Patriots vs. Ravens Preview

This game should be an absolute bloodbath. It's no secret to anybody that these teams really hate each other, Terrell Suggs has come out and said he hates Tom Brady multiple times. He even had a feature on ESPN just this morning saying, "I hate him, I hate his hair." Well i've got some news for you Terrell, you look bizarrely similar to one of the Orcs from Lord Of the Rings, and you only won a super bowl because your defensive leader slipped through the legal system like the second coming of O.J. Simpson.

The Patriots will be going into this game with starting left tackle Nate Solder, who I think is as big of a loss as Tight end Rob Gronkowski. Solder has been one of the strongest performers on this year's team, and his play even led NFL.com to rank him as the most valuable offensive lineman in the game on October 31st. Solder is a beast, and had been doing his best job to bolster the line after Sebastian Vollmer went down for the year. His injury forces Logan Mankins to switch over to the starting left tackle position, and further complicates the situation for a bruised and battered offensive line.

Even with all of the teams injuries, I think that the Patriots will be able to rally around their teammates and win this game. Tom Brady knows how important this game is, as its outcome could clinch a playoff spot for both teams. Baltimore has a very strong defense this year, but their offense has struggled all season. They have the big names at skill positions, including Ray Rice and Torrey Smith, but their offensive line has been in shambles in all of their big games. This has shut down any semblance of the former smash mouth offensive identity that the Ravens have had. Ray Rice hasn't been given good blocks or any running room, and the offense has struggled to perform as a result.

Joe Flacco has also had his fair share of struggles this season. Once again, this is due to the play of his offensive line. Flacco has one of the strongest arms in the league, and he hasn't been given sufficient time to make the down field throws that he normally lives off of. Look for Chandler Jones to get after Flacco throughout this game. He is going to present huge problems for the Ravens shoddy O-line, and he will look to build on the 11.5 sacks that he's already collected this year.

People like to forget the job that the Pats defense has done this season. They have had their struggles as a unit, especially against the run, but I can't see the Ravens running the ball well in this game. Baltimore has the 4th worst rushing attack in football (Yikes) and this will not change against the Pats front seven.

Tom Brady is going to continue throwing the ball extremely well in this game. Since his worst statistical game in his career on October 27th against the Dolphins, Brady has thrown for over 300 yards in five out of six games (would've been 300 in Carolina if the ref had thrown a flag). He's really been clicking with his receivers as of late, namely Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. If these guys can both stay healthy, both of them could easily surpass 100 yards receiving in this game. Edelman currently has 89 catches and 914 yards receiving this season, so a 10 plus catch effort could put him at 100 catches and 1,000 yards.

Even with the Solder injury, I think that the Patriots will win this game in the trenches. The Ravens will keep it close throughout, but the Pats will take the lead in the fourth quarter and hold on to it. Too much on the line for Belichick and Brady in this one.

The Milf Slayer