Keys To Victory @ Baltimore

1. Protect The Football on O - Brady has 6 INTs vs 1 TD in 3 games against The Ravens since 2009. Obviously good protection will help to eliminate turnovers, but I am looking at Brady to make better decisions this week. He needs to be wary of clogged passing lanes to avoid tipped balls. Also, Brady missed a few reads, forcing the ball into tight windows while other guys were open. Those kind of mistakes will not fly against Ed Reed and The Ravens. Brady needs to be near perfect with his throws. Likewise, RBs need to hold on tight while Ray Lewis and company hack at the ball.

2. Limit Explosive Plays on D - Flacco is a good deep passer with speedy targets in Jacoby Jones and Torrey Smith. However, the biggest limitation with Flacco is his inconsistency on short-intermediate routes. If The Patriots D can force Flacco to string together long drives, then he becomes much less effective. Force The Ravens into 3rd downs, and don't give up 20+ yard plays. Make Flacco earn every yard.

3. Win Field Position Battle - Both teams are well balanced with good Defenses and good Offenses. This game will be a struggle, and Special Teams will be a major factor in deciding the contest. Obviously, we need better protection for our kickers, but Mesko needs to be better in pinning The Ravens inside the 20 than he was against The Cardinals. This game should be close, and good field position can go a long way in deciding it. We must eliminate Special Teams penalties altogether. A nice punt return from Edelman could go a long way as well.

4. Smother Ray Rice - In 2009, Rice dismantled The Patriots Defense by himself. Since that playoff loss, Belichick has been much more aware of his talent. Donta' Hightower adds a lot of size and speed to The Pats LB corps, and this talent should make it more difficult on The Ravens rushing attack. However, we cannot dismiss Rice's talent to catch the ball out of the backfield. Frankly, I don't want to see Rice gain a single yard, but holding him under 60 yards should suffice as a "smothering."

5. O-Line Play Must Improve - The Patriots Offensive line had their hands full last week, and this week there is even more beef to contend with. Although The Ravens are missing Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, Terrell Suggs, they have a very heavy front with Arthur Jones (315 lbs), Ma'ake Kemoeatu (340 lbs), and Haloti Ngata (340 lbs). Logan Mankins and Ryan Wendell had trouble moving Campbell and Dockett with double teams, and that was a major factor in last week's loss. Mankins, as a team captain, must be better this week, especially in run blocking. As always, we'll be watching Nate Solder's performance at LT, but really I am more concerned with the interior this week.