Baltimore

[Patriot Missile]

I figured with the circus surrounding the Moss trade, that maybe some would like to step aside for a bit and focus on the upcoming game vs Baltimore after the bye.

To me this is the one game that could immediatley alleviate some of the negative atmosphere surrounding this team and it's fans right now. They have two weeks to gameplan which should help in the Pats favor. Baltimore is an elite team that is playing well but I do think they have weaknesses that can be exploited. Their 2ndary is probably skill wise worse than ours. Definately benefit from the awesome front 7 of theirs. If the Offensive line can hold up I think Tate, Price and Welker and the TE's could have a field day. Encouraging that Peyton Hillis lit up Baltimore for 144 yards a couple of weeks ago. Who would of thought? I think Belichick will find a gameplan to exploit this team, especially with two weeks.

Bottom line, this team needs the win in a big way. They have grueling schedule coming up. 3-1 was pretty nice going into the bye but on the horizon is Baltimore,@San Diego,Minnesota,@Cleveland,@Pittsburgh and then Indy. It would be nice to start off post Moss with a big win against an elite team. I don't think it bodes well if we don't. It's almost a must win imo considering the beatdown they gave us last year in the playoffs.

 

[boston22407]

glad you posted this sick of the post moss **** .has b-more played a team with a better 0-line the us ?

 

[Disco Volante]

The Ravens are the best team in football right now, as no team has two better quality wins. (@ Jets, @ Steelers)

Beating them would be absolutely huge, they have the best defense in the NFL. Can't get a better test than that.

 

[Patriot Missile]

glad you posted this sick of the post moss **** .has b-more played a team with a better 0-line the us ?

Our oline has done pretty well agianst B-more in the past with the exception of a few missed blocks in the one playoff game last year. Simply put this team is very different from the team Baltimore manhandled last year. The defense is faster and a majority can tackle which is key against the likes of Ray Rice and the elusive Flakko. Alot of this game will come down to executing gameplans of course and hoping that every play helps rise the confidence of a young and inexperienced defense. Who knows? Maybe the special teams is so special that it will dominate the outcome?

 

[Sciz]

The defense will definitely have a chance to do to Flacco what they did to Henne. To put it bluntly, Flacco has looked lost at times.

 

[Dutchmaster617]

I would put the Steelers and their d ahead of them. I feel confident that we will he able to put up points but mostly that our defense will rise to the occasion, I don't like Flacco and while he has improved we can outsmart him and force mistakes. Expect turnovers and running which will give us enough posession to win.

 

[ausbacker]

Ravens haven't had much O outside of Boldin. That's a little scary considering Rice has done SFA. This match is of critical importance in shaping the destiny of the 2010 Patriots.

 

[Ring 6]

I figured with the circus surrounding the Moss trade, that maybe some would like to step aside for a bit and focus on the upcoming game vs Baltimore after the bye.

To me this is the one game that could immediatley alleviate some of the negative atmosphere surrounding this team and it's fans right now. They have two weeks to gameplan which should help in the Pats favor. Baltimore is an elite team that is playing well but I do think they have weaknesses that can be exploited. Their 2ndary is probably skill wise worse than ours. Definately benefit from the awesome front 7 of theirs. If the Offensive line can hold up I think Tate, Price and Welker and the TE's could have a field day. Encouraging that Peyton Hillis lit up Baltimore for 144 yards a couple of weeks ago. Who would of thought? I think Belichick will find a gameplan to exploit this team, especially with two weeks.

Bottom line, this team needs the win in a big way. They have grueling schedule coming up. 3-1 was pretty nice going into the bye but on the horizon is Baltimore,@San Diego,Minnesota,@Cleveland,@Pittsburgh and then Indy. It would be nice to start off post Moss with a big win against an elite team. I don't think it bodes well if we don't. It's almost a must win imo considering the beatdown they gave us last year in the playoffs.

Great topic idea, but damn can we stop with the must win every week for a different reason
Unless the Chiefs worry you, no one else has a better record than the Patriots. Falling 1 game behind the 2nd best record in the NFL in week 6 isn't something you can't come back from.
I understand your point, that its a home game and a tough schedule is coming, but a win here could be balanced by an unexpected loss later, or a loss here balanced by a surpirse road win.

I think the poor run D says more than the good pass D. Look at the QBs. Sanchez who wouldnt throw the ball more than 3 yards, Charlie Batch and the Browns, and Bengals.
It seems that mixing our efficient passing game with the varied weapons we have with the run that they are struggling to stop against teams that arent throwing it well, would give us long drives, lots of possession time and a good amount of points.
The Raven O has always seemed to me like one that is less than the sum of the parts, and they have not been good at all this year.
I feel good about this one.
Win this then get on a roll through the tough part of the schedule and this team will be developing into something.

