Five Keys To Victory For The Patriots Against The Ravens

[PatsFans.com Article]

Five Keys To Victory For The Patriots Against The Ravens
By: Russ Goldman

Before each Patriots game this season, as a preview I will be providing my five keys to the game that I hope will lead to a Patriots victory. Here's a look at this week's match-up ...

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Rather than start a new thread, I'll take this one and add a few other media "keys to victory" links. If you come across any others post them here, as well as opinions on these articles. By the way, Russ leads off with the Pats needing to win the turnover battle and concludes with this:

Many experts are again picking against the Patriots. I just have a good feeling about this matchup. I think the play of the quarterbacks could ultimately decide this game, and if that is the case I like my chances with Brady. I am predicting a 21-17 victory for the Patriots.

 

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Week 6 Patriots vs Ravens: Necessary Players of the Game - Pats Pulpit

6. Ron Brace and Brandon Deaderick ... All that matters is that one of these players plays well enough to slow the Ravens' offense.

5. Darius Butler and Kyle Arrington ... One of these players needs to play at a high level to slow the Ravens' passing attack.

4. Brandon Tate and Deion Branch ... This offense needs to prove that it can produce without Moss- and that means Tate and Branch need to excel.

3. Matt Light, Dan Connolly, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal and Sebastian Vollmer ... This whole line needs to gel and perform well by giving Brady time to throw and allowing plays to develop. Also, they need to be able to open lanes for the running backs.

2. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead and Sammy Morris ... They need to block on passing downs to keep Brady's jersey clean. They need to get the first downs on 3rd and short. They need to have a great game against a good run defense.

1. Rob Ninkovich, Jermaine Cunningham and Tully Banta-Cain ... Get to Flacco. Set the edge. Watch the tight ends. Do those three things and the defense will thrive.

 

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WEEI.com's Christopher Price and his keys to the game:

patriots - What to watch for Sunday against the Ravens - WEEI | Christopher Price

Chris starts out by talking about the need to win the battle of third down and finishes with 'redemption', mentioning how Kelley Washington was shouting to the crowd "the era is over." In between Price points out the importance of getting out to an early lead.

The Ravens’ defense is at its most dangerous when it can turn an offense into a one-dimensional set, and if the Patriots fall behind and are forced to throw to get back into the game, Baltimore’s pass rush will be especially terrifying, even for a New England offensive line that’s allowed only five sacks (tied for second-best in the league). A quick start — New England has scored 28 points on its opening possessions of either half, most in the league — with just enough running to keep the heat off Brady would go a long way toward keeping the Ravens’ defense on its heels. (In this same context, it’s important to note that the Patriots lost much of their quick-strike ability to get back into the game with the trade of Moss, which makes comeback football all the more difficult.)

 

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Viewpoint from a Baltimore newspaper.
Ravens-patriots matchup - baltimoresun.com

Patriots WR Wes Welker vs. Ravens CB Chris Carr

New England coach Bill Belichick has had two weeks to toy with his offense, and it will be interesting to see what he does with Welker. Usually, the Patriots put Welker in the slot, and move him around a lot so he can get off the line of scrimmage cleanly. He should be matched up with Carr. Both players are small; Carr has more speed, and Welker is stronger. Carr is a smart player, and he'll have to be on his game to counter all the tricks the Patriots come up with to spring Welker. Edge: Welker


Patriots QB Tom Brady vs. Ravens safeties Dawan Landry and Tom Zbikowski

Brady had to watch the game film last week and see how slow Landry and Zbikowski were in pass defense. Both were beaten and gave up long touchdown passes. Brady will take his shots today. He is excellent at looking off safeties and then going back in their direction. Both Landry and Zbikowski need to be reminded that their No. 1 priority is not to give up the long ball. That is unacceptable. Edge: Brady


Patriots NT Vince Wilfork vs. Ravens C Matt Birk

The Patriots list Wilfork's weight at 325, but he has to be around 350. When he is on, he can shut down a team's running game from tackle to tackle. Wilfork has bulk, but he is also surprisingly quick. Birk is coming off a second straight impressive performance. His forte is his quickness and being able to make blocks into the second level. In the playoff game against the Patriots last year, Birk handled Wilfork well. Edge: Birk

 

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From Mike Lombardi at NFL.com:

Brady's looking forward to the next challenge | NFL.com

5. The Patriots-Ravens game should be a war, as both teams are tough, both teams are determined, and both teams play hard each week. The Ravens are balanced on offense and so are the Patriots this season. The one advantage the Pats do have is that they can spread the Ravens out and attack their weakness at corner. The Pats must find a way to force Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco off the spot, and when he throws the ball into a crowd they must make the play.

