If I were to tell you that Joe Flacco would clearly outplay Tom Brady, you would think they would be heading to the Super Bowl.  But, they aren’t.  Flacco led his troops on a last minute drive that set up kicker Billy Cundiff for a 32-yard field goal.  He missed the field goal very wide left with only 11 seconds left in the game to send the Patriots to another Super Bowl.  Joe Flacco completed 22 of 36 passes for 306 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 INT, as he finally stepped up big time in a big game.  He also carried the ball 4 times for 27 yards (6.8 ypc) yesterday.  Ray Rice carried the ball 21 times for 67 yards (3.2 ypc) and Ricky Williams carried the ball 6 times for 22 yards (3.7 ypc) as the Ravens had a hard time running the ball.   WR Anquan Boldin (6 rec, 101 yards), WR Torrey Smith (3 rec, 82 yards, 1 TD grab) and TE Dennis Pitta (5 rec, 41 yards, TD) led the way in the passing game for the Ravens yesterday.  They finished up with 116 yards rushing 0n 31 carries (3.7 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 36 passes (61.1%) for 282 yards as they had possession of the ball for 33:33.

The Ravens’ D played a pretty solid game yesterday against the Patriots.  Safety Bernard Pollard (12 tackles and 1 pass defensed) and LB Ray Lewis (12 tackles) led the way for the Ravens on D in this game.  CBs Cary Williams (7 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss) and CB Lardarius Webb (6 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) also pitched in with solid games for the Ravens yesterday.  CB Jimmy Smith (interception) and safety Emanuel Cook (fumble recovery) also made big plays for the Patriots in this game.  The Patriots finished up with 96 yards rushing on 31 carries (3.1 ypc) and they completed 22 of 36 passes (61.1%) for 234 yards.  The Ravens had a great season but it ended with a big thud, thanks to Billy Cundiff.

The Ravens have to be confident heading into Foxboro this weekend for the AFC Championship Game.  That is because the Ravens won 33-14 over the Patriots just two years ago in the playoffs on this same field.  The Patriots will be out for revenge this weekend in what should be a pretty good football game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens win when they get the ball in Ray Rice’s hands 20 times or more in a game, so they need to run the ball and stick with it in this game.  Ricky Williams will also get some carries against a Patriots’ D that impressively stuffed the Broncos’ running game last weekend.  The other key to this game is going to be Joe Flacco.  He needs to step up and be a man this weekend if the Ravens are going to have a shot of getting back to the Super Bowl.  The Patriots’ D is good at creating turnovers despite giving up a lot of passing yards.  Flacco is going to have to be careful with the ball, especially when throwing to whichever WR CB Kyle Arrington is covering as he has been a pass thief so far this year.  That being said, Flacco is certain to take some deep shots to WR Torrey Smith.  He will look for Anquan Boldin, Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta on the shorter stuff.

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Ravens are going to have to blitz heavily in this game or they are going to be in trouble.  If Tom Brady has time to throw the ball, he’s going to have some success.  He has amazing weapons in the passing game and Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Wes Welker and Deion Branch are all incredible receivers in the passing game.  Ed Reed, Bernard Pollard, Cary Williams and Lardarius Webb are going to have their hands full covering the TEs and WRs of the Patriots.  The Patriots aren’t going to run much, but BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a pretty solid power runner.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 31, RAVENS 20

The Baltimore Ravens rested up last weekend and they seem hungry and ready to go for tomorrow afternoon’s tilt with the Texans.  The Texans blistered the Bengals last weekend.  The Ravens beat the Texans 29-14 in Baltimore back in week six this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens have to get the ball in Ray Rice’s hands as much as possible in this game.  He had 161 total yards against the Texans in their first meeting of the year.  If Rice is effective running the ball, Joe Flacco could be deadly off of play action.  If Flacco has time to throw the ball, he could be somewhat effective as long as he’s careful with the ball as the Texans have an outstanding pass rush and secondary.  With that being said, the Ravens are still going to take some deep shots to WR Torrey Smith.  Anquan Boldin, Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta will likely handle the short stuff in this game.

