We're on to Baltimore

[Ring 6]

Baltimore is a team that has a track record of coming into Foxboro and giving us a dog fight. two times they punched us in the mouth, winning comfortably. A third time they punched us in the mouth but we escaped with the win. We were better teams those years as well.

They just won a big road playoff game which has given them plenty of momentum to roll into Foxboro and give us a ball game. So yeah, I strongly doubt that we "destroy" the Ravens, especially when their defensive front can give our OL fits.

So it's the decal on the helmet?

 

[patsfanincleveland]

Baltimore is a team that has a track record of coming into Foxboro and giving us a dog fight. two times they punched us in the mouth, winning comfortably. A third time they punched us in the mouth but we escaped with the win. We were better teams those years as well.

They just won a big road playoff game which has given them plenty of momentum to roll into Foxboro and give us a ball game. So yeah, I strongly doubt that we "destroy" the Ravens, especially when their defensive front can give our OL fits.

Past games have zero consequence and no they didn't do any "punching" in the AFCCG's.

What they proved is if the Patriots suffer enough injuries, they can win. Jan 2010 without Welker was more an exercise of the Patriots team at that time vs anything Baltimore brought to the table.

Does anyone even seriously think that if Jan 2013 saw Talib and Gronk on the field the whole game that contest is competitive? If Talib didn't get hurt, the Patriots win by two scores.

Every playoff game by definition is tough, but the reality of Raven visits the past few years has more to do with the fact they happen to be there vs anything proprietary in the Ravens organization.

The fact that these two teams can play a game....the Ravens go +2 in turnovers and have Gronk hurt for the greater part of 2H....and lose, actually says the most about history.

Besides, exactly how many greatest Dline/front 7's have the Patriots faced this year?

 

[Rob0729]

Everyone is focusing on the Pats' o-line, but people seem to forget that the Pats' defense hasn't given up a second half TD in nearly two months. And that includes last week when the Pats' back ups were going up against the Bills' starters.

So let's say the Ravens do get to Brady, how are they going to score? The Pats have not given up more than 17 points in the last four games (and the Chargers needed a fumble recovery on defense to to get to double digits).

Other than the Seahawks, I would argue that no defense has been playing as well as the Pats' defense has. People focus on the Pats' offense have already "peaked", but the Pats' defense is peaking right now.

This team will not go as far as the o-line takes the Pats. That is is a fallacy. The Pats haven't lost a meaningful game since Green Bay even with the o-line struggles. This team will go as far as the defense will take them. Unlike previous years, the Pats can win a game when the offense only scores 20 points.

 

[West Philly Patriot]

Who cares about Webb.......whoever......?

Gronk is the receiving threat in the NFL. These Brown, Megatron, Bryant media obsessions make zero sense. Gronk is the premier matchup gameplan piece on the board.

If they even have any hope of stopping him, they..............?????

Gronk is still one guy, this is the the ultimate team game we are talking about. If Gronk is the only guy that shows up offensively for Brady we lose.

Enjoy some football some time, Antonio Brown was an animal this season.

 

[rexxar]

A very confident bunch. Aww, Aren't they adorable?

They started last nights game as 0-3 vs the steelers in the playoffs and ended up winning.

They beat the pats in a couple playoff games, therefore, they're guaranteed to win next week.

Logic.

 

[juny]

Just please no Jerome Boger for this game. Please please please

 

[50-yard-line]

y.

Besides, exactly how many greatest Dline/front 7's have the Patriots faced this year?

Buffalo, Buffalo, Jets, Jets, Detroit, Cincinnati, Denver, Miami, Miami, Kansas City (and Indy, IN Indy, had a good pass rush, as did a healthy San Diego). The other teams in the AFCEast were built to pressure Brady - the Pats see good DLs all the time.

I see Connolly as the key here. When he's not in there, Solder seems to lean right and get beat left all day long.

 

[West Philly Patriot]

Everyone is focusing on the Pats' o-line, but people seem to forget that the Pats' defense hasn't given up a second half TD in nearly two months. And that includes last week when the Pats' back ups were going up against the Bills' starters.

So let's say the Ravens do get to Brady, how are they going to score? The Pats have not given up more than 17 points in the last four games (and the Chargers needed a fumble recovery on defense to to get to double digits).

Other than the Seahawks, I would argue that no defense has been playing as well as the Pats' defense has. People focus on the Pats' offense have already "peaked", but the Pats' defense is peaking right now.

