Today on a bitterly cold stage in front of a national television audience the Baltimore Ravens will try to get a signature win.
They are making their second straight appearance in the AFC Playoffs with the head coaching of John Harbaugh and the steady play of his young quarterback Joe Flacco.
Last year the Ravens made it all the way the AFC Title game before losing to the eventual World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
But this season they are a 9-7 team that deserves to be in the post season. But the real question is can they beat a team like New England that has been money in the playoffs?
The CBS broadcast team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will call the action from New England. Talking to Simms he feels Flacco is a key to a Baltimore win as is the Ravens focus on Pats WR Julian Edelman.
Simms: “Joe Flacco has not had the second year “sophomore slump” — none of that. Overall he’s played very well. He’s the hitter who might be hitting .250, but you never know when he’s going to hit one out of the park. So that’s what scares you and you have to always be alert. He has a big arm and can make the big throws down the field that wins games. And you always have to be conscious of that and protect against it. He’s had a very, very good second year. Baltimore hit the jackpot when they drafted him. “
Simms:” The big thing is that New England can’t reinvent itself. They have two receivers they’ve thrown to all year, Wes Welker and Randy Moss. I don’t see how they can change in one week. So Julian Edelman is going to have to take the place of Wes Welker and he’s going to have to be relied on just like they would on Wes Welker. They’ll put the same plays in, they’ll expect him to step in and get it done. I think he’s up to it. If Baltimore thinks he is not, they’re making a big mistake. You can see their offense is creative. They have a lot of ways to get that position open. Regardless of who’s playing it, you have to focus on it. I can’t wait to see that.
Marvin Harrison knows how tough it can be for the Ravens to beat the Pats at home and the NBC analyst talked about that element of the game.
Harrison:” “The Patriots are 8-0 at home and they have a lot of veteran players on this team, a veteran coaching staff and this is a team that’s been flying under the radar. The Patriots have struggled, playing on the road. They’re prefect at home, but he’s (Belichick) going to use this strangeness — of them getting their butts kicked on the road, as well as not playing particularly well defensively — to turn that all around into a positive. They’ve always responded to Belichick and that makes me believe that they’re going to beat the Baltimore Ravens.”
The Ravens however have found an ally in former Washington Redskins quarterback and NBC/NFL Network analyst Joe Theismann:”I think that the Ravens can be the surprise team of the playoffs. They have a solid running game with Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. You also have to like how well Joe Flacco has come along as a leader add to that Ray Lewis and a defense that is getting healthy and these guys will be a hand full for anyone.”
Vegas is also a fan of the Ravens
