FOXBORO, Mass. — Protecting Tom Brady is among the New England Patriots’ top goals in Saturday’s divisional round playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens have a fantastic pass rush, and veteran Terrell Suggs is one of several talented players whom New England’s offensive line must account for at all times.
“(Suggs is) phenomenal. He’s in his 12th year (in the league), it looks like it’s his third year out there,” Brady said after Tuesday’s practice at Gillette Stadium. “He’s the leader of that defense, he makes great plays.
“I think there’s the play that’s called and then what he actually does. Even though he has a certain responsibility, if he sniffs it out, he takes a shot and goes for it. He may have contain, but he may rip inside and try to make a play in the backfield. He’s a just a smart player — we’ve played against him a bunch of times. He takes away a lot of stuff. I have a lot of respect for his ability to play the game at a high level.”
Suggs is an aggressive player who’s capable of using his speed and quickness to get to the quarterback, or stopping the run with his impressive strength. He made six tackles with a pass defended and an interception in the Ravens’ 30-17 wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Suggs has 12 sacks, four forced fumbles, one interception and three passes defensed in his 15-game playoff career.
There’s no question Suggs still is an elite player, but he’s not the only playmaker the Patriots must prepare for Saturday.
Haloti Ngata is one of the best defensive lineman in the league and makes a positive impact in both run and pass defense. His return to the Ravens’ defense last weekend helped it sack Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger five times and hold the Pittsburgh rushing attack to just 68 yards. Ngata tallied two tackles and a sack versus the Steelers.
“They’ve got a lot of good defensive players,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said. “The front is certainly disruptive. (Courtney) Upshaw, Suggs, Ngata, (Brandon) Williams, (Chris) Canty — they’re all good, and that creates a lot of opportunities for the linebackers as well. They’re solid defensively. (Defensive coordinator Dean Pees) has done a good job with that group. Their front seven has pretty been much intact all year. I know Ngata missed some games last month, but they’ve been productive. (Pernell) McPhee has given them a lot of good plays in there. All those guys show up and make plays.”
This Ravens defense might not be the superstar-laden group it has been throughout the last decade. That said, it’s wealth of postseason experience, confidence from winning in New England in the past and its ability to rush the quarterback will present plenty of challenge for the Patriots.
“Every year is different. It takes on a different feel,” Brady said. “They got the same coordinator. We know Dean (Pees) from his time here — he’s a really good coach. He has those guys ready to go, they obviously played a great game in Pittsburgh. It takes a big effort to win on the road like that in the playoffs. They’ve been really good at that.
“They’re a very tough team, physical, smart, got a lot of playmakers. It’s a lot of fun. We have a great history with them.”
Thumbnail photo via Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports Images
