How Can the Pats Stop the Ravens?

[Kid~Brady]

LJ has basically changed the face of QB play in one season.
At first, everybody said he was JUST a gimmick QB and couldn't throw and only use his legs. WRONG. This kid is just amazing to watch and I'm super happy for him.

Just the fact that the Pats actually had him here in the offseason, man, if we would've drafted him. Bill knows. i truly believe its gonna come down to Pats-Ravens, possibly in B-more cause if they beat SF next week, they are most likely running the table. We still have Texans and Chiefs to play.

 

[Kid~Brady]

It'll be interesting to see how impactful losing Skura is. We know all to well how losing a C hurts the running game

Didn't seem to matter last night

 

[Pape]

...and teams caught up. Namely a historic D like the 2013 SEA

I was thinking more along the lines of the ravens in the super bowl, but 2013 seahawks work as well ... some of those games might be good to look at... see what worked, what didnt... although jackson >>> kaepernick

 

[RobertWeathers]

Didn't seem to matter last night

Nope. Not in the least. Takes time for a sub to be exposed. Hell even Newhouse was ok for his first 3 or so games

 

[Sicilian]

I feel like their gameplan will be better the second time around now that they've seen it first person, especially if they can play it in Foxboro. I've said it before but they lost that game by consistently losing on first down. When you have a good OL, a good RB, a mobile (to put it mildly) QB, and three TE's that can catch the ball, short yardage situations are almost automatic. The offense just has too many options, and there's only so many you can take away.

Jackson has been way better throwing the ball than I thought he'd be this year, but get them in 2nd/3rd and long more often, and I still think it's advantage Patriots with their secondary. We just rarely if ever got to that situation in the first game, but the times we got off the field, that's how it happened.

Also, not giving up a 70 yard fumble return for a TD would help.

 

[luuked]

Just the fact that the Pats actually had him here in the offseason, man, if we would've drafted him.

People would say BB dropped the ball because Brady's time is ticking away and we wasted a first round pick on a gadget QB who cant throw on the bench.

Also after 1-2 preseason games people would vehemently demand for him to be converted into a RB or WR.

 

[PP2]

Until there is actually a matchup with them on the calendar this year there is no point worrying about it. People are wasting so much time and mental energy worrying about things in imagination than in reality.

That being said I thought we had already two of those threads and everything that needed to be said about the Ravens has been said. Repeatedly. Not sure why we need yet another one.

Throw away whatever fronts we used early in the last game, gotta win early on downs to get them into throwing situations, have tight coverage and don't turn the ball over.

If you get LJ to throw not 16 times but 32 times in a game there is a good chance he will throw you 1-2 INTs. And even if he doesn't don't give him throwing windows like the Rams where every practice squad QB would look as efficient.

It's still fun to discuss football strategy. That's my favorite part of football. Sure, the Patriots aren't going to waste time worrying about the Ravens (other than the post-game self scouting they do after every game), but what about us fans, sitting with our thumbs under our asses, fretting and freaking out at every perceived threat?

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Get an early lead maybe, makes it tougher to run the ball. This is the one game I'd be okay with taking the ball first if we win the toss. Their offense hasn't looked human since mid October.

The scary part about Baltimore though is unlike KC last year their defense hasn't looked vulnerable during this dominant 4-5 game stretch. Maybe against us a little bit, but we still only put up 20 despite starting deep in their territory twice. Brady will have to be on his A game and the WR/OL at full strength in a rematch.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Uh, the Chiefs beat the Ravens this very season.

Sure, back in September, when the Ravens weren't the same team...

Besides, this thread is about how the PATS can stop the Ravens in case teams like the Chiefs aren't able to do our dirty work for us.

 

[PP2]

I wouldn’t want to the roll the dice that my QB is 101% healthy going into the postseason because the simple college offense breaks down. That’s the difference between the Ravens everyone else. Probably a good gamble for them, rather than some mediocre QB like Flacco getting hot again. But if Jackson twists an ankle or is hampered at all, the timing and scheme is really blown up. This isn’t like Russell Wilson where he can still just get a few steps of separation to succeed...this is an actual system dependent on the QB’s ability to also act as a RB. There’s a reason the system has been abandoned for many years. The strength and quickness of defenders at this level makes it a ticking time bomb for an injury. Noticed the Rams were really manhandling LJ when they could actually get to him, and I expect that to be the defense’s general goal until someone figures out the right personnel to make the Ravens adjust. Also, what happens in 20 degree weather with snow or rain? Wondering if bad weather gives that offense an advantage or disadvantage.

