The Pats are finally coming home. Foxboro opens its doors to Patriots fans for the first time this regular season as their bitter rival Baltimore Ravens come to town. The Patriots, after opening the first two games on the road, return home with a 1-1 record. Falling to the explosive Miami Dolphins 20-7 in South Beach. Then knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-14 in a showcase of bland and boring offenses.
Their opponent in their homecoming game? Former MVP super-athlete Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Who open up the season 1-1 as well. Crushing their former signal caller Joe Flacco and the Jets. Then losing an explosive matchup with the Miami Dolphins last week. A game where Tua Tagovailoa threw six touchdowns and looked just as dangerous as the guy across from him. Both teams are at .500, looking to make a big statement. If the Ravens pull this win off? They can be back in the driver’s seat for the AFC North crown. If the Patriots get the upset victory? Maybe there’s some reason to be optimistic about this year for Pats fans.
Enough of the small talk, let’s get this preview underway. Welcome to Foxboro, Baltimore. Set it up, Bailey! Let’s get this preview underway.
Three Keys to The Game
Key #1: Contain Lamar Jackson
Easier said than done, right? Lamar Jackson is a super-human at the signal caller position. He can consistently beat you with his legs, and his arm is not to be disrespected. Playing in a contract year, Jackson is out to show the world his worth. That he is all deserving of the big-time money the Ravens have refused to give him.
So far on the year, the former MVP has passed for 531 yards and six scores. Completing 64.4 percent of his passes. On the ground? Just as efficient as ever. Posting 136 yards rushing and a score. Jackson is one of the most dynamic athletes in the game. Probably the greatest we’ve seen since Michael Vick in 2004. If the Patriots have any chance at all? This is the guy they must stop.
Key #2: Mistake-Free Offense
Listen, the Pats aren’t going to put up 42 points on offense. They’re just not built like that, and that Ravens defense is too good to let it happen again. If the Patriots are going to win, it won’t be because Mac Jones turned into Tom Brady. It’ll be thanks to dominating the run game and owning the time of possession.
The key to beating the Ravens for the Pats isn’t explosive plays. Not with this roster. They need to out-grind and outwork this Ravens unit. Which means a lot of Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson. I have a feeling the passing game will be much tougher sledding this week with Jakobi Meyers all over the injury report this week. Expect a tough ground-and-pound offense in hopes to own the clock and keep Jackson and Mark Andrews off the field as much as possible.
Key #3: Reach Deep into The Bag of Tricks
On paper, I hate the Patriots’ chances in this matchup. The Ravens are just too talented on both sides of the ball. If the only way to beat them is to outscore them? I’m sorry, the Pats just can’t do that on offense alone. They need defensive scores and the defense that New England has just isn’t that dynamic.
So, Bill Belichick and the gang must get creative. What can you pull out that John Harbaugh and the Ravens haven’t seen? The Jakobi Meyers pass in 2020 did the trick, and then the weird formations in the 2014 Divisional Round. If the Patriots have any shot here, they need to get innovative.
X-Factor: Jabrill Peppers
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The Patriots don’t have a lot of guys that can keep up with the speed of Lamar Jackson. I would have said Kyle Dugger was New England’s best bet, but he’s also been on the injury report with Jakobi Meyers.
So, here’s the next best thing. Peppers was signed this past offseason to play the hybrid safety linebacker role that he was famous for at Michigan. I could see him being a valuable asset this week playing a spy role against the dynamic Jackson, and probably being the only one who can slow down the scrambling opportunities. Maybe it won’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but this is their best shot. If Dugger isn’t available, I expect a LOT of opportunities for Peppers this week.
Concluding Thoughts/Prediction
The Patriots and Ravens have an illustrious history with each other. Countless close games, high stakes playoff matchups. They’ve had one of my favorite rivalries since I became a fan in the 2012 season. Belichick and Harbaugh give each other fits. This makes for a coaches’ chess match that all football fans enjoy.
All that being said, I think the talent disparity between these two teams is just too much for the Pats to overcome. You blink and the Ravens can put up 20 points in that time. They’re just so explosive and I don’t know if the Patriots have that same type of energy. I think there’ll be moments where New England keeps it close, but Baltimore will probably blow this game open late, and the score will look a lot less close than the game was. Hope they prove me wrong!
Final Score: 35-24, Baltimore wins (Pats fall to 1-2)
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