Rick: The team that New England should least likely want to see in the playoffs is the Baltimore Ravens. Even though Baltimore looks like to be a 5 seed at best right now, the Ravens know how to win games at Gillette Stadium with Joe Flacco at quarterback and John Harbaugh as the head coach. The Ravens are third in the NFL in sacks with 45 and could get pressure on a Patriots’ offensive line that has struggled over the last few games. Justin Forsett has had a surprising season running the football and Steve Smith Sr. will be a tough receiver to match up against. If the Patriots get the number one seed, the road to the Super Bowl will go thru Foxboro, but the Ravens are definitely not intimidated of the stage and the setting to steal another game from the Patriots as they have done twice before.
Raj: Out of all the teams, I would REALLY hope the Patriots NEVER have to match up against the Baltimore Ravens. Absolutely not. That Ravens team will lose the easiest of games against the worst teams, but they will still play like champions against the Patriots. Part of the reason the Ravens win in Foxboro was because of their defense. Of course this year’s Baltimore D is nothing like the previous one, but it can still make an impact. And then Joe Flacco will play his best football against the Patriots so that’s always something to watch out for. I’m confident that the Patriots can take on any team, except Baltimore. Ravens-Patriots games for me turn out to be games where I’m praying for all 4 quarters. Because honestly, you don’t know what to expect in those games.
Derek: I can’t certainly see why Rick and Raj mentioned the Ravens. In the past five years, the Patriots have lost to Baltimore in the playoffs at Gillette Stadium. However, the 2014 Patriots are not the 2009 squad that was struggling with internal conflicts and had just lost their #1 receiver in Week 17. They also aren’t the Gronkless team of 2012 whose porous defense couldn’t stop Joe Flacco. And let’s face it, the 2014 Ravens aren’t the 2012 team that eventually won Super Bowl XLVII. The mascots may be the same, but if the Patriots and Ravens clash again in the playoffs, the past will have little to do with the outcome and I expect New England to win handily. If there’s any team that should give the Patriots pause, it’s still Peyton Manning and the Broncos. They are the most complete team in the conference outside New England and they should not be taken lightly regardless of how Peyton Manning’s last three trips to Foxboro have panned out.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
