We're on to Baltimore

[Nunchucks]

People are talking as if the Pats have no change. If people are going to go overboard with describing my point of view. I can use hyperbole myself.

And as for the Ravens game two years ago, I think if Talib goes down again this Saturday and Marquis Cole has to cover Anquan Boldin again the Pats have no chance of winning this game. My point, is people forget the circumstances that wins and losses come. There were specific reasons the Ravens beat the Pats that game which cannot be reproduced this game.

I haven't seen anybody say the Patriots have no chance. The reality is that the Patriots are the top seed in the AFC for a very good reason, they are the most complete team in the AFC and look to be the best team in the AFC. However, that does not stop people from talking about how the Ravens could beat them or give them a good game.

What do you think people should talk about on a football message board? How the Patriots will dominate the Ravens?

I think many of us are too wise to the ways of the NFL to jump head first into that type of talk. Afterall, we are fans of the Patriots, who beat the greatest show on turf...14 point underdog or was it 21 points? I forget.

 

[Rob0729]

I haven't seen anybody say the Patriots have no chance. The reality is that the Patriots are the top seed in the AFC for a very good reason, they are the most complete team in the AFC and look to be the best team in the AFC. However, that does not stop people from talking about how the Ravens could beat them or give them a good game.

What do you think people should talk about on a football message board? How the Patriots will dominate the Ravens?

I think many of us are too wise to the ways of the NFL to jump head first into that type of talk. Afterall, we are fans of the Patriots, who beat the greatest show on turf...14 point underdog or was it 21 points? I forget.

People are saying this o-line has no chance against the Ravens front four and then say this team will go as far as the o-line will take them. What does that mean? The Pats won't win if their o-line is going to let them down and the o-line has no chance on Saturday.

 

[Ring 6]

This is actually a patsfans HOF post. I'll give my response to each point.

I have not seen anybody predict that the Ravens will win this game. I have seen people point out where the Patriots may have trouble with the Ravens and express concern about that area of the team.

The negative posters take any positive comment and view it as a blind homer everything is perfect statement.
The positive posters take any comment of concern as the sky is falling all is lost.
I suppose this is 50/50.

Hyperbole does not help your point of view. The Patriots can very much lose this game to the Ravens, they probably will not, but is it really that much fun to talk about how they are going to stomp all over the Ravens?

I actually think it is less fun to do all of the hand wringing and woe is me stuff. I like to see the glass half full and go into the game with high, but reasonable expectations.
I would MUCH, MUCH, MUCH rather be excited about the game all week and be disappointed at a loss, than be morose all week expecting the worse, then have an anti-climatic win.
I suppose this is 50/50.

No, many of us are measured New Englanders, raised with a sarcastic wit, a negative outlook, and an expectation that all our hopes will come crashing down around us. We talk about how the Patriots could lose, because that is what we do.

In and of itself, I get that, but its the people who seem to enjoy knocking the team, and seem to relish predicting bad so they can exhault in it when the worse happens that makes this board unreadable at times.

Notice the key word is "could" not "expect".

Besides that, I watched them lose to the Ravens last year, live. I saw the same nonsense about how the Patriots will blow them out of the building...the only people downtrodden that day were the legions of Patriots fans walking back to their car being heckled by purple cameo wearing Ravens fans and their silly chants.

See now I was there as well for the AFCGG, with my son who was 12 at the time. That is exactly why I wanted to play the Ravens again. I want to be at the win over them that leads to the next SB Championship. It is also why I want Denver to win this week, so we can avenge last year.
I just can't see wallowing in that we might lose.
I think the wallowers have blown the Ravens up into a better team than they are, just as some do with every decent team we face.
Let's not forget when Christian Fauria predicted we would go 1-5 in the 6 games we went 5-1 in, more fans were on his side, than on the side of 5-1. I wold much rather be in an atmosphere that looks forward to a challenge than one that fears failure. Given the long term success of this team, if you cannot be optimistic and look forward to the challenge, you never will.

 

[IllegalContact]

this pats team is much more complete and much healthier than any any of the previous 3 games.....major major flaws with all 3

the 2009 version was without their primary WR, their best RB was a 33 year old faulk, a TE named chris baker and the defense was in complete flux both at DE and DB.....the game was over from the very beginning

the 2011 version had a defense that couldn't stop anyone.......they played poorly against the ravens and still won with some luck

the 2012 version wasn't much different from the 2011 version....minus gronk....teams could execute any passing offense they wished

the common thread across these 3 years is that as a team, the pats were very non-athletic and non-physical on both sides of the ball

I also expect the pats OL to respond.......much like they did after the chiefs game......all the OL pieces are back together, and I would not be surprised if the pats gave the ravens a dose of cameron fleming the TE....it's been buried for awhile but completely successful whenever they have used it.

there's another real wildcard ...... forsett in the cold??? 5 years ago he got some carries as the seahwks were getting blown out, but that's actually the last time he's played in the cold.....smith sr? same thing......torrey smith? same thing.....owen daniels? same thing........

