Ravens weaknesses to exploit
However, the Ravens may have played better so far this year, but they aren't invincible. Here are some areas the Patriots could exploit.
1. The offensive line- As much talk as there is about the struggles in the Patriots offensive line, most Pats fans might not know that something similar is going on in Baltimore. Michael Oher, who typically plays on the right side, will be playing left tackle on Sunday and contending with rookie Chandler Jones. On top of that, Oher has been nursing an ankle injury according to the Ravens injury report.
The Ravens also have a rookie left guard, Ramon Harewood, who will get a nice welcome to the NFL when he faces up against Vince Wilfork. You may remember that Wilfork had the game of his life the last time the Pats faced the Ravens, getting six tackles, six for a loss and one sack.
2. Run defense- You would normally think of the Ravens as a team thats stalwart against he run. That's not what the stats would tell you if you looked up the top run defenses this year. The Ravens are 20th in the league against the run, after facing New England's former back Benjarvus Green-Ellis and Philly's shifty LeSean McCoy.
The Ravens actually did a decent job on McCoy, holding him to a 3.2 yards per carry average.
The Patriots have a ground attack that is greatly improved over last year. In two games, Stevan Ridley himself has rushed for just four less yards (196) as the Pats as a whole did in the first two games last year (200).
While no one is ready to say its easy to run on the Ravens yet, the Patriots may be able to continue their balanced attack with success with Ridley in the backfield on Sunday.
via Herald - 1 - 2
