Belichick hits on Ed Reed. Anyone else find this slightly uncomfortable?
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
baltimore ravens
Patriots to face Ravens in AFC Championship
There will be no Cinderella in the AFC this year, as the two best teams in the conference will play for the right to go to the Super Bowl for the first time in a long time.
The Patriots hung on to beat the Ravens in overtime last season in Foxboro. It was a game they had to fight back in, and got huge boosts from the defense and Zoltan Mesko’s punting in the extra session.
Redemption is the story line that is coming to light for the 2011 Patriots. Let’s look back at who’s ended the Patriots seasons since they last won Super Bowl 39:
- 2005: Denver – just pounded
- 2006: Indy – Pats beat them and it looks like Peyton Manning may never play for them again.
- 2007: Giants – TBD
- 2009: Ravens – playing next Sunday.
- 2010: Jets – beat them twice and now watching them implode.
So it’s still in play to effectively right every major loss this franchise has had since it’s last Super Bowl title. There’s definitely something poetic in that.
It should be a great game, and a true test of the direction of the NFL game. Will the team with the best defense win? Or the team with the best quarterback?
NFL Weekend Picks
I’m really bucking the usual PatsPropaganda modus operandi today by making my picks for who will win this weekend, but this is probably the best football watching weekend of the entire year so I feel obligated.
We’ll include both the line and outright winner in case anybody wants to do some mobile NFL betting.
New Orleans (-4) @ San Francisco
I’m taking the Saints both to cover and to win. Maybe in the olden days where “defenses win championships” still applied I’d see the 49ers having a chance, but it’s now a quarterback league and nobody’s playing better than Drew Brees. Alex Smith and Frank Gore would have to play the games of their lives to keep this one close.
Denver @ New England (-13.5)
What kind of a homer blogger would I be if I ever picked against the Patriots in a prediction of any kind? Patriots win and cover. The ingredients for a blowout are all there. Doesn’t mean it will happen, but there’s a very good chance Pats win by 17ish.
Houston @ Baltimore (-7.5)
This one should be close, but I’ll give the Ravens the slight edge because I think their defense and quarterback are a touch better and they’re at home. The Texans should be able to contain Ray Rice with the speed that they have on defense, especially with Brian Cushing, but I just can’t imagine TJ Yates taking out the Baltimore defense in their house, even if Arian Foster has a big day. I lean towards Houston +7.5 on the line.
NY Giants @ Green Bay (-7.5)
The Packers might be the class of the NFC but I’ve seen enough of the Giants over the years to think they can pull the upset off. Let’s not forget how the Patriots beat the Giants in 2007 by a score of 38-35 then lost to them in the Super Bowl. The Packers beat the Giants by the same 38-35 score earlier this year, and I think the Giants will be loose and ready to play. It also helps that Eli Manning has won in Green Bay in the playoffs before.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNO4xsdVd88
2007 Patriots game winning drive vs. Ravens
How about a little 16-0 season flashback? Shows just how lucky you have to get to win all 16 regular season games. Of course an ill-advised Rex Ryan time out and Bart Scott meltdown always help.
We could be seeing the Pats in Baltimore again very soon…
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
https://www.patspropaganda.com/2007-patriots-game-winning-drive-vs-ravens-how/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOWrYurkTO4
Okay, I know this isn’t a Patriots video but Ed Reed’s Top 100 (#5) segment was my favorite non-Pats one and I felt the need to share. Especially after posting two previous not-so-inspiring videos from our own current safety.
Tom Brady likes to joke that Belichick would kidnap Ed Reed if he could, and he has that certain presence on the back end that the Patriots have never really had. Well, let’s be honest, no team has really ever had anyone as good as Reed. Rodney was close, but his presence was just as much about the running game as it was being a major factor that must be dealt with every time you want to pass the ball like Reed is.
But just because I’m a Patriots die hard doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate great players from other teams (even if it’s only to aspire to get them or someone similarly skilled in the blue, red and silver), just be glad I didn’t post Revis’ clip because that one was damn impressive too.
Favorite clip: the hit on the Colt at 4:50.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
https://www.patspropaganda.com/okay-i-know-this-isnt-a-patriots-video-but-ed/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__f3IWoNuqk
Rob Ninkovich Defensive Cut Up: Patriots vs. Ravens
Yup, we’re still dropping Ninko-bombs today as well. Yesterday’s mega Ninko article used this Ravens game as an example of the potential that Nink possesses. Thanks to reader MRM for this cut up of the game so you can see for yourself what I was talking about.
Ninkovich played more in this game than any other in his NFL career and I think it’s pretty clear why.
A couple disclaimers:
- Nink plays both the right and left outside linebacker spots so keep in mind that he changes sides pretty frequently in this game.
- Possibly the biggest responsibility of the outside linebacker in the run game is to force the runner back into the middle of the field. The cardinal sin is to lose contain and allow the running back to gain the edge for a big gain. It took me until two plays into overtime before I saw Nink lose contain.
- He was not used as a designated pass rusher in this game, but the Patriots were in their base 3-4 defense for 75% of the snaps. So he came off the field when the Pats went to sub, but that wasn’t very often.
Mike D. Notes – Thanks to Rich Hill for pointing out that the Patriots do go into subpackage at 3:58 mark. It’s 3rd and 17 and they have 2 defensive lineman, 5 linebackers (2 rushing, 3 dropping), and the standard 4 defensive backs. This is an interesting package, and it seems to me like the Pats were expecting an underneath pass or dump off the Ray Rice. The physicality of the linebackers ensured the tackle would be made before the first down rather than if you had Wilhite and Butler back in coverage.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
https://www.patspropaganda.com/rob-ninkovich-defensive-cut-up-patriots-vs/