 

[boston22407]

joe f sucked in the pitt game besides the last gw drive. he threw one int that made him look like rohan davey. ray rice is banged up and so is Willis

 

[Patriot Missile]

The Ravens are the best team in football right now, as no team has two better quality wins. (@ Jets, @ Steelers)

Beating them would be absolutely huge, they have the best defense in the NFL. Can't get a better test than that.

Right, mind as well start chopping the tree at it's thickest and hope your axe is sharp enough. I really think it can be done though. We absolutely crushed Cincinatti who in turn beat Baltimore. You just never know. Must say though I'm very excted to see how our team comes out of this bye week. It really will say alot about this team.

 

[Disco Volante]

I would put the Steelers and their d ahead of them.

While the Steelers lead the Ravens by about a point in scoring defense, I rank the Ravens ahead due to the Steelers defense choking in the last game and to me your defense is only as good as it is in critical situations such as that.

Plus the Ravens don't even have Ed Reed back yet.

Right, mind as well start chopping the tree at it's thickest and hope your axe is sharp enough.

Exactly. Won't have to hear "Well, it's just the Bills, wait until we play the ___!" This would be a huge statement win.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Great topic idea, but damn can we stop with the must win every week for a different reason
Unless the Chiefs worry you, no one else has a better record than the Patriots. Falling 1 game behind the 2nd best record in the NFL in week 6 isn't something you can't come back from.
I understand your point, that its a home game and a tough schedule is coming, but a win here could be balanced by an unexpected loss later, or a loss here balanced by a surpirse road win.

I think the poor run D says more than the good pass D. Look at the QBs. Sanchez who wouldnt throw the ball more than 3 yards, Charlie Batch and the Browns, and Bengals.
It seems that mixing our efficient passing game with the varied weapons we have with the run that they are struggling to stop against teams that arent throwing it well, would give us long drives, lots of possession time and a good amount of points.
The Raven O has always seemed to me like one that is less than the sum of the parts, and they have not been good at all this year.
I feel good about this one.
Win this then get on a roll through the tough part of the schedule and this team will be developing into something.

Ok, I'll rephrase. It's not a must win, but I will say that every game played over the next 6 weeks is telling of where this team is heading. I think must win is a little overused but not that much. We have been bounced out of the playoffs with an 11-5 record back in 08 so I do think every game counts for a lot. When I mean must win, I mean this win could help the confidence of a young team which is about to hit a brutal schedule, or it could clean up the stigma left behind by Moss that we can't win without him, nevermind against an elite team like Baltimore.< That is probably geared more at the non knowing media and fans rather than the Pats players and coaches.

 

[RayClay]

Don't know how our offense will perform, but we just screwed the hell out of Bmores defensive preparation. They can't have a clue on what we plan to do on offense without Moss.

 

[ausbacker]

Don't know how our offense will perform, but we just screwed the hell out of Bmores defensive preparation. They can't have a clue on what we plan to do on offense without Moss.

That's something that I have been contemplating more and more since the initial shock of trading Moss has waned.

 

[upstater1]

I have seen Flacco play incredibly well and I have seen him suck. When he plays well, the Ravens are very hard to beat, when he sucks they struggle. It's a QB league. That being said, he sucked against the Patriots last year in the playoffs, and it didn't matter.

This Patriot team is evolving. I want to see them play it hard, close, gritty, with much passion. If they lose, they lose.

 

[IllegalContact]

quick counts with some no huddle, and lots of rolling out by brady.

you have to make the ravenD run and chase. they are huge on the DL, and you can gas them pretty quickly. this is how the colts have had near perfect success against them.

on defense, you crowd the line of scrimmage and make flacco beat you the entire game

 

[IllegalContact]

while the ravens have beaten the jets and steelers, they have also lost to the bengals and were losing to the browns in the 4th quarter.

 

[The Brandon Five]

This will be a real test for the OL, TE's and RB's. Ngata poses a significant challenge for Connolly or whoever he lines up against (last week he lined up at DE a few times). Koppen draws a tough matchup in Cody as well.

We have Suggs coming from the outside, and Ray-Ray shooting the gaps to get after Tom and stuff runs as well as flattening receivers (although I doubt he would try that Keller hit against Gronk).

 

[thewaylifeshouldbe]

I like our chances in this game, and the next few.

With the Moss departure and the bye week, we will be implementing a different looking offense. Right now every team we play has game film of a Moss anchored offense, but has nothing very valid of an offense without him. Basically,we're kind of a blind to teams right now.

If the Defense can show up and play well enough to hold the Ravens to 17 or less, I think our chances are good.

 

[IllegalContact]

This will be a real test for the OL, TE's and RB's. Ngata poses a significant challenge for Connolly or whoever he lines up against (last week he lined up at DE a few times). Koppen draws a tough matchup in Cody as well.

We have Suggs coming from the outside, and Ray-Ray shooting the gaps to get after Tom and stuff runs as well as flattening receivers (although I doubt he would try that Keller hit against Gronk).

you can get lewis out of his game by hitting him back. he then turns into a freak and overpursues everything