Baltimore Sports Then and Now

Ray Rice and the Ravens flexed their muscles versus the Patriots in the AFC Wild Card Playoff round.

This game was over before it really ever began. Ray Rice gashed the Patriots for an 83 yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.

And before you finished your first beer, New England was down 24-0.

The Patriots knew the Ravens were going to run and couldn’t do a thing to stop them. Ray Rice put on a pro bowl performance with 159 yards and two touchdowns. Willis McGahee chipped in with 62 yards and a td of his own.

Baltimore rushed for 234 yards, but they only passed for 34 yards!

Why pass if you can run at will? Harbaugh had a great game plan and his team executed it to perfection.

The New England defense couldn’t stop anyone and their offense couldn’t do anything.

Brady had his worst game of the season. He only had 154 yards on 42 attempts. Brady connected with Julian Edelman for two scores but also had three interceptions. He was also strip sacked by Terrell Suggs and sacked two other times. The Patriots’ quarterback had no time to get comfortable in the pocket and it showed.

The running game was non existent and the Patriots could only muster 196 total yards.

If you can’t stop the opposition and you turnover the ball, you don’t win. Simple as that. All these factors contributed to the Patriots first home playoff loss since 1978.

The helter skeltar season of the Patriots has mercifully come to the end. The Patriots will need address holes on their defense and need to bolster a mediocre wide receiving corps.

The Ravens will meet the Colts in the divisional playoff next weekend in Indy. Baltimore will try to out do their 2008 playoff run that got them to the AFC Championship Game versus Pittsburgh.

Early Prediction: Colts 28, Ravens 24