Baltimore Ravens 4 keys on offense vs. Patriots
Dec 28, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones (95) before the start of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
4. Shutting down the Patriots pass rush
The Patriots only weakness on defense is their pass rush, but they could do some damage against the Ravens tomorrow. Not only has Wagner been out of the lineup after hitting the injured reserve due to a Lisfranc injury, but Monroe is questionable to play. Monroe will likely suit up, but the Ravens aren’t healthy at tackle and will have a liability in Hurst starting.
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Rob Ninkovich isn’t the most consistent pass rusher around, but he can finish plays and led the team with eight sacks. Yanda should be able to hold him in check, but Ninko has been known to step up in key situations. It’s Chandler Jones, though, who will give the Ravens the most issues, as he would absolutely feast on someone like Hurst. He could even do plenty of damage against Monroe, as Jones is one of the most athletic pass rushers in the game today.
For the Ravens, a big issues will be defending blitzes from inside linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins, who are two of the best blitzing linebackers in the game and have been successful going after the quarterback ever since their college days. These two have ten combined sacks between them, and that’s definitely something to watch for.
The Ravens will have bigger worries than the pass rush when they face the Patriots, but they can’t let someone like Jones or Hightower go off, especially since Flacco will need some time to hit up the Smiths. I mean, the Ravens offense won’t be all about splash plays tomorrow, but they have a great opportunity to neutralize a league-average pass rush and give their QB time to take down a talented-but-not-elite secondary. The Patriots feed off of turnovers and limiting big plays, and the Ravens can minimize Flacco’s mistakes and increase the chances of a big play by dominating the Pats up front.