Get ready for two weeks of Ravens hype

[naF staP]

I cannot think of one of the aging defenses that is playing better than the vibrant and young Patriots defense right now. They all appear to be a shadow of their former selves.

I'm rooting for the Chiefs. Stuff the Ravens.

I agree. It always worries me playing against a young and energetic defense who is still taking risks, using their youth and inexperience to their advantage. Put this with a great coach and team and it spells trouble for opponents. This is the Patriots defense, they have taken their hits along the way and now they are so fun to watch.

 

[TealSox]

If there was one team in the AFC bracket that the Patriots need to be, in order to propel themselves into a Super Bowl victory, it would be the Ravens. Exorcising the loss to them last year would provide the much needed confidence to win it all.

I fear the Ravens coming into Foxboro, since I'm sure they will be riding high after a playoff win and have little fear of playing in the Patriots home field.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

If there was one team in the AFC bracket that the Patriots need to be, in order to propel themselves into a Super Bowl victory, it would be the Ravens. Exorcising the loss to them last year would provide the much needed confidence to win it all.

I fear the Ravens coming into Foxboro, since I'm sure they will be riding high after a playoff win and have little fear of playing in the Patriots home field.

"Exorcising the loss"??? "much needed confidence"???

You got to be kidding me.

Last year's playoff game could have been different hadn't we lost Welker and going by Brady's comments, I don't think the loss to Ravens weighs heavily on his mind.

I don't fear any team coming into Foxoboro and i frankly doubt if any of the members in the current 14-2 Pats team - hose D has changed remarkably in the second half and whose O has scored consitently over 30 points since the Cleveland game - need confidence.

That said, I wish the Ravens do come to Foxboro riding high so that we can thump them like how we did the Jets the second time we met them during the regular season.

 

[VJCPatriot]

If there was one team in the AFC bracket that the Patriots need to be, in order to propel themselves into a Super Bowl victory, it would be the Ravens. Exorcising the loss to them last year would provide the much needed confidence to win it all.

I fear the Ravens coming into Foxboro, since I'm sure they will be riding high after a playoff win and have little fear of playing in the Patriots home field.

I don't fear the Ravens. This Patriots team is far different from 2009 and even better than when they beat the Ravens earlier this season. But if it makes you feel better, yeah it's likely we face the Ravens before all is said and done.

 

[vyrago]

I don't fear the Ravens. .. .

I fear no one...well maybe the Colts a teeny, weeny bit. But certainly not the Ravins. Last year was an anomaly.

 

[byfuglien]

Were you sleeping in 2004 when Manning and company rolled into to Foxboro?

Do you mean the 2003'04 season? Because the Pats were not under the radar. They had that long winning streak.

In 2004'05, the Pats were under the radar, to an extent, because of Manning's 49TD season. However, the Pats were the No.2 seed.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Our first matchup with them was the first game post Moss, offense had to completely change and we still won.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

The Ravens are a fantastic team. They are 12-4 and perhaps one the best 5 seeds ever. You can make a list of the games the won that were close. If you play that game, you also have to mention the flip side -- they were probably one Zoltan Mesko 65-yard punt from the 1 seed in the AFC. I don't think we can count on being as fortunate if they go up 10 in the 4th quarter in Gillette again.

In terms of matchups, there are a few things to look at. Flacco doesn't throw picks. He's almost Brady-esque. He threw 4 in the second game of the year. Since then? 4 in 12 games (while throwing 20 something TDs). We have a ballhawking defense. Flacco went 2 TDs agains 0 picks against us once, and there's no recent evidence to suggest he's going to interception crazy if we play them again.

Second, YAC. The Ravens are great at holding teams after the catch, and it's an important part of our game.

Third, weather. They won't mind crappy weather.

We should be favored against them at home and with good reason. But this is an excellent team that matches up with us in some key areas.

 

[VI PATS]

Anyone catch Terrell Suggs yesterday slug a Bengal that was giving him back his helmet after he got pancaked ? Typical move, it was a 4th down stop, if refs had seen it, easy PF give the Bengals 1st down and who knows.

Video: Terrell Suggs' uncalled shot to Jerome Simpson's face - Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

 

[Patriots2001]

Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

is the best team suited to knock off New England?


Sorry Steelers fans, but the Patriots own Pittsburgh right now and have for the past decade. In fact, during that span, only one team has won a playoff game at New England. That was Baltimore last season, as the Ravens stuffed New England’s injury-ravaged passing attack. Then, earlier this season, the Ravens held Pats quarterback Tom Brady(notes) to a season-low passer rating of 69.3 and intercepted him twice in an eventual 23-20 overtime loss to New England. But that was before Brady had a lot of time to work with the likes of Deion Branch(notes) in New England’s reworked offense. That said, Baltimore is best equipped to derail the Patriots’ Super Bowl hopes..

