My Wes Welker Blog

The NFL playoffs are here, and fans rejoice at the prospect of competitive football games on the gridiron like the ones we're about to witness.

One of the more exciting matchups during the first week of the playoffs will be the Ravens and Patriots, who meet in Boston on Sunday at 1pm ET.

What do people like so much about this matchup? Well, the Ravens, who made last year's AFC conference championship game, have a legitimate shot at upsetting the Patriots, seen by many as a favorite to make the Super Bowl given their past experience.

The Ravens fell short of a win in New England when the two teams met in week 4 of the 2009 NFL season on October 4th. At the time, the Ravens were undefeated at 3-0 and marched into New England with all the confidence a team could have.

Unfortunately for their sake, they lost a nail biter, going down by the score of 27-21 due to a dropped ball by Mark Clayton that would have given them a one point lead with 28 seconds to go. Baltimore was left wondering what could have been all season.

Now, the team has a shot at revenge. Not only do they get another go at it, but this time around the Pats will be without Wes Welker, the team's best and most consistent wide receiver.

The Baltimore secondary will rejoice at the opportunity defend the ball without Welker in tow, and should take full advantage of New England's vulnerability by attacking Brady early and often.

If the team can play aggressive defense, they'll take the Patriots out of their element, putting the pressure back on New England. This, combined with some solid contributions from standout running back Ray Rice and his backup in Willis McGahee, could easily result in an upset that would have the football world buzzing.

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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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One of the most anticipated first round matchups in the 2010 NFL playoffs is the Patriots and the Ravens. People are really enjoying the prospects of this game for many different reasons. Let's take a look at some of those here.

First of all, everyone outside of New England loves to hate the Patriots. This franchise has become the nemesis of many teams during the course of the decade, as they coasted to three Super Bowl victories and became a dynasty of sorts.

Fans enjoy rooting against the team for this reason. They also admonish (or possibly envy) the picture perfect nature of Tom Brady, so they always enjoy seeing an underdog come in to upset them.

Here are the key points to keep in mind when it comes to Sunday's game. This will help to give you an idea as to what chances the Patriots have of winning.

First of all, it should be noted that the Patriots are 8-0 at home this season, one of only two teams (the Vikings were the other) to have finished the regular season with an undefeated home record.

This makes the task of beating New England at Foxboro an extremely daunting one for the Ravens. On the other hand, Baltimore nearly beat the Pats in New England when they played earlier this season, only to fall short in the 4th quarter.

Another factor that bodes well for Baltimore is the fact that New England just lost its star receiver, Wes Welker, to an injury that will keep him out of the entire playoffs.

Welker's 1348 receiving yards were second best in the NFL in 2009, and his 123 receptions were more than any other player in the league. Clearly, the loss of Welker to injury will be a major blow to the Patriots and could put their chances of winning at risk.

All in all, the competitive fire of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the rest of this organization come through more often than not. Most fans would be surprised to see the Patriots come away with anything short of a victory.

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