Baltimore is going to live and die by this system. Remember it took an entire season before the McVay's offense was figured out, then they became irrelevant.

 

[ivanvamp]

No offense, but KC isn't going to be anywhere near the AFC Championship. They simply cannot compete with Baltimore.

They beat them earlier in the year, 33-28. With a healthy Mahomes, KC can score 40+ on anyone. As the Pats have found out. Fortunately, the Pats score a million on them too. But it's perhaps the only way to beat the Ravens, and KC has the horses to do it.

 

[PP2]

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Oh please. So a run first QB isn’t more likely to get injured compared to a pocket passer?

Yes actually.
There's no evidence to support that claim at all.

In fact look at "bigger" QBs, most of them are banged up too.

 

[RobertWeathers]

People would say BB dropped the ball because Brady's time is ticking away and we wasted a first round pick on a gadget QB who cant throw on the bench.

Also after 1-2 preseason games people would vehemently demand for him to be converted into a RB or WR.

...and the eventual Michael Bishop comparisons would ensue.

 

[Kid~Brady]

People would say BB dropped the ball because Brady's time is ticking away and we wasted a first round pick on a gadget QB who cant throw on the bench.

Also after 1-2 preseason games people would vehemently demand for him to be converted into a RB or WR.

I feel like the QB position is changing, shifting I guess.
Like I said, I think even bill sees this pattern because he was interested in this guy.
Look around the league, there are way more "mobile" QBs that can throw. We face another this week.

 

[RIpats88]

the score is abit misleading for the pats/ravens game. As well as the ravens played, a comedy of errors really led to the patriots loss.

The offsides on 4th down that lead to a Touchdown rather than a field goal was huge

but even with that, after the first quarter, the patriots defense settled down and the patriots offense moved like a knife through butter. and JUST as momentum was on our side and we were going in for the score again edelman fumbles for a TD the other way. thats a 14 point swing.

Patriots for whatever reason are always rusty off the bye. I think they will learn from their mistakes of that game.

 

[ivanvamp]

What Eric Mangini said makes sense to me. He said you just drill Jackson every time they run the option. Don't even try to read it, just drill Jackson every time. Then see if he still wants to run the option in the 4th Quarter.

If you don't play the option but just play to drill Jackson, the Ravens will have 35 points by the time the fourth quarter starts and they won't need to run any more option. He'll just hand off or throw short passes. Unless, of course, you take him out of the game, which may be your objective.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Highest scoring offenses all time

2013 Broncos 37.9 PPG

Manning
D. Thomas
Decker
Welker
J. Thomas
Moreno

2007 Patriots 36.8 PPG

Brady
Moss
Welker
Gaffney
Watson
Faulk

2018 Chiefs 35.3 PPG

Mahomes
Hill
Watkins
Conley
Kelce
Williams

Ravens 35.1 PPG

Jackson
Brown
Snead
Boyle
Andrews
Ingram

2011 Packers 35.0 PPG

Rodgers
Nelson
Jennings
Jones
Finley
Grant


No doubt they are on a historic pace. There was a gameplan to either halt or shutdown the top offenses with multiple all-pros at the skill positions. I’m not buying a team with a rookie WR & two JAGs forming their WR group can’t be stopped. There has to be a way to take advantage of that matchup & get more players in the box or the middle of the field

 

[moosekill]

Time and again we have heard that the NFL is going to mobile qb's. The game is going to change, they are the future. Then they get hurt and are gone. QB's get hurt all the time, but usually a qb losing a step because of a tweaked ankle doesn't mean the teams offense completely changes. If a running qb can stay healthy they add an extra dimension to the offense that is very difficult for opponents defenses to contain, especially in this era of pass happy offenses. Anything different than the norm is tough to control. However, that first injury and your team is toast.

 

[Ring 6]

If you don't play the option but just play to drill Jackson, the Ravens will have 35 points by the time the fourth quarter starts and they won't need to run any more option. He'll just hand off or throw short passes. Unless, of course, you take him out of the game, which may be your objective.

I don’t think you are following. The way you defend the option is one defender has the qb and another had the pitch. You simply make sure the unblocked guy has the qb and plants him. You aren’t sacrificing anything, you are accounting for one of the 2 potential runners.