Both the Patriots and Ravens suffered close losses last week that could have easily been victories. The Pats fell to the Cardinals due to a missed field goal at the end of the game, while the Ravens lost by one to Philadelphia.
Both teams will be looking to bounce back after their respective losses.
New England Patriots
The Patriots were basically handed a chance to win against Arizona last week, which was botched by a missed Stephen Gostkowski field goal. A loss cannot be blamed on one player, but he had a chance to get his team to 2-0.
Stephen Gostkowski missed a late field goal last week that could have won his team the game. (Photo by Keith Allison via CC BY-SA 2.0)
It is a new week for New England, and one that will see them go up against a defense that has allowed yardage ranked near the bottom third of the league. The Ravens are allowing an average of 129 rushing yards per game through the first two week of the season, along with 275 passing yards.
Stevan Ridley is already averaging 98 rushing yards a game for the Patriots, which is tough for defenses to prepare for. With Tom Brady consistently nearing the 275 yard mark in every game, Ridley adds a new dimension to the Patriots offense often overlooked in the recent past.
Baltimore Ravens
After a dominating performance in Week 1 over Cincinnati, the Ravens dropped a 24-23 contest against the Eagles last week. The Eagles racked up more turnovers, four, but still found a way to defeat Baltimore.
Baltimore will have to have a better performance on offense this week, considering the Patriots allow 62.5 rushing yards per game and only 202 passing yards per game on average.
Ray Rice should be able to break the average yards allowed by the Patriots this season, considering he will be the first true challenge for that defense. He is the main threat in the running game and will be the focus of the defense.
Joe Flacco should also be able to overcome the average passing yards allowed by the Pats’ defense, considering he has weapons such as Rice, Torrey Smith, and Dennis Pitta in the receiving game.
Patriots-Ravens Prediction
This game will be close throughout, but the Patriots will find a way to win in the final minutes, unlike last week.
Patriots 23 | Ravens 20
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New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens
- Patriots-Ravens Date: Sunday, September 23
- Patriots-Ravens Kickoff Time: 8:20 PM (Eastern)
- Patriots-Ravens TV Network: NBC
- Patriots-Ravens Point Spread: Ravens -3
- Patriots-Ravens Over-Under Odds: 49
About Steve Kubitza
