Breer: Looks Like A Baltimore Win On Paper
BOSTON (CBS) - With the Patriots offensive line banged up and facing a tough matchup against the Ravens defense, Albert Breer of the NFL Network thinks, on paper, that it will be a Baltimore win against the Patriots Sunday afternoon.
"If you're going into this game without [left tackle] Nate Solder - and that seems like a very real possibility after getting a concussion two straight weeks - and you're already without Sebastian Vollmer and you have to block Elvis Dumervil, Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs, I think that's a problem."
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The Ravens are once again ranked at the top of the league in total defense, and it's their unit up front that really sets the agenda with the aforementioned Dumervil, Ngata and Suggs.
Breer thinks that Baltimore presents a tough challenge defensively against the Patriots, as well as offensively.
"On paper this looks like a Baltimore win because this is the same type of matchup that they've struggled with in the past - the type of team that can get to the quarterback without sending extra guys. They're not going to play a vanilla defense against New England and they have the type of offense that can move the chains."
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However, he was hesitant to place a full vote of confidence in the Ravens because of "the complete crapshoot" that is the AFC, and thinks it'd be foolish to rule out New England completely in this game.
"The Patriots are very mentally tough. Both these teams have played so many close games so you still have to give them a puncher's chance if it comes down to the last two minutes," Breer concluded.
For Bert's analysis on the AFC playoff picture and other NFL news, listen below:
