Ravens Look for Consistency Against Patriots
The 2019 Baltimore Ravens rolled through their schedule to post a 14-2 record – and still could do that in 2020, although a few upsets would have to happen now. They currently sit at 6-2 after beating Indianapolis, 24-10. The biggest tests on their remaining schedule include a visit from Tennessee in two weeks and a trip to Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving Day.
The rest of their schedule looks extremely winnable. Next up is a visit to New England to take on the Patriots, who had lost four in a row and looked headed to a fifth until Cam Newton led a rousing comeback on Monday Night Football in New York over the Jets.
Did the Patriots show they have turned things around – or did they take advantage of a bad Jets defense? Check out our preview of this Sunday’s prime time action.
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (Sunday, November 15)
When: Sunday, November 15, 2020, 8:20 pm ET
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
TV: NBC
Radio: Westwood One
JAZZ Sports Odds: Ravens -7, Total 43.5*
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Why the Ravens Will Win
The Ravens have been perfect on the road this season, with ten straight wins away from M&T Bank Stadium. Lamar Jackson has thrown for 1,513 yards, with a dozen touchdown passes and four interceptions. He also leads the team in rushing with 469 yards and three scores. So while he doesn’t have the gaudy passing numbers he had a year ago, he is still leading a potent offense.
On defense, the Ravens have been terrific, permitting just 17.8 points per contest. Off-season acquisition Calais Campbell leads the team with four sacks, Marcus Peters has swiped three interceptions, and Patrick Queen is the team’s leading tackler with 52.
Why the Patriots Will Win
New England has gone 2-2 in their last four home games. Cam Newton has a dreadful 2:7 TD:INT ratio, without a single touchdown pass in his last four games, but he has contributed on the ground, and he has a 68.1% pass completion rate. His top targets have been Julian Edelman and Damiere Byrd, who have combined for 47 catches, good for 652 yards.
The Patriots’ defense has been porous, despite five picks from J.C. Jackson and 2 ½ sacks from Chase Winovich. The team has allowed 24.3 points and 352.9 offensive yards per game. Adrian Phillips does lead the team with 56 tackles.
The Final Word
The departure of Tom Brady exposed a lack of talent at a number of levels for the Patriots. The defense is depleted at all three levels; while the Pats can stack up against the run, their secondary has been getting lit up. On offense, the best receiver is the aging Julian Edelman, and the team did nothing to address that in the 2020 draft.
It looks like rebuilding time in New England, and it will be interesting to see if Bill Belichick is interested in sticking around at this point in his career. I see the Ravens rolling to an easy victory.
*Odds are subject to change.
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