By Tim Barbalace
This week doesn't mark a do-or-die game for the Ravens, but it does present a chance for a very impactful victory. Not too often does a team come into M&T Bank Stadium with an undefeated record entering November. There also haven't been many chances to face the Patriots in Baltimore during Tom Brady's career.
Sunday marks the fourth time that Brady will play a game in Charm City. His first match-up happened during New England's undefeated regular season in 2007 when the Pats narrowly beat the Kyle Boller led Ravens 27-24. Overall, Brady is 2-1 in games played at M&T with his lone loss occurring during Baltimore's Super Bowl season in 2012.
Games tend to be very close between these two teams. During the John Harbaugh era, the Ravens have played the Patriots nine times, including playoffs, and six of those nine games have been decided by seven points or less. The Patriots have won the majority of the games in that span going 6-3, but Baltimore has shown time and time again that they are not intimidated.
The Ravens are the only team to beat Bill Belichick and Tom Brady while trailing at halftime at Gillette Stadium. Both of their postseason wins against New England have been by 15 or more points. Seven of the nine games played against the Patriots have been in Foxboro, and of their five losses taking place there, four of them have been by four points or less.
Lamar Jackson will get his first taste of the rivalry on Sunday, and one of the most interesting storylines will be how Bill Belichick tries to defend Jackson. Belichick has notoriously been known for shutting down what opposing teams do best offensively, but Jackson poses a difficult challenge.
In seven games this season, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has:-- 19 carries of 10+ yards-- 6 carries of 20+ yards-- 3 rushing touchdownsIn eight games, the Patriots have allowed:-- 15 carries of 10+ yards-- 4 carries of 20+ yards-- 2 rushing touchdownsStyles make fights.
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) October 28, 2019Jackson has run for over 100 yards in each of the past two weeks. He has also displayed the ability to make teams pay through the air. Jackson has passed for over 235 yards in five of his seven games and on the season is completing 63.3 percent of his passes and has a 94.1 passer rating. He will be tasked with going against a Patriots defense that is performing at a historic level.
Through 8 games, the Patriots are on pace to break the record set by the Ravens in 2000 for the fewest points allowed in a 16 game season. Many detractors will point out that their schedule played up until this point has been soft. That may be true, but they are still exceeding expectations.
ICYMI: I wrote about the Patriots' incredible start to the season on defense. If your response is "they've played terrible quarterbacks," I would recommend you read the article for why that doesn't discount their success! https://t.co/zI6SLwQPjF pic.twitter.com/dHmpBdFa7b
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) October 28, 2019This could be shaping up to be a defensive game as New England's offense has struggled with injuries and inconsistencies. They enter Week 9 ranked 16th overall. Add in the fact that the Ravens defense is starting to play at a higher level and, before the bye week, shut down Russell Wilson in Seattle.
The Ravens have played more meaningful home games in recent years. Win-and-in home finale scenarios against the Browns and Bengals come to mind. Steelers games are always a big deal each season, but this game seems bigger.
Baltimore hasn't had a record of 5-2 or better through seven games since 2014. They haven't hosted an undefeated team this far into the season since the 9-0 Colts beat the 5-4 Ravens 17-15 in Week 11 during the 2009 season. The team also hasn't had a player garner serious MVP consideration (Jackson) since Jamal Lewis in 2003.
The hype is also reflected in the secondary market. According to ESPN, the cheapest ticket for Sunday's game as of this morning is $164. By comparison, the game with the highest priced cheapest seat for the remainder of the home schedule is $80 versus the Steelers.
It's prime time in Baltimore against an undefeated rival. It could also mark Tom Brady's last game at M&T Bank Stadium. I'm expecting a playoff atmosphere, and it could mark the first of potentially two match-ups this season.
