Patriots Blog: Smith, Forsett Pose Two Big Offensive Threats For Ravens
BOSTON (CBS) -- No, these are not the same Baltimore Ravens who beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship game two years ago.
Gone are key players like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed on defense, and Anquan Boldin and Ray Rice on offense. All four had their share of big plays against the Patriots, who won't be sad not to see that quartet come Saturday afternoon's AFC Divisional Round game.
But the Ravens are still a team you cannot take lightly, as evidence by their 30-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round. While those key players may be gone, the Ravens have filled in the blanks very well, and there are two offensive players the Patriots will have to focus on come Saturday (other than quarterback Joe Flacco).
In place of Boldin is Steve Smith Sr., who gets the Baltimore offense going. At 35, Smith is having his best season in a very long time. He finished this year with 1,065 receiving yards and was a major big-play factor with 15 receptions of 20 yards or more.
"His age is what it is on paper, but he's still electrifying," Patriots corner Darrelle Revis said of Smith on Wednesday. "He makes big plays and is very savvy, very smart. He's an impact player on their team."
Smith's game is based on speed and intimidation, which is where Revis comes in to play. Smith seems to need to jaw with opponents to get himself going, and Revis is the perfect counter for that; he can cover a guy like Smith and he's not one to get caught up in the talking game.
Locking down Smith is a the key for the Patriots on Saturday, and Revis is the answer.
While Smith gets the offense going, it's Justin Forsett who has stepped in and given the Ravens a ground game. The veteran back ran for 1,266 yards on the season, but only 26 against the Steelers on Saturday. For the Ravens to be a factor, Forsett will need to get going.
"I know these guys want to come in and they're going to want to run the ball. They have a great running back and a really good offensive line as far as rushing is concerned," linebacker Dont'a Hightower said Wednesday. "They do a good job. Receivers like Steve Smith and Owen Daniels comes in and they're all willing to block. We definitely want to be able to stop the run coming in Saturday and make those guys one-dimensional."
The Patriots will counter the Baltimore rush attack with Vince Wilfork and Sealver Siliga, their two big defensive linemen. The interior of the Pats defensive line has been stout, and they've been able to slow down running games. When backs have gotten to the second level, Jamie Collins and Hightower have been there. The Pats are built well to stop the run right now.
New England will be tested by both the ground and air attack of the the Ravens, and will have to answer in a big way.
Follow Levan Reid on Twitter @LevanReid!
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