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans want to do the same thing the Ravens do on offense.  They want to feed the ball to Arian Foster and Ben Tate, but the Ravens are going to be keying on them.  The Ravens want to force rookie QB T.J. Yates to have to beat them with his throwing arm.  Yates will likely be under some pressure as OLB Terrell Suggs will be trying to meet up with him in the backfield a few times.  If the Ravens gang up to stop the run, they better be ready for Yates to go deep to Andre Johnson like they did last weekend, resulting in a 40-yard TD grab.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 20, TEXANS 16

The Ravens have won five of their last six games heading into this big contest this Sunday.  The Ravens need a win over the Bengals or a Steelers’ loss to the Browns in Cleveland to lock up the AFC North and a first round bye in the playoffs.  The Bengals have won two games in a row.  They can get into the playoffs as a wildcard with a win over the Ravens tomorrow in Cincy.  The Ravens won over the Bengals 31-24 in Baltimore earlier this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens need to come out running the ball with Ray Rice.  They win when Rice is the focal point of the offense.  He will have to fight for every yard this weekend as the Bengals are only giving up 96.9 yards rushing per game and 3.7 yards per carry so far this year.  The Ravens’ O-Line is going to have to keep the Bengals away from Joe Flacco if they are going to win this game.  It is time for Joe Flacco to step up.  The Bengals are giving up 217.3 yards passing per game and they had big time trouble with Torrey Smith in the first meeting between these teams as he had 165 yards receiving on 7 grabs.

When the Bengals have the ball:  The Bengals are likely going to come out running the ball with Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott.  The front seven of the Ravens is going to have to step up and they likely will be up to the challenge as they are only giving up 91.8 yards rushing per game and 3.5 yards per carry so far this year.  The Ravens have a ballhawking secondary that will be looking to make big plays against rookie QB Andy Dalton.  Terrell Suggs could cause Andy Dalton to get a little jittery in the pocket in this game.  But, if Dalton has time to throw the ball….he has good weapons in A.J. Green, Jermaine Gresham and Jerome Simpson to throw to.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 20, BENGALS 17

The Baltimore Ravens are still licking their wounds after getting battered 34-14 by the Chargers in San Diego last weekend.  But, they are still winning the AFC North, so they need to take care of business against the Browns this weekend.  The Ravens beat the Browns 24-10 just three weeks ago in Cleveland.  The Browns have lost four games in a row and 7 of their last 8 games.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  Ray Rice rushed for 204 yards against the Browns in the first meeting between these teams.  The Browns are giving up 145.4 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry, so look for Rice and Ricky Williams to get a lot of work tomorrow.  The Ravens are going to likely be more run heavy than usual in this game as they will be without WR Anquan Boldin (knee surgery).  Lee Evans will be starting in Boldin’s place, and this will give him a chance to earn some of the money he has been making this year.  Torrey Smith, Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta will likely be getting most of Joe Flacco’s passes tomorrow.

When the Browns have the ball:  The Browns don’t have an offense that scares anyone.  The Ravens will likely load up to stop Peyton Hillis and dare Seneca Wallace to beat him with his arm.  The Ravens will get after Seneca Wallace in an effort to force him into making some mistakes.  The Ravens can’t afford to let Wallace have time to throw the ball, because he’s going to take some shots down the field to Earl Little, Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 24, BROWNS 14

This is a big game for both teams tomorrow night in San Diego.  The Ravens have won four games in a row in which they have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 95-50.  They are tied with the Steelers atop of the AFC North, but they own the tiebreaker on them.  The Chargers have won their last two games by a combined score of 75-24, as they are clinging to playoff hope despite being 6-7 on the year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens are likely going to feed the ball to Ray Rice in this game as the Chargers are giving up 128.9 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry.  If Rice is effective running the ball, which is likely, then Joe Flacco will have a little easier time throwing the ball.  The Chargers don’t have much of a pass rush, so the Ravens will likely attack them down the field with passes for WRs Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin.

When the Chargers have the ball:  The Chargers are likely going to come out passing to set up the running game.  The Ravens have 45 sacks so far this year and Philip Rivers is a stationary target in the backfield as he often looks like a statue.  But, he can sure throw the ball when he has time to do so.  The Ravens’ safeties are going to have their hands full dealing with TE Antonio Gates over the middle.  The corners might also have issues with the very tall receivers of the Chargers (Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd).  If the Ravens are really getting after Rivers on the blitz, he will throw the ball to RBs Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert out of the backfield.  They are also good runners, but they will have to fight for every yard they get as the Ravens are only giving up 85.8 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 24, CHARGERS 20

The Ravens have really turned it on lately as they have won their last three games by a combined score of 71-40!  The Colts on the other hand have lost every game they have played so far this year.  But, on the bright side, they did play tough against the Panthers and Patriots the last two weekends.  Don’t look for the Ravens to take it too easy on the Colts this weekend as the fans absolutely hate them for leaving town.  Here’s a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  Look for the Ravens to remain balanced in this game offensively.  The Colts are giving up 144.2 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry so far this year, so look for Ray Rice and Ricky Williams to dominate them on the ground.  The Ravens’ O-Line should be able to handle DEs Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney, giving Joe Flacco time to survey the field when he drops back to throw.  Opposing QBs have a 109.2 QB Rating against the Colts this year, so Flacco should have a good game.  WRs Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin and TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta should have solid games this Sunday.  I look for the Ravens to run up the score this weekend, showing no mercy on the hapless Colts.

