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Joe Flacco, John Harbaugh are as Dangerous a Duo as Tom Brady, Bill Belichick

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By @AnthonyBeers

John Harbaugh Joe Flacco Baltimore Ravens

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots‘ dominance in the NFL isn’t uncanny anymore — it is expected. But despite excellent playoff success, a Super Bowl championship has eluded them for over 10 years. