Ed Norris: Feeling Good About Going To New England
Just hear me out for a second. I know that after the victory over Houston Ravens fans aren't feeling as good as you'd imagine because it was, as some have said, an "ugly " win. Some have said the we didn't win but rather the Texans lost the game. First of all I don't believe in that especially at the NFL level. I have always felt the harder you work, the luckier you get. Besides, you still have to score when you're handed golden opportunities and the Ravens did. We won in a fashion that is familiar to anyone who has watched this team over the years.
Secondly, I think we match up well against the Patriots. They have a great offense, including one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play and a pair of tight ends that create huge match up problems for any team. The difference is that we are not just any team. As Tom Brady said this week we have some of the best players to ever play their positions on defense which sets us apart from the other teams. Brady said the Ravens are the best team they have faced all year and he is correct. The part of the equation that may not be as well known is the match up of Baltimore's offense vs. the New England defense. The Ravens won the AFC North and did so facing the best defenses in the NFL. We faced our division opponents six times and won them all and each was a top ten defense. We also beat the Texans twice as well as the 49ers, two of the very best in football this year. Now we are facing the team that although they have won nine straight, did so with a defense ranked 15th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed.
This is cursory analysis for sure but my gut tells me we are coming out of there with a W.