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts scored 21 points in the 4th quarter against the Patriots last weekend, when they essentially called off the dogs.  The Ravens won’t take it easy on the Colts if they get a big lead.  Dan Orlovsky can make some plays if he has time to throw the ball, but with the Colts’ O-Line, I don’t see any way that OLB Terrell Suggs isn’t in the Colts’ backfield a lot in this game.  The Ravens will likely cheat safety Ed Reed to Pierre Garcon’s side of the field as he has become the Colts’ #1 WR this year.  Reggie Wayne is still a solid WR too, so the Ravens will have to give him his respect.  I don’t see the Colts’ RBs doing much in this game against the Ravens’ D on Sunday.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 38, COLTS 6

The Ravens have won two games in a row as they are back atop the AFC North as they win all tiebreakers with the Steelers.  But, they can’t overlook a likely motivated Cleveland Browns team this weekend.  After all, the Ravens are only 2-3 on the road with losses to the Jaguars and Seahawks (two teams that the Browns have beaten this year).  The Browns have lost four of their last five games.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  This is the week that the Ravens feed the ball to Ray Rice and Ricky Williams on the ground.  The Browns are giving up 138.6 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry so far this year, so the Ravens should be able to run the ball well.  The Browns are also not much of a pass rushing team, so Joe Flacco should have time to throw the ball.  That being said, the Browns have a very solid secondary.  Still, I think Flacco is going to have some success getting the ball to WRs Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith and TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta.

When the Browns have the ball:  The Browns are likely going to try to be pretty balanced offensively this Sunday in Cleveland.  Peyton Hillis will likely carry the load in the running game for the Browns and he’s a power runner.  The Ravens are only giving up 91.5 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry, so they should be up to the challenge of stopping Hillis.  The Ravens have 38 sacks on the year and they are going to be coming after Colt McCoy in an effort to force him into making some mistakes.  Earl Little, Josh Cribbs and Ben Watson are McCoy’s top receivers and they likely don’t strike much fear in the Ravens’ secondary.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 27, BROWNS 10

The Baltimore Ravens are 5-0 at home and the 49ers are 4-0 on the road this year, so something has to give tonight in the Harbaugh Bowl.  These two teams mirror each other in style, so look for this game to be a slobberknocker.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens need to get back to getting the ball into Ray Rice’s hands.  He’s going to have to fight for every yard he gets tonight though as the Niners are only giving up 73.9 yards rushing per game and 3.6 yards per carry so far this year.  That means that Joe Flacco might be throwing more than usual, but he’s going to have to be careful as the Niners already have 15 interceptions so far this year.  The Niners are likely going to lock up WR Anquan Boldin with CB Carlos Rogers (5 interceptions), so look for Torrey Smith to make some big plays down the field if Flacco has time to throw the ball.

When the 49ers have the ball:  The Niners love to run the ball, so look for Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter to test a Ravens’ D that is only giving up 93.2 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry.  The Niners might try to throw the ball more often than usual.  That means the Ravens will try to get after Alex Smith and force him into making mistakes.  That will be easier said than done as he only has thrown 4 interceptions so far this year.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 17, 49ERS 13

The Ravens were flat last weekend against the Seahawks, as they lost for the second time of the year in the week following a win over the Steelers.  The Ravens know the importance of this game and they have played well at home this year.  The Ravens are now 4-0 at home this year, where they have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 128-65!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens need to make a concerted effort to get the ball in their best player’s hands this weekend.  That means they are going to have to hand the ball off to Ray Rice and keep him active in the passing game too.  Rice will have to fight for every yard he gets as the Bengals are only giving up 86.8 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry.  The Bengals already have 25 sacks so far this year, so the O-Line is going to get challenged this weekend.  If Flacco has time to throw the ball, he’s likely going to go after whichever CB is replacing Leon Hall in the starting lineup.  That will likely be Torrey Smith, who is a gamebreaker with his speed.  Flacco will also throw a lot of short stuff to WR Anquan Boldin, TE Ed Dickson, TE Dennis Pitta and RB Ray Rice out of the backfield.

When the Bengals have the ball:  The Bengals are a pretty balanced offensive football team.  They will look to try to establish a running game behind Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott with LB Ray Lewis out of the game due to injury.  It won’t be easy though as the Ravens are only giving up 86.8 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry.  The Bengals will have to get after rookie QB Andy Dalton in an effort to force him into making some mistakes with the ball.  His top WR (A.J. Green) is likely going to miss this game, so he will likely keep the passing game shorter than usual.  WR Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and TE Jermaine Gresham will have to step up this weekend for the Bengals, and none of those guys scare the Ravens’ D much.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 23, BENGALS 20