We're on to Baltimore

[mosi]

I have said this before and will say it again. The Colts once represented what Baltimore was. When they left, the city changed. Now the Ravens are a perfect representation of what Baltimore has become. And what it has become is a shthole. Pardon my french. A city of thugs and gangsters. And yes, I am actually from the Baltimore area!

 

[Connecticut]

Brash Ravens crash Big Ben, and look to do same to Tom Brady and Patriots

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/brash-...same-to-tom-brady-and-patriots-074802632.html


Oh boy. Here we go.

 

[Deus Irae]

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?

1.) TEs don't get the same respect that WRs do on DPI calls.
2.) The big strike IS the Ravens offense, so every DPI they get is significant. That's not true, to the same extent, with the Patriots.

I look at these two teams and I see 3 possible outcomes to the game:


Patriots win big
Patriots win a close/tough game
Ravens win a close/tough game

I don't think any of those outcomes is an unreasonable expectation.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Yup. If we want to win it all, we're going to have to win some games against good teams. There's no way around it. I'm personally glad we have to play a physical team in the divisional round. That will be a good test, and if we can't handle it then we don't deserve to advance.

This is exactly how I see it. Winning a Lombardi is hard and starting out with a physical opponent is exactly what you want. The Patriots know it is going to be hard flight and a fistfight and will be ready for it. Belichick has been preaching to this team that they are a blue collar team and has had them in pads as much as possible and facing the Ravens just drives that home. I like this test and if the Patriots can't beat the Ravens at home then they were not going to win a Lombardi anyways.

Go Colts, I don't believe Cindy can beat Denver in Denver and even though the Colts are seriously flawed I think Luck may be able to have a big game and pull off the upset.

 

[102 Pat]

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

The officiating can't get any worse than what it was in the games yesterday. I still can't believe Hochuli got a playoff grade.

 

[patsfanincleveland]

Probably because 3 of the 4 teams in their division qualified for the playoffs and they provide a perennial, battle tested contender every year.

Say what you want about the AFC North but it's a brutal division. Even the Browns, the normally sucky Browns play tough defense.

Obviously, someone hasn't watch the division to the extent "incleveland" provides.

Playoff qualification has more to do with 8 games against the south divisions.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Every time this team faces an easy opponent in the divisional we end up getting bounced later on - houston, tebow-led broncos, colts. Maybe getting over this ravens hump will give them confidence going to the AFCG.

 

[patsfan06]

Every time this team faces an easy opponent in the divisional we end up getting bounced later on - houston, tebow-led broncos, colts. Maybe getting over this ravens hump will give them confidence going to the AFCG.

Personally, I think this is gonna be an easy opponent.

 

[Ring 6]

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.

I cod argue they will win because I'm going to wear my lucky shirt and that will mean as much as the 2009 and 2012 games.

 

[dannydyn]

Other than the O-line, my other concern is flacco airing it towards browner, knowing it will be a sure PI call.

 

[Whitt25]

Every time this team faces an easy opponent in the divisional we end up getting bounced later on - houston, tebow-led broncos, colts. Maybe getting over this ravens hump will give them confidence going to the AFCG.

I actually really like this perspective. A lot.

 

[SalemPats]

This is not the Ravens team of old, but here we go again. I don't expect this game to be close, 31-9

 

[Tunescribe]

Other than the O-line, my other concern is flacco airing it towards browner, knowing it will be a sure PI call.

Is "pessimism" a way of life for you?

 

[dannydyn]

Is "pessimism" a way of life for you?

I like to think of it more as prophecy... [emoji6]

 

[Brewskies]

No he are not the Colts are on to New England

 

[Connecticut]

Positive thoughts everyone, positivity..

We have Blount Force Trauma
We have Tommy Boy
We have Revis Island
We have Browner the Enforcer (What can Brown do for you?)
We have Big Vince
We have GRONK (FRIGGEN GRONK)
We have Sneaky little Edelman
We have a refreshingly good Amendola
OUR DEFENSE IS ACTUALLY SOLID
We have BB


We got this.

 

[obgod3]

Other than the O-line, my other concern is flacco airing it towards browner, knowing it will be a sure PI call.

And Browner punishes the WR who never makes another catch all game.....

 

[TomPatriot]

I wouldn't be salivating if I were the Ravens. They could stop Harris with 7 in the box. Without Bell they didn't have to worry about screens, flats or slants. Nary a word about Vereen, who is almost as much of a ***** to cover as Bell on all those plays. They have to plan for Gronk and Edelman and him. Oh, and don't forget Blount. He ain't James Harris.

This is like a Division game because each team knows the other really well. Against the Steelers, the Ravens were mostly using the same defensive schemes they used against the Pats in the AFC Championship in 2012. If McD can't scheme against that, Pats need a new OC; time for him to do his job and I predict he will. But he can't execute for them.

If you watched film from that game you saw the Ravens physically dominate. The Pats spent the last two years getting bigger and more physical in large part because of that game. Time to see if that strategy worked.

 

[TomPatriot]

Personally, I think this is gonna be an easy opponent.

Why?

 

[rochrist]

I thought Pitt was going to win because they are a frightful scare for the Patriots to try and somehow beat? I hate when another team wins and discombobulates which team is a frightful scare for the Patriots to try and somehow beat.
At least now that the game is over it's good to be absolutely certain it is actually the Ravens that are petrifying to somehow beat.....

Pittsburgh is a frightful scare for the Pats?