Ravens vs. Patriots: Baltimore Linebackers Will Make Tom Brady's Life Miserable

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have yet to beat a team that finished above .500 this season.

Why is that significant?  

Because their only home loss all season came to a 9-7 New York Giants team in Week 9.

New England's AFC Championship showdown with the 13-4 Baltimore Ravens brings back chilling memories of that 24-20 November defeat. The key to the Giants' win was defense, holding the NFL's second-most explosive offensive unit to just 20 points and zero in the first half. The key for the Ravens on Sunday will not be outscoring Brady and the Pats, which is simply impossible given their weapons, but keeping New England off the scoreboard.

Sure, it sounds painfully obvious and ridiculous to say that Baltimore must keep New England from scoring if they are going to win, but it's true. The Giants would not have beaten the Patriots in a shootout, and neither will the Ravens on Sunday. 

That's where Baltimore's linebackers come into play. Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs will be key in slowing Brady and the Pats offense in the biggest AFC matchup of the season. Suggs, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, has 14 sacks and seven forced fumbles this season. His pressure off the edge will make Brady uncomfortable and could potentially force a turnover or two. 

Lewis will need to be present in the passing game, specifically lurking behind the line of scrimmage and making plays against Wes Welker and other Pats wide receivers who are content to run short or intermediate crossing routes. 

No linebacker in the game is better at reading quarterbacks and closing on the ball than Lewis, and that is evidenced by Brady's consistent, human-like efforts against Lewis' defenses. Brady's 71.4 quarterback rating against the Ravens is his lowest against any NFL team. He's 0-1 against Baltimore in the postseason.

Baltimore ranks second in the league in rush defense, and that will make New England's offense one-dimensional. Of course, Houston's Arian Foster did run wild last week against the Ravens defense, but BenJarvus Green-Ellis is no Arian Foster. 

The Pats will attempt to spread out the Ravens' defenders with some shotgun looks early and often, and the success of Baltimore's linebackers will dictate the results Brady and New England will have.

It starts and ends with the defense for the Ravens in this AFC Championship matchup. Their linebacking corps is among the best in the NFL and the best New England has seen all year. And if their handling of the Steelers and Giants linebackers is any indication, the Pats will struggle this weekend against only the third winning team they have faced all season long.