Baltimore Ravens vs New England Patriots: 3 Bold Predictions

Nov 23, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner (39) during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

If the rhetoric on Twitter is to be believed, this week’s AFC Divisional matchup between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens is the big one, the rivalry to end all rivalries.

At the heart of this, though, are two model franchises, renowned throughout the NFL for their stability and teambuilding procedures.

And, of course, the Ravens are again the subject of doubt, as the Patriots are favorites by seven.

So Vegas made its prediction. Here are three of mine.

Another five sacks for the Ravens’ pass rush

If New England has a weakness on offense, it’s the offensive line. Sure, Tom Brady was only sacked 21 times this year (including sacks of Jimmy Garoppolo, the Pats gave up 26 sacks total), but that’s more of a testament to his quick release than to his offensive line play. Despite the lack of sacks, the Patriots gave up a total of 113 hurries and 54 hits this year, hardly inspiring numbers.

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The big if here is if the Ravens can take away the quick passing game. Brady loves nothing more than to hit Julian Edelman or Rob Gronkowski for a quick pass then let them make a play. Since the Patriots lack a true deep threat, the Ravens can afford to focus on these short passes, with the added benefit that taking away the short pass will be a huge help to the pass rush.

And make no mistake, this Ravens pass rush should feast on the Patriots’ sub-par offensive line.

Terrell Suggs will take on left tackle Nate Solder, a talented player who never quite looks comfortable. Suggs, with his veteran savvy, should dominate that matchup.

Better yet for the Ravens, Pernell McPhee and Haloti Ngata rushing up the middle should cause nightmares for Ryan Wendell, Bryan Stork and Dan Connolly. The Patriots, especially Connolly, give up a ton of interior pressure, which should cause a lot of problems for their passing attack.

With the matchup vastly favoring the Ravens, and Dean Pees showing more aggressive coverages in the playoffs, expect another five sack performance from this mighty pass rush.

Another poor rushing performance from the Ravens

Considering how things have gone the past several weeks, I’m not sure predicting a poor rushing performance is really that bold anymore. The offensive line is in shambles, Justin Forsett has worn down a bit and defenses have sold out to stop the run. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Because it’s the playoffs, the Ravens will run the football frequently as long as they are in the game. In total, the Ravens ran a balanced attack with 29 passes and 25 rushes despite their paltry average of 2.1 yards per rush against the Steelers last week.

Expect a similar total against a New England front seven that far surpasses the Steelers for quality. The Patriots are both extremely stout and athletic up front, possessing the speed to limit runs to the outside and the bulk to shut down interior runs.

If there is hope for the Ravens, it will need to be between the tackles. This Patriots defense is just too fast for the Ravens to succeed off tackle, but some running backs have found success against them with decisive inside running.

So while there is hope, there’s not much of it. Expect the Patriots to dominate this aspect of the game, holding the Ravens below three yards per carry.

Brandon Browner will be a huge liability

There is a perception that the Patriots have two of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, so an opponents top-two receivers don’t have a chance.