Ravens Are Near Unanimous Choice to Defeat Patriots
The New England Patriots find themselves in an unfamiliar position heading into Sunday night's game against the Ravens: seven-point underdogs at home. That hasn't happened since 2001, Tom Brady's first season as a starter.
Entering this year with 20 straight winning seasons and 16 AFC East titles in 17 seasons, the Brady-less Patriots sit in third place in the division at 3-5. Since 2003, the most games New England lost in a season was six (2005, 2009).
The pundits are near unanimous in their belief that the Ravens will hand the Patriots their sixth loss in Week 10. Of the 47 pundits we looked at, 46 forecasted a victory for the Ravens, who have won 10 consecutive road games, the longest active streak in the league. (ESPN's Seth Wickersham was the only pundit to pick the Patriots).
Of course, Head Coach John Harbaugh won't underestimate any team, much less one coached by Bill Belichick.
"It's a very big challenge, because they have a great coaching staff," Harbaugh said. "They always find ways to scheme up their opponents [in] different ways; we have to try to anticipate that."
Here's a sample of what the pundits are saying about the game:
The Patriots don't match up well against the Ravens.
The Baltimore Sun's Childs Walker: "It feels strange to view a trip to Foxborough, Massachusetts, as a relatively light week on the schedule, but the Ravens are better than the Patriots in almost every area and will benefit from an extra day of preparation. [Lamar] Jackson will need to avoid turnovers against a good secondary, but the Patriots match up poorly against the Ravens' power and don't have enough offensive weapons to keep pace."
NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal: "This was a nightmare matchup for the Patriots last season, even when they had a strong defense. Now Bill Belichick coaches the 31st-ranked group in football, per Football Outsiders' DVOA metric."
The Baltimore Sun's Jonas Shaffer: "The Patriots have allowed at least 24 points in six of their past seven games, and Cam Newton doesn't have a lot of help in the passing game. If New England were even reasonably healthy, this could be a tossup. But the Ravens have favorable matchups in every phase of the game."
It will be a good night for the Ravens' running game.
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco: "The Patriots have problems against the run. … I think the Ravens will go in there and pound the football. Lamar Jackson will run the ball, they will move the football on the ground and keep Cam Newton and the offense off the field."
The Patriots will commit to stopping the run, which will open things up for the Ravens' passing game and wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown.
CBS Sports' Brady Quinn: "We know how good the rushing attack is in Baltimore. We know that's been an issue too for New England this year. So what's going to end up happening is, devoting all those bodies down around the line of scrimmage to stop the rushing attack, including Lamar, is going to make you thin in the secondary. And that's where the speed of Hollywood Brown and some of the other playmakers for Baltimore is going to come into effect. So I think this Baltimore offense, weather pending, is going to have a big game."
Penn Live's Aaron Kasinitz: "The Patriots' pass defense has been boom-or-bust this year. New England ranks third in the NFL with 10 interceptions, but it also has allowed opposing passers to gain 8.8 yards per attempt, the highest number in the league. And if the Ravens want to take advantage with the type of big play that could jolt their offense, the slight and speedy Brown is their best bet. He'll also take on extra value this week if the Patriots follow last season's plan of shading extra coverage to Ravens Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, who ranks second on the team in receiving yards."
With Calais Campbell (calf) likely out, Derek Wolfe's role becomes vital.
Kasinitz: "The Patriots rank sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game, and quarterback Cam Newton's 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame allows him to push past tackles as a runner or whip passes on any given play. It's imperative for Wolfe, a nine-year veteran, and Baltimore's defensive line to generate push against New England and to bottle up Newton. Without Campbell, that challenge expands."
The game will be closer than expected.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio: "I think the Ravens win, but I think Belichick and Co. find a way to keep it close and keep it interesting. … I like the Ravens, 24-20."
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