AFC Championship: 5 Bold Predictions for the Patriots-Ravens Matchup

In a matchup of the greatest NFL quarterback of the last decade against one of the most vaunted defenses of the same period, the Patriots and Ravens will do battle in Foxborough on Sunday afternoon.

Championship weekend is finally here and the most talked about matchup of the weekend is between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens. As with any entertaining matchup, it's always fun to throw out some bold predictions before the game.

Here are five bold predictions on what this game will bring and to whom the victory will go.

Tom Brady Is Sacked Twice

New England's offensive line has done a fantastic job of protecting Tom Brady this year. The unit has given up just 32 sacks since the first game of the season, including zero against the Denver Broncos last week.

However, the Patriots didn't play the Ravens this season. Much has been made of Terrell Suggs on this Baltimore front, and for good reason. He's recorded 14 sacks this season and has had one of the best years of his career. He's also gotten some added publicity thanks to his recent antic with a certain TV commentator.

The truth, though, is that in this game it will be nose tackle Haloti Ngata who will cause the Pats the most trouble. Suggs, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed get the most props for this Ravens' defense, but Ngata is the engine and the man who does the dirty work.

The Pats will have a hard time stopping Ngata up the middle. He himself may not record two sacks, but he'll be a big part of why the Ravens do as a whole.

Ray Rice Records at Least 100 Yards from Scrimmage

In just his fourth year in the league, Ray Rice has become the stud that the Ravens hoped he'd be coming out of Rutgers.

He's accounted for over 2,000 combined rushing and receiving yards and 15 touchdowns this season. He also leads the team in receptions.

Despite many pundits who bemoan the Patriots' passing offense, it is really their rushing defense that will be the problem in this game. Rice is a strong, quick guy who can maneuver his way past Vince Wilfork and out into space, especially when the Pats play zone.

If the Ravens want to win, they need to ride Rice to that victory. By the way, did I mention that the Ravens are undefeated this season when Rice has at least 15 rushing attempts?

Tom Brady Throws 3 Touchdown Passes

Many doubt the Patriots in this game because of their 19-point playoff loss to the Ravens two years ago. They flustered Brady in that game and made him look as pedestrian as he ever has in the playoffs in his career. That won't happen this time around.

Why? In that game back in 2010, Brady was missing his best target in Wes Welker, who was sidelined with a knee injury. He didn't have anyone else in that receiving corps who could step up and be a dependable possession receiver.

Fast forward two years and the Patriots have addressed that problem. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are two of the biggest matchup problems in the NFL. When you combine them with a smart player like Deion Branch and a healthy Wes Welker, it equates to Brady having a very good day.

He'll throw at least three touchdown passes in this game. Don't be surprised if one of them goes to Chad Ochocinco, who may be able to benefit from the open looks he gets from the playmakers around him.

Joe Flacco Plays Well

We've all heard about Baltimore safety Ed Reed bashing his quarterback Joe Flacco in the media in the week prior to this game. It has led to intense media speculation about Flacco and about whether or not he will fail this team.

Flacco is unjustly criticized, or at least criticized too harshly. He's won a lot of playoff games with this team and has been a good quarterback. He will be in this game too.

He won't throw for Tom Brady-esque numbers, because that isn't who he is. He is a game manager, a guy who can make throws and who benefits from a strong running game and defense. He'll do his thing in this game and will not be the reason the Ravens win or lose.

The Patriots Win by Double Digits

The Patriots will win this game and it won't be all that close.

Tom Brady is on a mission, and with this receiving corps he just has too many options for carving up this Ravens defense. The Ravens' offense will score its fair share, but it won't be enough to keep up with Brady.

Ed Reed won't be able to defeat Brady in this game of wits, and it will be the defense that fails the Baltimore Ravens and not Joe Flacco.

The Patriots will win, 28-17.