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It does hurt them, but I don't think the Ravens can beat them. I don't think they are very good.
Ouch. Ravens have a pretty good chance to win, with a strong running game, and tough defense. They will need to get in Brady's face on D, and run the ball well to control the clock to keep NE offense off the field.
Not as much as I think a lot will think, Edelman's adequate filler. Baltimore's offense is starting to click and the Pats defense is not good and getting worse. Me thinks Tom Terrific is going to need to pull some of his playoff magic to win this one, given his current health I'm betting on the Rat Birds 27-20
21-27 earlier in the year, NE won. Ravens are a better team now than they were then IMO.
Nothing lasts forever...David Yudkin said:
They'll have the Wr's to beat Baltimore at home. Baltimore isn't that good in terms of the elite in the NFL and I expect New England to win 27-20.David Yudkin said:
Sorry, didn't realize you knew everything & no one else could have an opinion/make a prediction.
He's a Pat's fan. They are a holier-than-thou self righteous entitled group of fans. The 2007 super bowl was proof justice still exists in the world.Sorry, didn't realize you knew everything & no one else could have an opinion/make a prediction.
This is impossible.PatsFanCT said:
Th Ravens defense isn't that good either. On a neutral field I would say it is a toss-up. Since the game is at New England I think the Pats win by 3.
Based on his skill + scheme in NE Welker is a unique player, "adequate filler" is one thing but their offense just lost one of its key guys. You're not going to look to Edelman to convert 3rd downs the way Welker can.I still think they win this week though.MAC_32 said:
Short memory. Back when they played earlier in the year, the Ravens were topping many Power Rankings. Now not so much. I think it will be a very tough game for both teams and will come down to how good of an offensive game plan the Pats coaching staff can put together sans Welker. But their defense (which isn't as bad as it looked in NO or the 4th Q vs. Indy) matches up well with the Ravens and if Wilfork is back, they are good at stopping the run, which is Balto's offensive strength.But I watched the Ravens-Raiders game with a keen eye, and the Ravens simply did not look that great in any phase. Frye was moving the ball with ease, and after that so was JaMarcus. So .....switz said:21-27 earlier in the year, NE won. Ravens are a better team now than they were then IMO.Your Mom said:
That stat could just as easily read "58.3% passer the first two games coming off major knee injury." But yes, obviously Welker will be missed. The hidden headeline though is the 3rd WR. Edelman can move into Welker spot without a HUGE dropoff, but now the Pats have serious problems at #3 WR as Sam Aiken got hurt at the end of the game tackling (drumroll) Bernard Pollard.
Interesting stat. I definitely agree that Welker makes a big difference, but apart from those missed games being very early in the season when Brady was still finding his footing, the team as a whole was still figuring things out, and they still had hope for the ill-fated Galloway experiment. That was brutal.
Edelman had games of 8-98 and 10-103 when Welker was out, so it's not like they will lose 100 yards a game in their passing totals each week. NE will get others to contribute instead of Welker. IMO, the issue will be whether Edelman can make the catches at the same key points in the game as Welker has been able to do time and time again.Not having Welker will be a big blow, but as many have mentioned already NE will go as far as their defense will take them in the post season.In a bizarre way, having Welker out could actually rekindle the concept of spreading the ball around and force them to run more as well. Getting Faulk and Watson more involved in the passing game and using all the backs they have that are finally healthy should make them more balanced and perhaps less predictable.
I think it's accurate to say that Baltimore played its best ball in September, though there have been flashes in the interim. The run defense is still pretty stout but the secondary remains below average and lately there have been disturbing breakdowns in the blitz protection. That's a lot to correct in a short amount of time.Short memory. Back when they played earlier in the year, the Ravens were topping many Power Rankings. Now not so much. I think it will be a very tough game for both teams and will come down to how good of an offensive game plan the Pats coaching staff can put together sans Welker. But their defense (which isn't as bad as it looked in NO or the 4th Q vs. Indy) matches up well with the Ravens and if Wilfork is back, they are good at stopping the run, which is Balto's offensive strength.But I watched the Ravens-Raiders game with a keen eye, and the Ravens simply did not look that great in any phase. Frye was moving the ball with ease, and after that so was JaMarcus. So .....switz said:21-27 earlier in the year, NE won. Ravens are a better team now than they were then IMO.Your Mom said:
I definitely think there's a different rhythm to their offense when Welker is in, and losing him is a huge blow. However, I also feel they have enough talent to survive his absence. It will be tougher (probably more along the lines of the 2006 
Caldwell/Gaffney-led passing attack than the 2007 one) but I wouldn't count them out.
You're welcome to have an opinion/prediction. It's just wrong.Sorry, didn't realize you knew everything & no one else could have an opinion/make a prediction.
