Oct 16, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) and strong safety Patrick Chung (23) celebrate after the New York Jets missed a two-point conversion during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots will begin their run for the Super Bowl this Saturday afternoon against the tough Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have had success against the Patriots in recent years, the most memorable was when they went through Foxborough to win the Super Bowl two years ago. Two weeks ago, they were a long shot to even make the playoffs, and now they are in the divisional round. The Patriots are the big favorite on the AFC side and also for this game, but in the playoffs anything can happen. I will analyze the head-to-head matchups of the two teams and then give my prediction.
Ravens Passing Offense vs. Patriots Passing Defense:
After their win against the Steelers, John Harbaugh called Joe Flacco the best Quarterback in the NFL, which is wildly inaccurate, but Flacco is a good QB who has shown that he is good enough to win a Super Bowl. After his mid-season slump, Steve Smith Sr. has played a lot better in his last two games and has really given this offense a boost. Torrey Smith is a solid complement to Smith.Sr and has improved his play over the second half of the season. Smith has especially excelled in the red zone catching eight touchdowns in his last eight games.
The player who I think will be the biggest threat to the Patriots will be Owen Daniels. Against Pittsburgh, Daniels was the go-to guy on third down and long for Joe Flacco, and the Patriots seem to have issues covering tight ends similar to Daniels. The Ravens offensive line will be a key aswell. If Eugene Monroe can play, the line is very good and should be able to keep Flacco upright for most of the game.
I do think the Pats secondary lines up very well against the Ravens weapons. Darrelle Revis will likely see Steve Smith for a majority of the game and then Brandon Browner could play on Torrey Smith. The Patriots have the advantage in both matchups and should be able to shut down both receivers. If Daniels gives the pats trouble, putting Browner on Daniels could always be an option as well. If Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich and the rest of the Patriots pass rush can put pressure on Flacco, I don’t think the Ravens will have much success passing the football.
Advantage: Patriots (1-0 Pats)
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