I see a perfect storm.......I see the ravens getting trashed

 

[patsfanincleveland]

After re watching the 2011 and 2012 AFC Championship games(not that they in anyway matter) I noticed two things. Before I get to that, I was expecting to see Brady being harassed in both of these games. The protection wasn't great, but i definitely expected to see him hit a lot more. That being said, In both of those games there were two distinct problems, turnovers and the inability to finish drives. 4 times we got inside the Baltimore 35 and came away with no points (2012).

Bingo

We have a winner.

In 2012, Baltimore didn't have good defense......They did have an outstanding red zone defense.

Anybody care to gander if having Gronk might have helped in this respect?

Couple that with out friend Talib going down and producing the mismatch the Ravens (admirably) exploited with Bolden.

Once the Ravens got the lead it became a need for TD's. Had Talib not gone down, the offense would have scored in the 24-28 range and a 10-14 victory would have been realized.

 

[letekro]

Not that this has any effect on this game like none of the other prior games have any effect yet people continue to pound the table using that as a reason why Ravens can and will win

Baltimore had basically the same DL has this year last year when Pats went into Baltimore with a worse receiving corp, an OL that was worse than what this OL has been when all 5 starters are healthy and routed them.

Well, Brandon Williams I don't think played and he is a substantial upgrade over Mt. Cody. Plus, McPhee and Dumervil played, but their production has skyrocketed this year (maybe PEDs in Dumervil's case), with a jump of 13.5 sacks between the two of them. I would caution about reading much into that game. Both teams were badly banged up and neither looked good on offense. Worse on the Ravens side with Flacco on a sprained MCL. Pats had only 300 yards of offense but won the turnover battle 4-0 and scored 2 defensive TDs.

 

[Pacific Coast Patriot]

Homer post coming up but ...

These are the games that I live for. Games we'll look back on... let's say we beat the big bad Ravens on Saturday, then Manning's weapon loaded Broncos next week... and then the reigning champion Seahawks in Arizona... How proud will you be looking back on that run?

It takes a team of champions to pull this off. As I look at who we have in our locker room, I see players like Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Darrelle Revis and Vince Wilfork and I sure as heck know the other teams don't want to play us.

On Saturday night we need to come out all guns blazing - Brady fist-pumping the crowd, Browner smashing Smith so he doesn't know what day it is and Gronk destroying Suggs into the turf. IF YOU'RE GOING TO THE GAME, BRING THE NOISE.

If we set the tone early, Ravens are going down.

 

[juny]

Jeff Zrebiec ?@jeffzrebiecsun 7m7 minutes ago
Torrey Smith said he's studying Browner more than Revis. Expects to see him a little more but preparing for both.

 

[supafly]

I don't believe they can cover Gronk, period, I would go two TE and empty backfield early , or use Vereen with two TE and LaFell and Edelman wide and test their secondary and the ability of their LBs to cover, I don't believe they can do it. Suggs, Upshaw, and Dumervil are all pass rushers and can't cover anyone, and Mosely is no great shakes in that department as well. So you have a bad secondary and LBs who can't cover, Brady should have a field day with that. Ed Reed isn't back their to save their bacon anymore, time to make them pay for that.

Yeah, I'm expecting a Tim Wright sighting--for sure.

 

[Huckleberry1]

It is just blind hope.

It sounds like the game may be just to scary for you. You shouldn't watch.

 

[New England Pride]

The other big advantage for us in this matchup is that for 3/4 of the season, BB has refused to come out of nickel to stop the run, demanding that his D can defend the run from nickel, which it did very well. That gives us a great deal of confidence in the scheme to defend a balanced offense.

Alot of speculation New England won't be in the nickel nearly as much this game. What's your take?

 

[Dutchmaster617]

While I think we win 23-20 in a dogfight, everyone is on BAL and talking about how they are not afraid and can/will beat us.

That makes me think we may blow them out, usually it is all Pats love in the media and we choke but now that we are treated as a sixth seed I have a feeling things won't go the way it usually does against BAL. So while I don't agree with the homers here, I do side with them on the fact that I enjoy being slept on and overlooked.

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Absolutely. Just blind hope. It has nothing to do with them having a top three scoring offense again this season, or their 12-4 record and HFA. In fact the Patriots didn't go 12-4 and in fact they sucked as bad as their critics said they did and aren't even in the playoffs, we're imagining this and making this sh.t up. The unbeatable Broncos are already in the Supper Bowl and Brady is belting shopped for a late round pick while the Kraft's try to convince Charlie Casserly to take over the team.

On the other hand maybe the chicken littles should shut their pieholes given that they were 100% wrong about this team all season.

What do the Broncos have to do with anything?

I think this game will be tougher than facing DEN, DEN can't beat us at NE.

 

[Dutchmaster617]

It sounds like the game may be just to scary for you. You shouldn't watch.

*too

And you are wrong, saying it will be close doesn't make me any less of a fan than the homers who say it will be 41-7, we all are allowed to have an opinion dude stop being a ****.

