My Wes Welker Blog

Every year, a handful of teams vie for a shot at the playoffs as the football season nears an end. Typically, these teams will finish with anywhere between 7 and 10 wins, and while all of them are generally talented teams, only two will be able to break through.

The action usually comes down to the last week of the season, and the outcomes of certain games will determine who gets in and who doesn't. Some teams, like last year's 11-5 Patriots, suffer from tough luck and won't make it through. In other years, 8-8 has been good enough to make it happen.

This season, the two teams that were fortunate enough to get a shot at the post season were the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets. Let's take a quick look at the Ravens here, as I'll also provide some quick analysis regarding their chances.

First, there are the Baltimore Ravens. Having secured the #5 seed, this may be a team that no one wants to face come playoff time.

Why would this be the case if they were only 9-7? Well, for one, the team has experience. Having made the playoffs last year, Joe Flacco and the Ravens have been there, and they won a game last year as well. In fact, they came one game away from the Super Bowl before losing to the Steelers.

With one of the most potent running backs in the league in Ray Rice, defenses have a lot to fear. Willis McGahee isn't half bad either, and his 167 rush yards in week 17 may have very well been what put the team past the Raiders and into January play.

On top of this, Baltimore has some of the best defensive weapons in the game. Guys like Ed Reed and Ray Lewis are seasoned veterans who are ready to embrace the challenge.

With a round 1 matchup against the New England Patriots, most would favor the Pats to win here. Still, there are a few reasons that the Ravens may have a shot in addition to what was mentioned above.

Most notably, Wes Welker is out with injury for New England and this will hurt. Additionally, these two team met in week 3, and the Pats only won by 6 points. Can Baltimore build on their last experience and make it through this time?

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