from being crippled the rest of his life (and that's not exaggerating too much), but he's still out there making plays. Ray Lewis is still hampered by his turf toe, but I wont point to that as an excuse if we lose. It's the NFL man, we're all hurt. Next man up.

 

[Henroc]

the ravens are going to look at the film and see that you need to disrupt brady to win. one thing that the pats have going for them is that the team is finally getting healthy. Specifically, the O line is getting back its starters. They stepped up big against von miller and elvis dumervil. If they can play like how they did yesterday against Baltimore, than i say they pull out the win. They have a corral of RB's and an array of receiving weapons that can create match up problems for the ravens. all they have to do is have the right scheme and execute.
Baltimore on the other hand has a good defense. Can they be confused at times? sure can. The seahawks and the jaguars have shown that. The defense can show up when it needs to. On offense, all they really have is Ray Rice. Shut him down and make joe flacco play with his arm and the pats could pull the W. After all, the pats did shut down the number 1 rated rushing attack in Denver. Thoughts?

 

[mgcolby]

All else being equal (injuries, no BS penalties, etc), I'd have to say the Pats are favorites, simply because this is at home, and no other reason. I would say the same thing if this were played in Baltimore (we'd by favorites, only because it is at home).

As for Flacco not being able to throw to win, you haven't been following him at all, especially this season (not that I expect you to). I wouldn't put any stock into what the media says about him; that's been the downfall of many teams this season. He's not Brady, but if the Pats think he cant put this game on his shoulders and win it in crunch time, they'll be disappointed.

Yet, they are not equal. Your offense has not scored more than 24 points since late November. And your defense has not played an offense remotely close to New Englands. The best offense you faced (the Chargers) put 34 on you guys and made your defense look old and slow. The only other good offense you played was Houston in week 6 and they didn't have Andre Johnson.

Our offense has scored 40+ in 3 of our last 4 games. Our defenses are allowing the same amount of points over the last 4 games against similar competition. Over that span your defense has allowed 19.3 PPG against offenses that average 21 PPG. The Pats defense has allowed 19.5 against offenses that average 20.6 PPG.

I simply do not see any area where your team has an advantage coming into this game.

 

[mgcolby]

If we're playing on a short field so often, then logically we dont have the opportunity to put up flashy yardage numbers.

And I really dislike the injury excuse. Our entire defense plays banged up all year, every year. Ed Reed is a violent beer fart away from being crippled the rest of his life (and that's not exaggerating too much), but he's still out there making plays. Ray Lewis is still hampered by his turf toe, but I wont point to that as an excuse if we lose. It's the NFL man, we're all hurt. Next man up.

Right. Which is the point I was making. Short field equals easy points. Hence 4 turnovers equals 33 points.

I didn't bring up injuries. But Welker was the entire offense in 2009. Losing him really crushed any chance the Pats had of doing any damage in the postseason. Which was pretty minimal even with him.

Either way the 2009 game has absolutely nothing to do with Sunday's game. The 2009 Pats were terrible in comparison to this 2011 team. And your defense is two years older.

 

[Henroc]

Right. Which is the point I was making. Short field equals easy points. Hence 4 turnovers equals 33 points.

I didn't bring up injuries. But Welker was the entire offense in 2009. Losing him really crushed any chance the Pats had of doing any damage in the postseason. Which was pretty minimal even with him.

Either way the 2009 game has absolutely nothing to do with Sunday's game. The 2009 Pats were terrible in comparison to this 2011 team. And your defense is two years older.

You have to look at the facts of today's game. Ravens only won by a touchdown, even with all of those turnovers. Beyond that the Ravens D allowed Andre Johnson to go for 132 yards and Foster went for 111 yards. So this defense has shown its definitely vulnerable. And this was against TJ Yates, a rookie. This year we have a whole group of RB's who are the anti laurence maroney and more receiving weapons so that Welker isn't the only one being relied upon.