Ravens vs. Patriots: 5 Thoughts for the AFC Championship in New England

The Super Bowl may go through Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, but the AFC has to go through Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. 

This Sunday at 3:00 p.m., Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens will pay a visit to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. 

In that spirit, let's take a look at my five thoughts for the AFC Championship this Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. 

The Ravens Have Beaten the Patriots Once in 10 Years

What people probably remember the most between these two teams was their early 2010 Wild Card playoff game where Baltimore came into Gillette Stadium and absolutely embarrassed the Patriots, 33-14. 

That was their only win against the Patriots in the Tom Brady and the Bill Belichick era in New England. 

Entering Sunday afternoon, the Ravens are just 1-6 against the Patriots. 

New England's Tight Ends Should Flourish Yet Again

Over the course of the 2011 season, it has been proven that opposing defenses have yet to come up for an answer to defend New England's pair of young tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. 

When these two teams met last in the playoffs back in 2010, the Patriots did not have Gronk or Hernandez on their roster, as they were still playing college ball. 

However, the last regular season game these two teams played in back in the 2010, Gronkowski was held to just one reception for 24 yards, while Hernandez reeled in four passes for 61 yards. 

Joe Flacco Has to Be More Effective in Order for a Baltimore Victory

In Baltimore's 20-13 victory over Houston Texans this past Sunday, Joe Flacco was a non-factor.

Flacco threw for only 176 yards while completing just 51.9 percent of his passes, but he did toss two touchdowns.

If the Ravens want to win this weekend, then Flacco needs to be more effective in the air than he has been all season. 

Patriots Have to Contain Ray Rice

If Ray Rice runs wild like he did back in the early 2010 Wild Card playoff game, then the Patriots could very well end up losing. 

Rice was held just to 60 yards last week against the Texans, and Baltimore's offense struggled as Flacco could not throw the ball effectively. 

If Rice cannot produce, then the Ravens offense will be very mediocre at best. 

Patriots Have to Protect Tom Brady

Over the years, Terrell Suggs and Baltimore's defense has been able to put pressure on Tom Brady, and for the most part, Brady and the Patriots have done a superb job in overcoming the constant pressure. 

It's no secret that the Ravens are going to blitz Brady and try to throw off his timing, but it's just a matter of having solid protection and blitz protection, and Brady needs to read Baltimore's defense and find the weaknesses in each of the unique blitz packages. 

Prediction: New England 31, Baltimore 17

Be sure to check out Tony Santorsa's blog: PatriotsPlus