Ravens vs. Patriots: Breaking Down Baltimore's Keys to the Game

The Baltimore Ravens are once again in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs after winning on the road in the Wild Card Round. After this past week's 30-17 win at Pittsburgh, the Ravens have won four playoff games away from home in convincing fashion since 2008.

Despite being blown out by 20 points at Pittsburgh in Week 9, Baltimore looked like the superior team as it knocked the AFC North champion out of the postseason.

Now, it's on to New England for a date with Tom Brady and the top-seeded New England Patriots. They, too, have felt Baltimore's wrath in the postseason, losing twice and winning once in the playoffs against the Ravens since 2009.

Baltimore won 33-14 in Foxborough in 2009 en route to making the AFC Championship Game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers.

In 2011, the Ravens lost a 23-20 contest that saw Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff miss a game-tying 32-yard field goal with under a minute left in the game.

In 2012, Baltimore returned the favor with a 28-13 beatdown of New England on its way to winning the Super Bowl.

For this year's showdown, Baltimore will have several of the same keys to winning this matchup as it did in those previous two wins. Here's a look at the Ravens' keys to winning at New England this weekend.

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Dominate the Line

The Ravens have gone 10-4 in the playoffs since 2008. Much of that has had to do with their dominance at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

From a mauling offensive line to a suffocating defensive front seven, Baltimore has simply been the more physical team in nearly every postseason game it's played over that span.

In the three postseason games against the Patriots, the Ravens rushed for an average of 157 yards per game. That allowed them to control the clock and keep Tom Brady off the field.

One player who didn't play in any of those matchups but will be key this week is running back Justin Forsett.

The NFL's fifth-leading rusher with 1,266 yards, Forsett is the latest back to thrive behind a dominant Baltimore offensive line. This despite several injuries along the offensive line toward the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.

That was a big reason why Forsett was able to gain just 40 yards last week as Baltimore rushed for just 53 yards as a team. That number has to dramatically improve this week, and there's reason to believe it will.

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Ryan Mink of the team's official website reports starting left tackle Eugene Monroe could return this week, which would dramatically reshape the offensive line. If he's back, James Hurst could move to right tackle and allow Marshal Yanda to move back to his natural guard spot.

Yanda was one of the best players in football this year at right guard, as evidenced by his Pro Football Focus Offensive Player of the Year nomination:

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Up until Week 15 against Jacksonville, Yanda had been a dominant force in the Ravens’ ground attack, grading positively as a run blocker every single week and above +2.0 10 times, unquestionably the league’s best run blocker this season.

An injury to the starting right tackle has forced Yanda out to that position for some or all of the last three games, but drawing on his experience as a rookie, Yanda has performed well in pass protection even if he hasn’t been the same dominant force as a run blocker. That near seamless transition is all the more to his credit in a stunning season that he will hope doesn’t finish with the Ravens’ trip to New England this Sunday.

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If Monroe is back at left tackle and Yanda moves back to right guard, that could be what Baltimore needs to give itself the upper hand in the trenches.

After all, New England finished the regular season ninth in run defense. If the Ravens are going to win the battle up front on the offensive side, having their offensive line back to its regular configuration is key.

On the other side, Baltimore's defensive front seven should have little issue shutting down the Patriots' ground game. The Ravens held the Steelers to 68 rushing yards last week after finishing the regular fourth in run defense.

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Pressure Tom Brady

The Patriots ranked just 18th in rushing offense in the regular season, as they featured a more pass-happy offense (ninth overall).

You can't blame them, though, with Tom Brady at quarterback throwing to tight end Rob Gronkowski, one of the NFL's best players at any position.

However, that plays right into Baltimore's hand, as it features a heavy dose of pass-rushers that will terrorize any QB.

In last week's win at Pittsburgh, the Ravens sacked Ben Roethlisberger five times. The Patriots offense finds it hard to succeed when Brady is on his back, which is where Baltimore will look to put him early and often.

In four losses in the regular season, New England surrendered 12 combined sacks for an average of three per game. In 12 wins, the Patriots allowed just 14 sacks for an average of just 1.2 per game.

Assuming the Ravens are able to shut down the Patriots' run game, that makes it easier for the Ravens' pass-rushers to pin their ears back and bombard Brady with pressure throughout the game.

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According to PFF (subscription required), outside linebackers Terrell Suggs, Pernell McPhee and Elvis Dumervil have combined for 41 sacks and 41 QB hits this season.

Those three must get hits and occasionally a sack on Brady to keep him uncomfortable in the pocket, preventing him from finding any rhythm.

Conclusion 

In summary, Baltimore simply needs to dominate the trenches on both sides of the ball in order to win this game. That includes running the ball well while pressuring Brady and keeping the Patriots' passing game out of sync.

If the Ravens can do this, they should come out of Foxborough with their third win in four playoff matchups with the Patriots.