For the defense to succeed, they're going to have to get after Flacco.
Flacco is primarily a pocket passer and he's very uncomfortable on the move. In the game against the Broncos he started off 8/9, but once Denver's defenders started forcing him out of the pocket he was off the mark on his next 8 throws. Flacco is very inaccurate throwing touch passes on the run so it will be up to the likes of Tully Banta-Cain and rookie Jermaine Cunningham to consistently make him feel uneasy back there.
In addition to making Flacco use his feet, the Patriots need to force him into errors. New England's defense has given up a lot of yards but in the last two games against Buffalo and Miami, they've also been generating key turnovers. That's something that bodes well for them in this match up against the Ravens.
When the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Ravens, they were able to force Flacco to throw four interceptions. While it'd be unrealistic to expect that many picks from the Pats' defense, forcing turnovers will be key. The Ravens currently have the third worst turnover ratio in the league at -6, the same as Brett Favre's Vikings. The only team that is worse in the category is the 0-5 49ers.
