NFL Playoffs 2012: 3 Keys to a Baltimore Ravens Victory over the Patriots

The Baltimore Ravens are physically and mentally prepared to defeat the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. They must now execute.

This core group of players has been battle-tested over the past three seasons. They have reached the playoffs in each of those years and won the AFC North in the last two. Joe Flacco is no longer considered a young QB, and Ray Lewis' defense is as healthy as can be expected. Their time is now.

Here are three keys to defeating the Patriots and returning to the Super Bowl: 

Get Off To a Fast Start

The Ravens aren't built to come from behind, especially against a team with as much firepower as the Patriots. Playing catchup as a team predicated on running the ball and limiting mistakes from their QB, as the Ravens are, is a losing situation. It both discourages the run game, which limits the Ravens' best playmaker Ray Rice, and applies pressure to Flacco.

This could potentially kill both of those factors for the Ravens.

Ground and Pound

It is simple for the Ravens. They must run the ball to be effective. As Ray Rice goes, so goes the Ravens offense. Fighting that fact only hurts their attack.

In the Ravens' four losses, they average 13.5 rushing attempts per game. In their 12 wins, they average 33.5 attempts. For Rice, specifically, that is 100.7 yards in wins and only 38.7 yards in losses. It really doesn't get more black and white than that.

The run game sets up the deep shots to Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin, but it starts with the offensive line and Rice.

Turnovers

The Ravens need to win the turnover battle. They can't afford to give the Patriots short fields or to squander their own scoring opportunities.

The Patriots turned the ball over 17 times all season and eight of them came in their three losses. The Patriots are minus-three in the turnover game collectively in their losses and plus-20 in their wins.

Turnovers will doom either of these teams' hopes of reaching the Super Bowl.

The Ravens will reach the Super Bowl, my prediction is 24-17.

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