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New England Patriots Must Be Smart With Cornerback Matchups vs. Baltimore Ravens

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By @petahrahgas

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs starts tomorrow, and while ESPN seems to have fallen in love with the Baltimore Ravens in this game, the Foxborough faithful know better than to bet against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

The biggest matchup for the New England Patriots heading into tomorrow’s game is the Ravens’ pass rush. I’ve already written about that in detail so I won’t bore with you with it; I’ll just say the Patriots need to be ready for Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. Moving on!

Now that’s just what the offense has to worry about. The Patriots’ defense also has to do their job, especially since the offense tends to stall out when they play the Ravens and then the team relies on the defense to keep them in the game. For the defense, their biggest matchup comes down to the cornerback position.

Let’s start with Pro-Bowl corner Darrelle Revis. Revis will be on Steve Smith. Done. Oh, you want a reason? Smith is exactly the kind of receiver Revis thrives against; in fact, Revis has had monstrous success against the small receiver. Revis has matched up against Smith three times over their careers — once with Revis on the New York Jets and twice on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and in those matchups Smith caught 2-of-10 passes for 21 yards, two interceptions and four passes defended. It’s safe to say Revis will be on Smith tomorrow, and Joe Flacco would be wise to look the other way.

That leaves Brandon Browner to cover the other Smith on the Ravens, Torrey Smith. And this leaves the Patriots in a horrible position. Smith (the Torrey one) leads the league in drawing pass interference calls, getting 11 flags for 229 yards this season. Browner, on the other hand, is a flag-getting machine. He’s been flagged second most in the NFL, and when it comes to pass interference calls, he’s fourth highest in the league. If Browner is covering Smith, the field will look like my bedroom: laundry everywhere.

Instead, I’d look for Browner to move inside and cover tight end Owen Daniels and have speedster Kyle Arrington take on (Torrey) Smith with Devin McCourty’s help over the top.

The Patriots’ defense has the ability to shut down Flacco and the Ravens’ offense, and it would be silly to give them free yards via penalties when yards are going to be at such a premium in this game.

Peter Rogers is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @petahrahgas, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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