Ravens vs. Patriots: 2 Important Questions for Each Team in AFC Championship

The following questions are the most important for each team in the AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

1. How do you control the Patriots tight ends?

That's a great question, and I'm not sure anyone has the answer for it right now.

Rob Gronkowski has the body of an NBA power forward and he uses it just like one. There simply isn't a linebacker or safety that you can confidently put on Gronkowski for 60 minutes. 

Aaron Hernandez plays all over the place—even lining up at running back against Denver—in an effort to find the mismatch for Tom Brady. Eventually, the Patriots find a way to get the ball to Hernandez in space.  

2. Where do the big offensive plays come from?

Somehow, someway, the Ravens have to find a way to exploit the Patriots' leaky pass defense. As the Giants showed last Sunday in Green Bay, big plays against a bad pass defense can help turn the tide on the road.

The one guy that needs to be the big play threat is Torrey Smith. After catching just one pass for nine yards against Johnathan Joseph Sunday, Smith has to be the guy that blows the top off the Patriots pass defense.  

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

1. Is there hope for Patriots' pass defense?

There just might be. The Patriots had no problems holding down Tim Tebow in the passing game last Saturday, so there may be some confidence brewing in the back half of the defense. Also, Joe Flacco has been so up-and-down this season that there's no way of knowing if he can exploit the Patriots' biggest weakness.   

2. How much will playing at home help?

The Packers proved Sunday that playing at home doesn't guarantee anything. If the Patriots' pass defense—which ranked just above Green Bay's in 2011—is as porous as the Packers showed against the Giants, New England can get beat. The Patriots know it can end fast, even at home. They've lost two of their last three in New England.