New England Patriots: 3 Players that must shine vs. Ravens in Week 9
2. Patriots defense
Through eight games so far in the 2019 season, there haven’t been too many defensive units that have performed better than the New England defense up to this point. The Patriots defense has continued to hold opposing offenses in check week-in and week-out throughout the year so far, once again putting that dominance on display in their Week 8 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
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So far this season, New England is allowing opponents to average just 234 yards per game, which ranks second in the NFL behind only the San Francisco 49ers. It also ranks first in the league in points given up per game with 7.6, while combining to allow oppositions to score just a combined 61 points through eight weeks of action, a mark that also ranks the best in the NFL.
The Patriots defense will be faced with a tough test in Week 9 against a Baltimore Ravens offense that has the ability to put up a large amount of points in a hurry throughout the course of any game.
Led by quarterback Lamar Jackson and company, the Ravens are averaging 30.6 points per game through seven contests, which ranks second in the NFL behind only the Patriots with 31.2 points per game. Baltimore is averaging 434.9 total yards per game (second-best in the league), tallying 24 overall touchdowns (tied for eighth in the NFL) on the offensive side of the field.
New England’s defense will have one of its toughest tests on Sunday in Week 9 on the road, but the Patriots have shown the ability to flex their muscles on the defensive end of the field up to this point, which has led them to yet another strong start to the year.