ExtremeRavens Posted yesterday at 12:30 PM Posted yesterday at 12:30 PM Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday night’s Week 16 game between the Ravens and Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter Ravens 26, Patriots 17: Baltimore’s defense has started to find something of a rhythm. The Ravens have also generally fared well against young quarterbacks. As brilliant as Drake Maye has looked for most of the season — save for last week in a loss to the Bills — this feels like a game in which he might take a step back again against a group that is playing aggressive and making plays on the ball. Baltimore’s offense also showed glimpses last week, and while it’s still an inconsistent unit, an increasingly healthy Lamar Jackson should be able to pilot the offense to at least a couple of scores against the worst red zone defense in the NFL. Sam Cohn, reporter Patriots 27, Ravens 24: Last Sunday’s win looked like the Ravens might have turned a corner in a few ways: their defense played with some swagger and the offense moved the ball efficiently. It was a confident, well-rounded win with help from all three phases. But that was against the Bengals (4-10). These are the Patriots (11-3) we’re talking about. And the last time the Ravens beat a time with a winning record was the Bears … in October. They haven’t been very good at home either. I think they show up and give New England a fight but their hopes of a late-season playoff push diminish drastically late Sunday night. Mike Preston, columnist: Ravens 21, Patriots 17: Earlier this week, I thought that the Patriots would win this game, but I have since changed my mind. I think New England has a great coach in Mike Vrabel and the Patriots are as fundamentally sound as any team in the NFL. But the Ravens need to just come out and be physical and dominate with a strong running game. The Patriots will play hard, especially after losing to the Bills last week after blowing a 21-point lead, but the Ravens should match up well with them on both sides of the line of scrimmage. The key will be first downs; the Ravens can’t put themselves in passing situations. They need to gain some yards on first-down runs. Josh Tolentino, columnist Ravens 33, Patriots 27: Similar to Mike, I initially thought about picking the Patriots, who’ve emerged this season as a conference heavyweight. But Jackson has strung together two of his stronger outings amid an injury-filled campaign and appears to be nearing full health, or at least as close as he’ll get to 100% before the offseason arrives. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player is an astonishing 16-0 during his career in combined games between Weeks 15-18. When the lights brighten, Jackson often has starred. The NFL seems to be betting on Jackson’s stardom to come through as it flexed the Ravens to prime time in consecutive weeks, first this Sunday against New England and then next Saturday at Green Bay. Coming off the franchise’s first shutout in seven seasons, Baltimore must continue to generate pressure and takeaways down the stretch. If the offense can create explosive plays and jump to a quick start, the Ravens will hand New England its first road loss of the year. C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 27, Patriots 20: The oddsmakers are predicting a Ravens win, and so am I. New England has a much better resume and might have the better quarterback this season in Drake Maye, but this Baltimore team is unpredictable. These Ravens remind me of the 2010 Green Bay Packers, who coalesced toward the end of the season around their 27-year-old star quarterback and marched all the way to a Super Bowl title. This is the week for the Ravens to prove that they’re the championship contender we all thought they were before the season. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 27, Patriots 23: Outside of maybe the NFC West, there aren’t many teams that should scare Baltimore. New England is 11-3, but it has faced the league’s easiest schedule, according to ESPN. The Patriots haven’t played hardly anyone with a pulse, and they’re 1-2 in games against the Bills and Steelers. The Ravens need a win, and they’re plenty capable of beating a good but not great opponent. If they let this opportunity slip at home, it might officially be time to give up on Baltimore’s preseason Super Bowl aspirations. If they win, it looks more and more likely that Week 18 vs. the Steelers will be a showdown for a playoff spot. Tim Schwartz, editor Patriots 24, Ravens 21: Which Ravens team will show up Sunday night? If we see the Ravens focus on establishing Derrick Henry in the running game, an elusive Lamar Jackson and a defense continue to build on its dominant performance Sunday against the Bengals, I like Baltimore’s chances. But I have seen far too much inconsistency from the Ravens this season, and the wins they strung together earlier this season were against some bad teams with bad quarterbacks. Drake Maye is no slouch, and the Patriots are going to be eager to put their disappointing collapse Sunday against the Bills behind them. This feels like a toss-up. I just don’t trust the Ravens enough. Win this one, and I’ll start to believe in their status as an AFC contender again. But I’m not there yet. Patrice Sanders, FOX45 Morning News anchor Ravens 27, Patriots 24: The Ravens need to stay locked in and block out the outside noise as they have three crucial games remaining to keep their hopes for the postseason alive. Have a news tip? Contact Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article Quote
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