Baltimore Ravens 4 keys on offense vs. Patriots

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Owen Daniels (81) carries the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Sean Spence (51) and Steelers inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons (94) tackle in the second quarter during the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

2. Use Owen Daniels again

The New England Patriots have one of the NFL’s best cornerback duos and one of the NFL’s best free safeties, so they are understandably excellent at defending receivers, especially since they also have solid depth at corner. That said, even Chung’s emergence hasn’t helped the Patriots perform better in coverage, as they were the third-worst team in the league at covering tight ends in 2014.

It isn’t a new issue for the Patriots, as they have seen the likes of the solid-but-unspectacular Scott Chandler tear them apart, so Ravens steady TE Owen Daniels seems to have a favorable matchup on tap. He isn’t an explosive player at this stage, but he still managed to turn four catches in to 70 yards against the Steelers last week and is an important safety valve for Joe Flacco.

The Ravens need to get him involved, because it’s very likely that he’ll see the easiest matchups tomorrow and will be open more often than the Smiths. He doesn’t offer much big play potential, but his steady hands and ability to consistently get open should make him a valuable chain-mover for this offense. In cold temperatures, being a possession guy becomes even more important, and Daniels could see even more than the five targets Flacco fed him last week.

Next: Running game must be consistent