NFL Playoff Predictions: 4 Projections for Ravens vs. Patriots in AFC Title Game

Four predictions for the 2012 AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots (14-3) and Baltimore Ravens (13-4):

1. Ray Rice will have 80 yards rushing or less

The Patriots know that the Ravens offense runs through Rice and the running game. With its struggles in stopping the pass, New England can't afford to let Rice go off like he did two Januarys go. I'd expect them to center their defensive game plan around keeping Rice in check. 

2. Torrey Smith will catch a pass of 40 or more yards

The Houston Texans did a nice job of keeping the Ravens rookie receiver under wraps in the Divisional Round. A big part of that equation was sticking Johnathan Joseph—one of the better cover corners in the game—on him for 60 minutes. The Patriots, on the other hand, do not have a corner that compares to Joseph and could struggle keeping the cap on the defense. Expect Joe Flacco to take a few shots at hitting Smith downfield.  

3. The Boston TE Party will have 160 or more combined yards

The Patriots do an impressive job of finding ways to get the ball to their talented tight end combination of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Both are talented playmakers who deserve the chances they receive. We all know how big of mismatch Gronkowski can be against any defense, and Bill Belichick even lined up Hernandez in the backfield and handed it off to him several times against the Broncos. They'll make good on their opportunities against the Ravens.  

4. Joe Flacco will throw two or more interceptions

The Ravens will need to make plays in the passing game to win this game. And if Baltimore finds themselves down, you could see a Ravens' team that wants to run the football and control the clock become a pass-heavy team in a hurry. In either case, Flacco will make one or two bad decisions that really hurt the Ravens' chances at earning their second Super Bowl appearance.