The undefeated (8-0) New England Patriots will be heading to Baltimore to battle the Ravens and their leader Lamar Jackson. This will be the first test for the Patriots defense on the season as they face off against one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. The Patriots schedule hasn’t been tough at all and this will be their first true test so we can see what they’re really made of. One thing we know about Bill Belicheck is that he’s going to try to take away the best player but in this case, it’s the quarterback. The Patriots don’t want Jackson to get comfortable in the pocket at all and want him to try and force throws all night. Jackson has been great at decision making this season as he has shown when to run and when to throw.
This season Jackson has a lot of playmakers alongside him as they brought in Mark Ingram for big games like this so they can try to run the ball and clock to keep Tom Brady off the field. Ingram has been able to ground and pound all year which has helped Lamar get his throws off keeping the defense honest. The Patriots will have their hands full as the Ravens have some great receivers as well. Hollywood Brown and Mark Andrews have been huge targets for Jackson all season so they will try to continue that against the best defense in the NFL. The Ravens did improve on the defensive end as they now have Marcus Peters and Earl Thomas in the secondary trying to shut down some of Brady’s weapons in the receiving core. The Ravens and Patriots have always been a good rivalry and the Ravens will do whatever they can to make sure they get the win.
The Patriots have the best coach and best quarterback in the NFL and they’ve shown that all season with their start. This is the most complete Patriots since the 2007 season and the defense has been unbelievable this season. The way the defense has played this season has been a breath of fresh air for Tom Brady and the offense. This defense has had a light schedule but they have been destroying all the teams in their way. This defense doesn’t allow any touchdowns and they don’t like anyone throwing on them either. The Patriots lead the NFL in takeaways and that has helped Tom Brady be able to have a great field position and also it has put the offense in a better position to win. The Patriots lost Gronk, Gordon, and have a banged-up James White but this hasn’t stopped them. The Ravens will try to make it tough on Brady but the way this run game has been kicking it into high gear with Sony Michel has been a huge turnaround from the beginning of the season. It seems like the Patriots can throw anyone on the offensive side and Brady will make them look like a star.
This Patriots team can beat you in all phases of the game it seems like this season and the Ravens would have to play a perfect game to even have a chance to win. The Patriots offense, defense, and special teams have been excellent all season long and will try to confuse the Ravens throughout the game. The Patriots will be leaning on Julian Edelman heavy in the offseason like they have all season if they want to win this game. Julian Edelman has become the safety blanket for Tom in this offense and the Patriots can’t overlook the Ravens at all as this should be a great Sunday Night Football duel.
Score Prediction: New England Patriots Win (34-24)
Recent Comments