This team will not go as far as the o-line takes the Pats. That is is a fallacy. The Pats haven't lost a meaningful game since Green Bay even with the o-line struggles. This team will go as far as the defense will take them. Unlike previous years, the Pats can win a game when the offense only scores 20 points.

That's why I wouldn't bet on any 40 burgers or high offensive output either way. I don't think the Ravens can score more than 13 if we come to play.

 

[RIpats88]

One thing I will say is.

1. Revis wont be on the sidelines like talib was the last 2 years

2. Gronkowski is going to be on the field.

Im nervous..BUT if we cant beat the ravens we arent beating a team like Seattle

 

[Kdo5]

Everyone is focusing on the Pats' o-line, but people seem to forget that the Pats' defense hasn't given up a second half TD in nearly two months. And that includes last week when the Pats' back ups were going up against the Bills' starters.

So let's say the Ravens do get to Brady, how are they going to score? The Pats have not given up more than 17 points in the last four games (and the Chargers needed a fumble recovery on defense to to get to double digits).

Other than the Seahawks, I would argue that no defense has been playing as well as the Pats' defense has. People focus on the Pats' offense have already "peaked", but the Pats' defense is peaking right now.

This team will not go as far as the o-line takes the Pats. That is is a fallacy. The Pats haven't lost a meaningful game since Green Bay even with the o-line struggles. This team will go as far as the defense will take them. Unlike previous years, the Pats can win a game when the offense only scores 20 points.

Yes but IF the Ravens do get to Brady then our offense will struggle to put points up as well, resulting in a dog fight that could go either way. Which would go against the narrative that the Pats should breeze by Baltimore.

 

[moejr]

It's time to even our playoff record with the Ravens. We are 1-2 against them so we need to make that 2-2

 

[moejr]

One thing I will say is.

1. Revis wont be on the sidelines like talib was the last 2 years

2. Gronkowski is going to be on the field.

Im nervous..BUT if we cant beat the ravens we arent beating a team like Seattle

My concern is the Ravens trying to injure Gronk to take him out.

 

[JMC00]

We were better teams those years as well.

Defensively not even close.

2009 was the worst Pats team in the BB/Brady Era
2011 one of the worst defense in their history of the league
2012 better on defense than the other two but nowhere near as good as this one. Not to mention Talib went out early in the 2nd quarter.

 

[Rob0729]

Yes but IF the Ravens do get to Brady then our offense will struggle to put points up as well, resulting in a dog fight that could go either way. Which would go against the narrative that the Pats should breeze by Baltimore.

If the Pats' offense is healthy (which it hasn't been since probably Green Bay), I can't see the Pats not scoring at least 21-28 points which should be more than enough to beat the Ravens. I think the Pats can score over 30 points on them fully healthy.

 

[Todd Bradley]

I keep seeing post referring to "past Ravens games".

Let's take a look at these "games" for a moment:

- 2009: Baltimore wins 33-14, in a game where Brady was only a year back from an ACL tear, Wes Welker, Brady's primary offensive target (as Gronk/Hernanadez/etc. where not drafted yet), tore his ACL a week prior and was obviously lost for the game, and this team, as shown in Belichick's NFL: A Football Life episode, is known to be one of the least talented groups put on field during this Belichick-ian era.

- 2011: Pats win 23-20, in a game where Bernard "the cheap shot artist" Pollard knocks Gronkowski out of the game in the first half, and where our defensive backfield consisted of the "Hall of Fame" likes of Sterling Moore, Sergio Brown, James Ihedigbo and Antwaun Molden (yikes!) going up against the likes of a prime Ray Rice, Torey Smith, Lee Evans, Dennis Pitta and Anquan Boldin. Take the missed field goal out of the equation here, as that only leads to overtime, unlike what most Ravens fans would have you believe.

- 2012: Ravens win 28-13, in a game where the Pats, once again, are without the services of Rob Gronkowski. To make matters worse, our best CB, Aqib Talib, has a "hip issue" mid-way through the first quarter, which coincidentally knocks him out of the game, leading to another "Hall of Fame" defensive "talent" in Marquice Cole, having to cover Anquan Boldin, who went on to have himself a monster game. Add in a Ridley fumble at the most inopportune time, again caused by Pollard, and the game was out of reach.

So all in all, I don't honestly believe these past game are that much of a factor. Sure, it may give Flacco, Suggs and company some confidence, but they should be confident anyways, they just knocked off their biggest rivals on the road for the first time ever.