I doubt after what happened last year that Belichek would allow the Ravens to come in again and win.

Five questions heading into AFC playoffs - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

 

[ausbacker]

Re: Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

Everyone is going to say the Ravens because of what happened last season. Shame most people conveniently forget the Patriots have owned the Ravens.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

I think that the Ravens, Colts, Saints, and Packers are all teams that are capable of knocking us off. Ravens and Colts in the AFC Playoffs. We would need to meet the Saints and Packers in the Super Bowl in order to get knocked off by them. I like our chances against the Ravens and the Colts. We beat both of them in the regular season. The Saints game would be an interesting match-up because I can't see the Pats making the same mistakes as we did last season on defense. The Packers game would scare me. Their defense is very good, and they are my darkhorse candidate to go all the way in the NFC (have them over the Eagles this weekend). They did a great job of slowing us down earlier in the season and getting a lot of pressure on Brady while their offense, even without Rodgers, was capable of moving the ball up and down the field on our defense at home.

Seeing the Packers again in the Super Bowl would give me nightmares about the Giants and Super Bowl XLII.

 

[cardiak]

Re: Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

If by owned you mean barely squeak by them every time we play then yeah.. sure. Just about every game against Baltimore ends with us barely getting out of there with a victory and it's usually because of bonehead plays and antics by the hot headed Baltimore players that let us win the game.

 

[ausbacker]

Re: Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

If by owned you mean barely squeak by them every time we play then yeah.. sure. Just about every game against Baltimore ends with us barely getting out of there with a victory and it's usually because of bonehead plays and antics by the hot headed Baltimore players that let us win the game.

Remind me of the head to head again?

 

[Nikolai]

Re: Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

If by owned you mean barely squeak by them every time we play then yeah.. sure. Just about every game against Baltimore ends with us barely getting out of there with a victory and it's usually because of bonehead plays and antics by the hot headed Baltimore players that let us win the game.

You're right. We're doomed.

 

[D-Money]

Re: Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

The ravens secondary is suspect.If the OL protects TB he will dissect them

 

[jbb9s]

Re: Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

Everyone is going to say the Ravens because of what happened last season. Shame most people conveniently forget the Patriots have owned the Ravens.

although the Pats usually end up on top, all the games have been extremely close, excluding the playoff loss in Jan 2010. You have to admit that the Ravens have somehow done the best against the Pats, such as the 07 season. Also, Ed Reed, who has about as many INT as games played this year, wasn't in the lineup first time around.

On a different note, the only team that I think could beat the Patriots is the Saints coming off 2 weeks preparation and playing in a controlled environment. And for what its worth, Sean Payton and Drew Brees = 2nd best coach and 2nd best QB in the NFL, respectively.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

Seeing the Packers again in the Super Bowl would give me nightmares about the Giants and Super Bowl XLII.

I think you give the Packers too much credit. I'm not even sure they'll make it to the Superbowl. Although overall they look like they are very well put together, I'm not really scared of any one team out there. As long as the Patriots perform and execute well they are the team to beat. This is not your 2007 Pats. I sleep well at night because I'm not worried about other teams, just our own.

Everyone is going to say the Ravens because of what happened last season. Shame most people conveniently forget the Patriots have owned the Ravens.

I wouldn't go that far. The Ravens generally play us tough even though they haven't won much against us. When it mattered last year though, they did win. So they are not a team that the Pats can afford to overlook just because of past history.

 

[Haley]

Re: Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

The only team that scares me is the Packers. I say this because they function as a complete team more than the other teams seem capable. They don't rely on any one team member (which is why the Eagles are a joke to me). I'm hoping someone else can take them out for us but if not, I guess it'll make for a heckuva superbowl.

 

[reflexblue]

Re: Jason Cole Yahoo Sports : The one team that can derail the Pats..

I think you give the Packers too much credit. I'm not even sure they'll make it to the Superbowl. Although overall they look like they are very well put together, I'm not really scared of any one team out there. As long as the Patriots perform and execute well they are the team to beat. This is not your 2007 Pats. I sleep well at night because I'm not worried about other teams, just our own.

I think this is a better team than 07. The 07 struggled towards the end of the season and squeaked by a number of times. This years team has gotten better as the season has gone on, and i'm sure they're still thinking about the SB loss, and the Ravens beat down from last year.