Patriots Roll Broncos, Set for AFC Championship Game with Ravens
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- Published on Wednesday, 18 January 2012 11:52
- Written by ANDY DEOSSA
All that means is that Tim Tebow’s season is over and the Patriots will be hosting the AFC Championship game on Sunday.
Their opponent — the Baltimore Ravens. If there’s one team that Pats fans don’t want to face in the playoffs, it’s Baltimore. (See: 2009 wild-card round) But, this is a completely different year with two slightly different squads that could make for an epic battle.
First order of business for New England is to get off to a good start. In their 2009 matchup against the Ravens, Ray Rice broke an 83- yard TD run in their first play of the game. That’s what they need to avoid. Do not let Baltimore get the momentum early, especially in your home stadium.
Last week against the Broncos was a textbook example of how to start a game. Why Denver won the toss and deferred is beyond me, but the execution from the Pats offense was flawless. Five plays, 80 yards, a minute and 51 seconds and most importantly, seven points.
New England’s ability to score points is evident but they will be up against the toughest defensive squad they’ve seen since November 6th (New York Giants), the last time they lost a game.
Baltimore has a dynamic unit with experience and flexibility to adjust easily in any situation. Tom Brady is well aware of that as he praised Ed Reed for his skills, telling reporters, “He’s fun to watch from a quarterback’s standpoint because you really appreciate what he’s able to do. It’s a great defense and he’s one of the leaders. … Ed’s as good as anybody.”
However, the true matchup will be between the Patriots young tight ends and the Ravens linebackers. Rob Gronkowski showed on Saturday why he’s such a threat, catching ten passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns. Not only does Brady have Gronk, but he has Aaron Hernandez too. Between blitz packages and focusing on the TE’s, Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and the Ravens LB’s have a lot to prepare for.
And that’s only two receivers. Besides being the core of that offense, Gronk and Hernandez also help spread the field, giving Wes Welker and Deion Branch room to open up in the slot.
On the other side of the ball, the Patriots defense needs to make an early statement, too. Tom Brady and Joe Flacco both threw the same amount of interceptions (12) during the regular season, so don’t expect a lot of turnovers from the Ravens offense. What will be crucial for New England is pressuring Flacco.
Baltimore likes to throw deep, and with receivers like Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin, they have a clear advantage over the Pats secondary. Rushing Flacco will force quick passes and avoid those down field bombs that have worked so well for the Ravens in the past.
The top two seeds in the AFC will face-off on Sunday, at 3PM, in Gillette Stadium. Winner punches its ticket to Indianapolis in what could be a possible rematch of the Patriots-Giants 2007 Super Bowl.
“It’s going to be hard fought and fun at the same time,” said Reed. “We’re coming in and they know it.”
Notes:
Patriots are 6-1 all-time in AFC Championship games. They have never lost an AFC Championship game at home … The Pats are also now 12-3 at home in the playoffs in their history. 14 of their 15 home playoff games have taken place since Robert Kraft purchased the team 17 years ago.
