Dec 22, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) shakes hands with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) after beating the Ravens 41-7 at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
The weekend of the NFL divisional round is the best weekend in sports, because it features eight good football teams playing in- what should be- four excellent games. The divisional round of the 2015 NFL Playoffs is no exception, even though the Carolina Panthers finished the regular season with a losing record. Many of these matchups have intriguing backstories that make these games even better. I will give my predictions for each of these games.
Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots:
This is an intriguing matchup, especially because of the success Joe Flacco and the Ravens have enjoyed when playing at Gillette Stadium in the playoffs. Tom Brady is seeking revenge for those losses, and for the first time in years the Patriots have a good defense to compliment him. The Pats weren’t playing their best football towards the end of the season.
In comparison to their mid-season play, the offense was really struggling. The worrisome thing for the Patriots is, that they seemed to have especially struggled against defense with strong front sevens, like the Jets and the Bills. The Baltimore Ravens also have one of the best defensive fronts in the league, featuring players like Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil and other very talented players.In order to put up points against them, they will need good offensive line play.[
Joe Flacco has had an exceptional playoff career, and he will attempt to continue that, this Saturday afternoon. For the Ravens offense, the key will be to be able to run the football. If they can establish a good running game, they will be able to utilize their play action game more effectively. This will be key, because the Patriots secondary is far more talented that the Ravens receiving corps.
The Ravens strength lies in their offensive line, especially if Eugene Monroe is able to play. In order to win this game, the Ravens need to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and I think there is a very good chance of that happening. In the end, I think the Patriots will win in a highly contested game mostly because of their defense. Out of the four games, I think this one has the biggest potential to be an upset. If you would like to read a more in-depth analysis of this game, you can do that here.
Prediction: Patriots 24- Ravens 17
Next: Will the defending champions prevail?