Ah, yes. Or should I say, ‘Oh, no’? We knew they’d be back.
They knew it too. It’s scary to think of what may unfold tonight when the
Ravens host the Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium.
After a stunning loss at home, due in part to Gostkowski’s
Cundiff-like kick, the Patriots enter this contest as underdogs with much to
prove to their fans.
You can be assured that there will be no bounties necessary,
as this Baltimore Ravens squad is so pissed at how their season ended – side
note: I can remember walking out of my building screaming “Woo! Cundiff!” in
the moments following the kicker’s monumental collapse in the AFC Championship
game; Great times. - and will be ready to punch this Patriots team
square in the jaw.
Joe Flacco has started this season determined to silence the
chorus of critics that broke down his gross inconsistencies throughout his 2011
campaign. Flacco has looked above average to this point, and has the capacity
to break down a questionable Patriots secondary if the Defensive Line fails to
play its cards right.
Not to be forgotten, Ray Lewis will be in uniform tonight,
as he has been for every matchup against the Patriots. Lewis, a 17 year veteran
of the NFL, has more heart and determination than a frat boy in a flag football
league – just balls to the wall heart. Lewis doesn’t forget, and he knows the
road to his second ring goes through New England. #52 came to play tonight, and
will be an insurmountable force for New England’s offense.
They won’t get slaughtered, they won’t be shutout, but there
is no such thing as a pleasant loss. Thus, I believe this team will take its second
loss of the 2012 season on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Mark it down: the
Ravens will win on a late touchdown – perhaps poetic retribution for the way
their 2011 playoff run ended.
Prediction: Ravens 28, Patriots 26. (2-1)
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