Oh and to those claiming the refs may be a factor against the Pats, think about it for a second here: who would the NFL rather see advance, the Ravens or the Patriots? Pure sure another Brady/Manning matchup is worth a whole lot more to the league than Joe Flacco and company going on up to Denver.

 

[Deus Irae]

I keep seeing post referring to "past Ravens games".

Let's take a look at these "games" for a moment:

- 2009: Baltimore wins 33-14, in a game where Brady was only a year back from an ACL tear, Wes Welker, Brady's primary offensive target (as Gronk/Hernanadez/etc. where not drafted yet), tore his ACL a week prior and was obviously lost for the game, and this team, as shown in Belichick's NFL: A Football Life episode, is known to be one of the least talented and strong willed groups put on field during Belichick-ian era.

- 2011: Pats win 23-20, in a game where Bernard "the cheap shot artist" Pollard knocks Gronkowski out of the game in the first half and where our defensive backfield consisted of the "Hall of Fame" like of Sterling Moore, Sergio Brown, James Ihedigbo and Antwaun Molden (yikes!) going up against the likes of a prime Ray Rice, Torey Smith, Lee Evans, Dennis Pitta and Anquan Boldin. Take the missed field goal out of the equation here, as that only leads to overtime, unlike what most Ravens fans would have you believe.

- 2012: Ravens win 28-13, in a game where the Pats, once again, are without the services of Rob Gronkowski, and to make matters worse our best CB Aqib Talib has a "hip issue" mid-way through the first quarter which knocks him out of the game and which leads to another "Hall of Fame" talent in Marquice Cole having to cover Anquan Boldin, who went on to have a monster game. Add in a Ridley fumble at the most inopportune time, again caused by Pollard, and the game was out of reach.

So all in all, I don't honestly believe these past game are a factor whatsoever. Sure, it may give Flacco, Suggs and company some confidence, but they should be confident anyways, they just knocked off their biggest rivals on the road for the first time ever.

Oh and to those claiming the refs may be a factor against the Pats, think about it for a second here: who would the NFL rather see advance, the Ravens or the Patriots? Pure sure another Brady/Manning matchup is worth a whole lot more to the league than Joe Flacco and company going on up to Denver.

Those games show that the Ravens can compete with the Patriots in the playoffs, even on the road. Of course that's a factor.

And you don't need the NFL rigging the referee pool as part of some big conspiracy. All it takes is a ref that likes to call the DPI, to give the game a bit more flavor.

 

[Todd Bradley]

Those games show that the Ravens can compete with the Patriots in the playoffs, even on the road. Of course that's a factor.

And you don't need the NFL rigging the referee pool as part of some big conspiracy. All it takes is a ref that likes to call the DPI, to give the game a bit more flavor.

Didn't say it wasn't a factor, of course it will give them confidence. But you could say the same for the Pats, having these past losses give them extra motivation to beat the Ravens. These intangibles can be pinned anyway anyone would like and they will be for the next week, until the game is played.

As for PI, I would hope these refs will let these two physical teams play. And if PI is your fear, then the Pats will be beneficiaries just as well, you honestly think they won't be mugging Gronk?

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Wouldnt beating one of the 2 teams that finished ahead of them on their own division be a better way of showing you belong? Bmore is a 9-7 team that we should destroy.

Heh heh. We've been having this "back and forth" all week. The Pats already dominated the Colts and Bengals. The Ravens are IMO a different team in January and beating them is a bigger test, but I think we are destined, respectfully, to disagree on this one.

 

[heavyde050]

Baltimore is a team that has a track record of coming into Foxboro and giving us a dog fight. two times they punched us in the mouth, winning comfortably. A third time they punched us in the mouth but we escaped with the win. We were better teams those years as well.

They just won a big road playoff game which has given them plenty of momentum to roll into Foxboro and give us a ball game. So yeah, I strongly doubt that we "destroy" the Ravens, especially when their defensive front can give our OL fits.

In no way shape or form was the 2009 Pats better than the 2014 Pats.

I understand not being super confident but those past games the Pats either were not as good as this year's version or missing a key player.

 

[Kdo5]

In no way shape or form was the 2009 Pats better than the 2014 Pats.

I understand not being super confident but those past games the Pats either were not as good as this year's version or missing a key player.

Agreed. But our offense in 2011 was elite (and Brady struggled badly that day). In 2012 our offense was also good but they got beat down that day. The Ravens have traditionally posed problems for our offense, particularly in the playoffs. yes...no Gronk those games. We shall see if it truly is the difference maker.

Our defense is great but it will still be a slug fest, and no guarantee.