 

[Mack Herron]

I am not dismissing it. I am just countering the people who are going overboard the other way (especially the ones who point to the Bills' game as part of their proof). When Connolly is healthy and they have their starting line up in there, I don't have a lot of concerns. They are a good group as a whole. The big concern if someone gets injured and is less than 100% or out. That is where the problems are.

If saying they played well in the middle of the season with their starters all healthy is not much of an argument, how is saying they played like crap with 2/5 of the line and their two best receivers being out is a strong argument?

You misrepresent what I actually said. You asserted that when the Pats OL starters play they handle tough DLs. I pointed out that this has not been the case and that several games where the starters played, the offense has been inconsistent. The response was to ignore everything after the Green Bay game and claim that one of the last 5 games they won by a lot of points, as though that somehow counters the argument that the offense has been inconsistent at best for more than a month. The follow-up is to dismiss the Bills game, which continues to confuse the poor offensive play with the reason for the poor play. There is no doubt that the offense has not been playing well since December. The discussion concerns the possible reasons for the poor play. You toss the Bills game because we were not trying to win, you toss the Dolphins game because we had a good quarter, and you throw out a couple of other bad games because you claim Connolly was injured even though he started and none of us really knows how healthy he was or will be Saturday. None of this rationalization negates the fact that the offense has not been playing well nor does it support an argument that it will play well Saturday.

I expect the Patriots to win, but I have been around long enough to know that people can create all sorts of reasons why their team should win, and it is rarely so simple. Since December, the Pats offense has been erratic. Most point to the OL as the reason, but it not so clear because it has not been just one guy. Meanwhile, in more than a month the Ravens defense has allowed more than 20 points only once. So recent games show that the Ravens defense is playing well, and the Patriots offense is not. The Ravens have been getting hot at the right time and I the Patriots have not. If you are confident the Patriots will put up big numbers and run away with it, more power to you. People who see a capable opponent also have their reasons.

 

[patsfan06]

Why?

Cause their defense is the worst they've ever had facing us in the Brady era. Our defense is the best it's been since 2003 and Gronk.

 

[sb1]

What do the Broncos have to do with anything?

I think this game will be tougher than facing DEN, DEN can't beat us at NE.

They most certainly can. Really have no clue why people insist the Broncos will be fodder for the Pats on the way to Arizona. Anyone who really feels that way is in for a nasty surprise IMO. I mean it's not like Peyton Manning hasn't won big in this stadium before.

I dread a matchup with the Broncos much more than the Ravens game. It's in the Pats Super Bowl best interest that Indy finds a way to pull off a monster upset in Denver... of course assuming the Pats move on after this weekend.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I agree. Some people are just outright making stuff up with Flacco's failures, etc. For the record, here are his last 5 playoff games:

5-0 record
13 touchdowns
0 interceptions

They've certainly proven themselves to be a worthy foe. Luckily, if our OL holds up and our defense (finally, we can say this!) does too, we should be able to move on. It probably won't be easy though, as many are expecting a dogfight. The hope is that our defense can cause a turnover or two and really help things out.

My main concern is seeing our receivers jammed at the line and funneled towards the middle of the field with 7+ in coverage (when they don't blitz), which will buy their front four an extra second or two to get to Brady.

Sup, not sure where you concluded I was making stuff up about Flacco. I stated, using his/Ravens 2014 performance, that they have not shown potency or dominance except last week, mostly against mostly the flotsam and jetsam on the league, and their last 5 games of the season were far from a scary team Further, I questioned, is the belief that the Rvaens are scary because pre 2014 and last week?

The Ravens, except last week, have not been a scary team. I, unlike many if not most, don't buy into last year or three years ago they were scary, so they are scary now. The 2014 Patriots are the 2014 Patriots, they are not the 2013 Patriots. The 2014 Ravens are not the 2013 Ravens. And if my opinion is a distinct minority, well, so be it.
Me, personally, I do not get this whole Ravens fear. If the week 5 thru week 13 OL shows up I expect the Patriots to dismiss the Ravens -- just as they have dismissed similar AFC teams (when the OL has shwn up). If our OL doesn't show up? All bets are off....

Peace brother!

 

[Froob]

After re watching the 2011 and 2012 AFC Championship games(not that they in anyway matter) I noticed two things. Before I get to that, I was expecting to see Brady being harassed in both of these games. The protection wasn't great, but i definitely expected to see him hit a lot more. That being said, In both of those games there were two distinct problems, turnovers and the inability to finish drives. 4 times we got inside the Baltimore 35 and came away with no points (2012).

That cannot happen again. There's nothing I hate more than punting inside the opponents 45 on short yardage. Seemed to happen a lot that day. Have to have some balls.

 

[Ring 6]

Alot of speculation New England won't be in the nickel nearly as much this game. What's your take?

I expect a lot of nickel. We've done well vs the run from it. I'm guessing 75% nickel or dime depending on situations.