What to Expect
-With the Pats on Offense
When Tom Brady is at the helm, don't expect anything less than a sprinting pace in-between plays. The Patriots have really worked the no-huddle to perfection in recent weeks, piling up some points on quick drives. The Ravens defense is strong in name and reputation, but at some point, its age will show. Baltimore is a physical team, but if a few extra shoves don't slow things down, it could be a long night for Baltimore.
-With the Ravens on Offense
Although many people have blamed the Broncos for blown coverage on the game-tying 70-yard touchdown pass they gave up to the Ravens, at least some credit is due to Joe Flacco for putting the pass in the right place at the right time. If Flacco throws deep often, Baltimore will pick up big chunks of yardage. Defending the long pass is something New England has struggled with, though Devin McCourty as developed well in the safety position over the course of the season.
-With the Pats' Special Teams
Stephen Gostkowski certainly hasn't been Adam Vinatieri lately, and the man with one of the strongest legs in the NFL has not had nearly as many touchbacks as he did earlier in the year. Zoltan Mesko has had a solid year for New England, but the coverage team (especially on kickoffs) has been suspect at best in recent games. The Houston Texans easily could have had a touchdown in the first drive of last Sunday's game if it weren't for Matt Schaub and his receivers totally crapping out.
-With the Ravens' Special Teams
The Ravens have a young kicker of their own in Justin Tucker, but he ain't no Billy Cundiff. Tucker nailed the game-winning field goal in double-OT last week, although that certainly doesn't mean he's cooler than ice. It will be interesting to see how Tucker reacts if/when he's put in a high-pressure situation this time around. The Ravens clearly have a better return team than the Patriots, so the field possession game may tilt in Baltimore's favor.
Calling an Audible
Although we haven't seen much of it outside of last week's romp over the Texans, the New England runningbacks could be the deciding factor in the game. Shane Vereen's career day on Sunday opened up a whole new section of offensive possibilities for his squad. If the Pats get even close to the same game from Vereen or the steadily improving Stevan Ridley, the Ravens will be in trouble.
As basically every sports media entity is pointing out, this is Joe Flacco's chance to prove he's the elite quarterback he claims to be. He wasn't flashy last week, but was effective enough to win. He'll be going against a sightly worse defense this time, but will be in one of the hardest places to win in January or December over the last decade.
Prediction
Both teams will put up relatively large amounts of points. The Ravens will want a lower-scoring game to boost their chances of winning, while the Pats will try to turn it into a game to 50.
Patriots 37, Ravens 31.
Schedule & TV Info
Watch the game live on CBS at 6:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 20. NFL.com has a live stream. There are three different ways to listen to the game online: via the NFL Audio Pass, the Patriots Radio Network and the Ravens one as well.