Both the Patriots and Ravens are playing well early in the season and this game looks to be a great match up.

 OFFENSE:  The three time Super bowl Champ QB Tom Brady has plenty of talent surrounding him.  The Patriots have an experienced and a well disciplined offensive line anchored by center Dan Koppen. They have an arsenal of receivers in WR Randy Moss, WR Wes Welker, TE Benjamin Watson and TE Chris Baker who caught a TD pass last week.  In the offseason the Patriots acquired WR Joey Galloway who is a proven veteran.  The running backs are by committee featuring Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk and veteran Fred Taylor signed in the offseason.

Offense Lately:

Brady is beginning to find his rhythm; he has not taken a lot of sacks but has been hurried much this season. The running game has been inconsistent but last week RB Fred Taylor rushed for 105 yards against Atlanta. Up until last week the Patriots were relying almost totally on their passing game. Notes: Welker missed last week with an injury.

DEFENSE: The Patriots 3-4 Defense has been a staple for the franchise and it continues to thrive with new personnel. New England no longer has names like Bruschi, Harrison, Vrabel, and Seymour.  They used their top 3 picks on defensive players to include CB Darius Butler, S Patrick Chung and DT Ron Brace. Last year’s defensive rookie of the year ILB Jerod Mayo has been a great addition to the team. The Patriots have had success intertwining young talent with veterans like NT Vince Wilfolk and former Ravens OLB Adalius Thomas. A new secondary includes Terrance Wheatley and veteran Shawn Springs.

Defense Lately:

New England’s revamped defense is playing admirably while trying to find consistency.  The first two games the defense faced challenges with Buffalo’s passing game and then struggled against the Jets in week two.  However, the defense has been stingy this year and last week versus Atlanta the Patriots defense shut down second year QB Matt Ryan and the running game in the second half. The Patriots are one of only three teams ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense and tied for seventh, 16.7 points per game.  Notes: ILB Mayo did not play last week with a knee filling his spot is LB Gary Guyton. NT Vince Wilfolk hurt his ankle in the Atlanta game and did not return.

MATCH-UPS: Chalk It Up

Priority for Ravens Defense: Ray Lewis vs. Tom Brady.  The Ravens will look to Ray Lewis to help direct the traffic as QB Brady call his audibles at the line.  The Ravens must continue to improve on pass rush and get to Tom Brady in order take pressure off the secondary. The Ravens are still getting their timing down on certain blitz packages and will need to have that worked out in order to be effective.

Defensive Secondary: This game could be all about secondary play by both teams.  CB’s Foxworth and Washington will need to make plays and tackling is a priority to minimize yards after the catch. The Ravens need to continue to keep Ed Reed in position to make plays.

Wide Receivers: Receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker are on the radar and must be slowed down.

Ravens offensive game plan: The Patriots look to slow down the run and try to put the pressure on Flacco. The Ravens offensive will have to play at their best to keep the offense rolling.  It would be smart to keep Tom Brady’s off the field by running the ball and taking time off the clock.  With Cam Cameron you never know what to expect, the passing game has been outstanding while the Patriots secondary has shown some vulnerability.

Ravens RB’s vs. New England’s Defense:  Running back Willis McGahee has been awesome, the Ravens may go to him a bit more this game.  Running back Ray Rice could factor big with some receptions out of the backfield. The linebackers for New England are aggressive and with some screens to RB Rice they may have their hands full.