6. The one player no one talks about who will benefit most from the Randy Moss trade is little running back Danny Woodhead. He was just what the Patriots needed once they lost Kevin Faulk for the season. Woodhead can protect and can make explosive plays in the passing game with his quickness. The Jets never wanted to let him go, but are committed to third-round pick Joe McKnight, and Woodhead was the odd man out.

 

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From Jim McBride of the Boston Globe: Ravens at Patriots - The Boston Globe

When the Ravens pass
Joe Flacco is a two-face. He can look like Joe Montana one minute and Joe Bag of Doughnuts the next. A classic drop-back quarterback, the 6-foot-6-inch, 238-pounder has tremendous size and an exceptionally strong arm. But he lacks athleticism and foot speed and rarely makes plays outside the pocket. When he gets into a groove, he’s hard to stop; you can practically see his confidence growing. But when he gets rattled early, that can snowball, too. It’s important for the Patriots to get in Flacco’s face (and head) early to protect their young secondary. Flacco’s development had been hindered by a subpar receiving corps, but that’s not the case this season. The Ravens have a true No. 1 in Anquan Boldin. A tough, physical, and consistent performer, Boldin runs smooth routes, is fearless over the middle, and has hands like vise grips. Derrick Mason still gets off the line quickly and he’s nearly impossible to cover because he changes directions and speeds fluidly. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is a traditional possession receiver with quick feet and strong hands. Tight end Todd Heaps is a clutch receiver but lacks strength and is always nicked up. Patriot safeties Patrick Chung (he’s versatile) and Brandon Meriweather (he’s rangy) need to provide consistent help to the corners.
Edge: Ravens

RAVENS’ KEY PLAYER: Anquan Boldin
Nobody really enjoys covering this 6-foot-1-inch, 218-pound wide receiver because he has tremendous strength, runs precise patterns, and catches everything thrown his way. Oh, and he’s one of the best blocking receivers in the game.

How he beats you: With concentration and consistency. Boldin is a smooth route runner, knows how to get open, and runs like a rampaging fullback after the catch.

How to shut him down: With extra punishment. The safeties will play two-deep to keep Boldin in front of them and then they’ll lower the boom after he makes the catch.

PATRIOTS’ KEYS TO VICTORY:
1. Branch office: Get Deion Branch involved early and let him get into a groove. If he can loosen up the middle of the field, it will open up the running game.

2. Stay balanced: No team comes out of the tunnel with more emotion than the Ravens, and running on them early is tough. But abandoning the run completely would be a mistake.

3. Return policy: The special teams have been fabulous. It’s often an overlooked part of the game, but a big return or hit can really swing the momentum. Just ask the Dolphins.

RAVENS’ KEYS TO VICTORY:
1. Time management: Ray Rice and Willis McGahee must pound the ball and keep the clock moving; that will keep the Patriots’ pass-first offense off the field.

2. Max protect: Matt Birk and his buddies have to keep Joe Flacco upright. If the big, stiff QB holds the ball too long, even the Patriots’ suspect pass rush will get to him.

3. Mob mentality: Stopping Wes Welker is a must. He’s the most dangerous of Tom Brady’s weapons. Taking Welker out his game forces the rest of the cast to step up.

Prediction: Ravens 24, Patriots 19

 

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Ian Rapoport lists his five keys to the game.

Pats’ Five Things to Watch - BostonHerald.com

1. Can the Patriots block nose tackle Haloti Ngata?

Officially, he is just one player. But the Ravens’ man in the middle is listed at 6-foot-4, 350 pounds, and he’s likely bigger than that. Few players in the NFL are as disruptive as Ngata, who also possesses the ability to drop into coverage. Center Dan Koppen will have his hands full with Ngata, though he’ll likely receive help from guards Dan Connolly and Stephen Neal. If the Patriots can’t successfully move him, there will be little to no space for BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead and others.