I think the PATS run game is decent and can do damage on other teams. I don't think it will happen against Baltimore. Even with Rex Ryans schemes in NY he can't match us man for man except in corner play. The Ravens defense had 1 bad game and that was in SD, guess who won that game though? It's funny how a number of PATS fans are saying how bad we played, what was the score and WHO came home from the west coast with a W? Ravens fans on the other hand are judging your team from a loss to a defense that is darn near exact to what we do minus a few blitzes. Did I you forget that Baltimore has a superior Offense then the JETS? A superior offense to the Bills and a marginally better offense then the Falcons.
Let me give you the SD game plan from when they faced us ( since you guys have pointed it out many times) Philip, throw the ball down the field as far as you can away from Ed Reed. That was it. They knew they couldn't run. Our CB's were not pressing like they should have and communication was a little sketchy. These issues have been addressed and we will show that on Sunday.
To be honest, I've see many times where Tom has really been afraid to plant on that front foot and launch the ball. I don't think the game plan for the Pats will be to go deep, I think screens/draws and passes to the flat are what Bil/Tom is will be calling. Toms accuracy is much less crucial closer to the line of scrimmage. Do you think he wants to throw deep balls when Ed Reed is over the top as a spy on Moss? I don't really think so, not at this time.
There is nothing that scares me about the NE defense, the pass rush is almost non existent and the secondary hasn't been able to generate many turnovers. We also need to consider that our receivers know Leigh Bodden well, remember he played in our division>? It should not be forgotten that Wilfork will not be 100 percent , if he plays at all. Matt Birk has faced plenty of big NT's (after all he is a Pro Bowler) so even if he does play, he will be equalized. Who from the outside can bring the heat? AD has been primarily used as an inside backer due to the injuries you guys have had. I feel very confident that Gaither and Oher will dominate your Dline.
I still think this will be a close game, Tom Brady is a prolific passer and has an extreme understanding of coverage and packages. Wes Welker could really be a tough task for the Ravens, so look for him to be in the slot more often then not.. If he plays of course. You certainly can't forget the "human highlight" of Randy Moss either, he generally makes most CB's look like children. I just think the the Ravens Dline will be able to win the battle in the trenches and dictate what Tom can and can not do. It should be a great game!
Dude, you are taking this discussion personally. Let me spell it out:
Pats and Ravens are most likely the top two teams in the AFC.
At optimal level, the Pats are the better team. I would add they would be notably better.
The Ravens are much closer to optimal now than the Pats.
We don't know where Brady is exactly right now
We do know Mayo is not playing.
We don't know the status of Wilfork/Welker.
Therefore, the status of the Pats four best players is uncertain.
The win over Atlanta is more impressive than the Ravens three victories
The loss to the Jets was disheartening because frankly they pretty much suck.
The run defense point makes no sense based on this year. KC/Cleveland suck. San Diego running? let's see, "Hey, since we are completing bomb after bomb, let's run the ball". Even Norv isn't that dumb....
Actually, he is with that 4th down play.
The Ravens are premier ball hawks. That scares me more than anything.
San Diego has been terrible in the red zone against everybody. We have been terrible in the red zone against everybody
I would take Flacco first of the young QB's. However, review Ryan's performance.
Perhaps better insight can be found over at patriotsdaily.com. There is an article about pre Sunday Atlanta/ post Sunday Atlanta and where we are with the Ravens.
Again, the Ravens are an elite team and nobody here would doubt the Ravens can win and win handily.
