AFC Championship Game 2012: 3 Baltimore Ravens to Watch

The Baltimore Ravens have the nearly impossible task of beating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. 

Obviously Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith must turn in solid performances for the Ravens to emerge victorious. 

But in my estimation, how Baltimore's defense fares against New England's potent offense will determine their fate on Sunday.

The Ravens' offense shouldn't have trouble moving the football and scoring points, but can they limit Brady and Co.? 

Here are three Baltimore defenders that must be watched during the AFC Championship.  

Ed Reed 

Ed Reed is always an important player for the Ravens and one of the most feared safeties in the NFL, but his presence against the Patriots will be more crucial than ever. 

Tom Brady loves to methodically work the ball down the field with an array of short throws, but he is also constantly looking for his monster tight end Rob Gronkowski on those intermediate and deep seam routes. 

That's precisely where Reed lurks. 

He's been the game's premier ball hawk for over five years and it'll be interesting to see how Brady approaches some of the deeper throws with Reed playing center field. 

To stop the Patriots, Gronkowski needs to be limited and Reed will be a major factor in the type of day No. 87 has.

Ray Lewis 

Just like Reed, all eyes are typically fixated on Lewis throughout any game and this battle with Brady is no difference.

Despite frequently throwing the ball to Gronkowski on longer routes, the Pats work the ball methodically down the field with an array of short passes to Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez. 

Lewis is essentially the quarterback of the defense and is tremendous at diagnosing plays pre-snap. He read a shallow comeback route last weekend against the Texans and nearly reeled in an interception.

The legendary linebacker is still one of the fastest guys at his position moving from sideline-to-sideline and must wrap up Patriots pass-catchers before they turn three-yard catches into huge gains.

Haloti Ngata 

Ngata is vital for the Ravens, maybe even their most important defensive player. If he has a monster game, Baltimore will have a fantastic chance of winning. 

Tom Brady is generally provided great protection from his offensive line and as we saw last weekend against the Denver Broncos, when he has time to stoically stand in the pocket, there is no one better.

No. 12 is not a threat to scramble with the football around the edge and loves stepping up into the pocket. 

Due to that, it's imperative Ngata delivers pressure on the interior of the Patriots' offensive line, driving Brady out of his comfort zone and into some hurried decisions. 

Follow @ChrisTrapasso