Not your typical Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots game
This is nothing like the classic Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots games:
The Ravens Sunday Night Football game against the New England Patriots doesn’t quite feel the same. The Patriots are a team that has been hurt by free agent departures, COVID-19 opt outs and oh yeah… Tom Brady leaving for Tampa Bay.
In the past, the Ravens would go up to New England knowing that if they did their job right, they’d go back up for the AFC Championship Game. It used to be a battle against the most decorated coach and quarterback duo in the history of the NFL. That genius coach, Bill Belichick is still there, but with a 3-5 football team.
The shape of the entire AFC East is different. The Buffalo Bills are the front runner with a 7-2 record. The upstart Miami Dolphins are 5-3 and riding a four game win streak. The Patriots barely avoided their sixth loss against the Jets. Joe Flacco knows how to go up to Gillette Stadium doesn’t he? Wow! By the way Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh are 1-0 against the Patriots as a head coach and quarterback duo!
Anyway, when was the last time that Baltimore went up for a battle in New England as the easily declared favorite? Beating the Patriots at home seemed like a near impossibility for a long time. The Ravens actually were one of the only teams that weren’t afraid to go up there. Now nobody is all that intimidated.
The San Francisco 49ers beat the Patriots 33-6 in New England. That’s not something that used to happen. Before a Patriots loss would have been a startling game that would have to go to overtime or something dramatic like that. Now, you can go up there, hit them in the mouth and say its yours for the taking.
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At the start of the season, the addition of Cam Newton seemed like a brilliant one. Now the Patriots kind of have a quarterback controversy as Newton has two touchdowns and seven picks. The Patriots have shown flashes this year. They started off the season strong against the Dolphins. They played the Kansas City Chiefs tight with a back up quarterback (until things slipped away).
Bill Belichick is still the coach. The Patriots are going to come into the game well coached and with a good game plan. They just don’t seem as talented as they once were. All of the cracks in the armor that were hidden by one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time are starting to show.
The bottom line:
The Patriots aren’t dead in the water yet they probably aren’t a playoff team this year. That’s the point. This isn’t your same old Ravens vs. Patriots game because the Patriots are a distinctively different team. They aren’t even a shell of what they used to be because this a brand new era, they just kept their coach and some familiar faces. The post Brady Patriots are not a Super Bowl contender, at least not this season.
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The Ravens have to take this game seriously. It’s not like the Ravens have been a world beater that’s rolling through the season without a challenge. They are 6-2 and have struggled at times along the way. The Ravens have to take this game seriously, but this game has never been this there for the taking. Home-field advantage, especially in this pandemic season, shouldn’t matter. That is something we’ve never said about a game in Gillette Stadium.