Ravens 33, Patriots 14: Baltimore has Captured 2000 Formula for Success

Those of you who can remember where the Ravens were nearly a decade ago will be able to see the striking similarity in the game plan Baltimore has taken to their opponents this year in the postseason.

It took the Ravens nearly half a season to rediscover their forgotten identity, but it couldn't have come at a better time, as Baltimore makes a push towards the Super Bowl—which would be their second appearance in that same span of a decade.

This past Sunday, the Ravens might have accomplished the impossible: The defeat of a Patriots team who had not lost a home playoff game since 1978, and hadn't lost a home game since November 12, 2006.

However, the Ravens weren't interested in history. 

As Ray Lewis said in a recent interview on ESPN, "If we were playing history, we might as well pack it up and move on to the offseason." 

Lewis, the vocal leader of the Ravens, has played a major role in the turn-around of a Ravens defense that had major problems over the first half of the season.

Lewis' leadership abilities, along with a change in defensive philosophy, helped transform a squad that was ranked near the middle of the pack in Week 10, to a defense that finished top-three at the end of the regular season.

The question was, could the Ravens ride their defense once again, along with the second-ranked rushing attack, into a hostile environment in Foxboro on Sunday?

That question happened to be answered on the first play from scrimmage, when Ray Rice busted an 83-yard run, nearly untouched all the way to the house.

Fans were still settling in their seats as the Ravens took a quick 7-0 lead over the favored Patriots.

On the ensuing drive, Tom Brady dropped back to pass on third-and-long, only to be stripped of the football by a healthy Terrell Suggs.  This turnover put the Ravens right back in the Patriots' red zone, where Le'Ron McClain punched the ball in from one yard out to put the Ravens up 14-0 with over ten minutes yet to go in the first quarter.

With seven minutes still left on the clock in the first quarter, the Ravens would secure their second turnover produced by Tom Brady.  On a short pass intended for Patriots' wide receiver Sam Aiken, Dawan Landry laid-out a perfectly timed hit on the receiver, jarring the ball loose and into the hands of Chris Carr.

Once again, this play set the Ravens up on the Patriots' 25 yard-line, and in prime position for the offense to score again.

Still, fans were continuing to find their seats as the Ravens threatened to create a 21-point deficit and stunning the New England faithful.

Baltimore did just that on the next drive that was set up by the Chris Carr interception.  Operating out of the no-huddle offense, Baltimore's ground game continued to dominate.  Again, behind the unbalanced line and Tackle Chris Chester, Ray Rice notched his second touchdown of the first quarter on a one-yard run.

The Ravens' different looks on offense, specifically the shifting around of players on the offensive line, kept the Patriots defense confused, a defense that found it increasingly harder to stop the Ravens on the ground.

The offensive woes would continue for Tom Brady and company for the rest of the first quarter.

Ball hawk Ed Reed baited Brady into another poor throw, which he intercepted and ran back to the Patriots' 34, where he lateraled the ball to Dawan Landry, who then took it all the way down to the New England nine yard-line.

The Ravens could only muster a field goal on their next possession, but that proved to be enough, as the underdog Ravens took a 24-0 lead with 1:24 left to go in the first quarter.

Stunned and in disbelief, a scattering of "boo's" started to resonate from the stands of Gillette Stadium.  After all, no one expected this kind of start to the game.

Baltimore knew they had to score quick, and often, if they had any chance of beating a New England team that has thrived in the playoffs over the past 30 years.

The amazing performance by a determined Ravens team in the first quarter, ended up setting a record of their own. 

The 24 points scored by the Ravens' offense ended up tying the record for second best performance by an NFL team in a first quarter of football.

Baltimore continued to dominate the game after the record-setting first quarter of play.

New England's offense managed to score touchdowns on two short drives, one of which was set up by a muffed punt return by Chris Carr.  On the play, the ball seemed to graze the back of Safety Tom Zbikowski, who happened to get a little to close to Carr.

It appeared that New England recovered the muffed punt before the ball went out of bounds.  On a closer look after the play, a play that John Harbaugh should've challenged, New England never had control of the ball as it was headed out of bounds.

Even though the mishap led the Patriots to their first score of the game, when Brady found an open Julian Edelman in the end zone, it wasn't enough to help overcome the lead Baltimore had, and the damage they inflicted on the Patriots' psyche.

Edelman filled in well for the injured Wes Welker.  The rookie Edelman finished the day with two touchdown receptions, accounting for all of the Patriots' scoring on a day that most people in New England would rather forget.

To put it rather simple, this was no easy test for the battle-tested Ravens, who always seem to inflict most damage when they're playing as the sixth seed in the playoffs.

Even though Baltimore would rather play a game or two at home during the postseason, this team feeds off being labeled an underdog that has to win on the road in order to reach the Super Bowl.

If this game was any indication of what the Ravens are capable of doing this year in the playoffs, opponents should be very worried.

Keeping their current game plan consisting of a relentless rushing attack and an aggressive defensive scheme, is essential if Baltimore wants to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this year.

One thing is for certain, the Ravens have found their long-lost identity on both sides of the football.

And while some might criticize this same identity that took the Ravens all the way to victory against the New York Giants in 2000, at the same time, you just can't mess with success.

Success is what the Ravens have set themselves up for this postseason.

This Saturday in Indianapolis, the Ravens will face a team similar to the Patriots.  Sheer determination will decide this game.

As Ray Lewis told his team before the game in New England, "Play your hearts out, because this could be the last time any of us ever has a chance to reach the Super Bowl." 

"This might be the last time you ever wear a Ravens jersey."

This confidence, along with their level of play, can drive the Ravens to their second Lombardi Trophy in a decade.

It's an exciting time to be a Ravens fan.