Roy Hibbert’s Benching on Crucial Defensive Possessions Another Case of Coach Overthinking Simple Decision
Alex Rodriguez Selling Remodeled Mansion Next to Matt Damon for $15 Million Profit (Photos)
Dennis Seidenberg ‘Getting Better Every Day,’ Optimistic About Game 4 Return (Video)
Plaxico Burress Launches Luxury Socks Line, Says He Hopes to Expand to Bow Ties, Cuff Links, Belts (Photos)
Jacoby Ellsbury’s Solid Effort Against White Sox Doesn’t Silence Leadoff Debate, But It Turns Volume Down a Bit
Paul George Arrives on Big Stage, But LeBron James Trumps Rising Star With Predictable Dominance
Red Sox Stop the Bleeding in Chicago, End Successful Road Trip With Huge Win
For Bill Belichick, Ed Reed may be "the one that got away."
Back in April of 2002, Belichick and Scott Pioli chose to take tight end Daniel Graham with the 21st overall pick in the NFL draft. Reed went just three picks later, and after eight pro bowl appearances and eight all-pro teams, the Patriots head coach may still be kicking himself.
But after eleven seasons in the NFL, should Reed still be the Patriots' biggest concern on Sunday night?
The Patriots secondary has looked great two games into 2012, but every fan remembers the struggles that same 2011 squad had. In the Ravens and Patriots last matchup in last year's playoffs, the New England defense allowed 306 yards passing and two touchdowns from Joe Flacco and 101 yards from wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Can Devin McCourty and the rest of the Patriots' defensive backs do a better job Sunday night?
Ray Lewis is still a force in his 17th season in the NFL, and looks even better than in recent years after dropping some weight this offseason. If the Patriots are going to hope to get Stevan Ridley going on the ground, Lewis' impact will have to be minimized.
Speaking of the Patriots' running game, athletic and massive defensive end Haloti Ngata will have to be contained by New England's interior linemen Logan Mankins, Ryan Wendell and — if healthy — Dan Connolly. If Connolly can't play due to a concussion, Donald Thomas could have his hands full with Ngata.
The Patriots run defense has been great so far, allowing just 125 yards on the ground with 2.6 yards per carry in two games. They haven't had to face a running back as great as Ray Rice though. In the 2011 playoffs, the Patriots did a nice job against Rice allowing 67 yards on 21 carries and no touchdowns. The Patriots weren't so lucky in the 2009 playoffs when they let Rice run free for 159 yards and two touchdowns, including an 83 yarder to start the game.
This is a much different team now, and it seems that Belichick has made it his duty to build a team to stop the rush adding great run defenders Kyle Love, Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower and Brandon Spikes since that game. Perhaps the greatest concern with Rice is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. New England's zone coverage usually concentrates far more on the intermediate to deep portion of the field, rather than the shallow, where Flacco can check down to Rice. The Ravens' running back can be dangerous if he's got open land in front of him.
So who do you think should be the Patriots' biggest concern on Sunday?
Which Ravens player should be the Patriots' biggest concern on Sunday?
Andrew Garfield Plays Basketball as Spider-Man During Break in Filming in New York (Video)
Brad Richards a Healthy Scratch for Rangers in Game 4 Against Bruins
Bruins-Rangers Live: Brad Richards a Healthy Scratch for Game 4 Against B’s
Tom Brady Thinks It’s Unfair to Compare Danny Amendola to Wes Welker, But Already Sees Promise in His New Receiver
Derek Jeter Appears to Use Fake Name ‘Philip’ to Get Coffee at Starbucks (Photo)
Roy Hibbert’s Absence on LeBron James’ Game-Winning Layup Shown Side-by-Side With Block on Carmelo Anthony (Photo)
Bills Fan Gets Huge O.J. Simpson Mugshot Tattoo on Upper Thigh, Took Nine Hours to Finish (Photo)
Ron Jaworski Says He’s Serious About Tim Tebow Joining Arena Football League As ‘Career Path’ Toward NFL Return
Giants Fan Catches Foul Ball While Holding Baby at AT&T Park (Video)
Michael Bourn Blows Catch, Helps Flip Miguel Cabrera’s Fly Ball Over Fence for Home Run (Video)
Senators Coach Paul MacLean Holds 20-Second Press Conference After Blowout Loss to Penguins (Video)
Adam Jones, Manny Machado Wear All-Denim Suits After Beating Yankees (Photo)
Daniel Alfredsson Says Senators Will ‘Probably Not’ Come Back to Beat Penguins
Koji Uehara Whacks Shane Victorino When Outfielder Isn’t Paying Attention During Dugout High Fives (Animation)
Geno Smith Signs With Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports Agency, But Stresses His Focus Will Be on Football
Providence Bruins Blow 3-0 Series Lead in AHL Playoffs, Fall to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Game 7
Kevin Durant’s Giant Back Tattoo Features Jesus, Angel and Bible Verse, But No Misspellings According to Him (Photo)
Clay Buchholz Able to Avoid Two-Out Trouble Early, Giving Red Sox Chance at Holding Off White Sox (Video)
Dwyane Wade’s ‘Fashion Consultant’ Planned Out All His Outfits for Playoffs Ahead of Time
Jacoby Ellsbury Remains Red Sox’ Leadoff Hitter for Now, But John Farrell Not Ruling Out Lineup Change
Report: Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox Haven’t Yet Engaged in Talks About Possible Contract Extension
Nationals Closer Calls Out Bryce Harper’s Outfield Positioning, Says His ’4-Year-Old Son’ Would Know Better
Terry Francona, Justin Masterson Among Many Familiar Faces Invading Fenway During Upcoming Red Sox Homestand
Derek Lowe Clears Waivers, Can Either Accept Minor League Assignment or Become Free Agent
Bill Belichick Drops to No. 2 on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Coaches List As Sean Payton Claims Top Spot
Robert Kraft Pushing for Super Bowl Bid in Boston, Providence in Near Future
© 2013 New England Sports Network. All Rights Reserved. All photos © 2013 Associated Press and NBA photos © 2013 Getty Images unless indicated. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
All sports statistics © 2013 STATS LLC unless indicated. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.
Powered by WordPress.com VIP