Patriots vs. Ravens: Why Baltimore's Key to Victory Isn't on Defense

Shutting down Tom Brady is the obvious way for the Baltimore Ravens to beat the New England Patriots.

The problem is that it is much easier said than done.

Brady's coming off a six-touchdown, 35-point beatdown of the Denver Broncos. The Ravens defense is coming off a three-interception performance against rookie third-string quarterback T.J. Yates.

The Ravens only won the game by seven points.

Houston's defense is a different animal compared to the Patriots' mediocre unit, though, and if the Ravens truly expect to win this football game in New England they're going to have to do it with some help from their offense.

Baltimore has pulled off this feat before—two years ago they trounced the Pats in New England behind a 24-point first quarter, running the ball a ridiculous 52 times—and can only hope to do it again.

Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed will be instrumental in trying to contain Brady on Sunday. Suggs must lead the charge into Brady's backfield while Lewis dominates the short middle of the field with Reed back deep playing mind games with the Patriots' signal-caller.

Should they hit him and/or confuse, it will be a huge boost, but most of all they're just going to try and contain him.

Offensively, the Ravens have found a common theme: Run Ray Rice.

The fourth-year star is everything to this offense—with the help of fullback Vontae Leach especially. In the Ravens' four losses this year, Rice averaged just about 10 carries per game.

Only once in a winning effort did he see fewer than 18 carries, and in the final seven games when the Ravens went 6-1, Rice carried the ball at least 20 times in each game. In the lone loss he carried it only 10.

New England's lost only three games all season and there is no real theme to its losses. Buffalo was lucky to stay in the game by picking off Brady four times. The Steelers dominated the clock and completed 23 passing first downs. And Eli Manning did what Eli Manning does best and rallied the Giants late for a stunning win in Foxborough.

No team dominated the Pats like the Steelers, though—a team the Ravens beat—and if anything they'll need to follow a blue print that reads: Keep Tom Brady off the field.

Joe Flacco isn't Ben Roethlisberger and he isn't going to complete 23 first-down passes or throw for 365 yards on 36-of-50 passing.

But if the Ravens can control the clock with Rice and keep Brady away from the field they'll actually have a chance of winning in Foxborough again.

The Ravens have one of the best defenses in the league and that certainly helps, but sometimes the best defense is a good offense. 

Baltimore can have a good offense, but it has to run through Ray Rice.

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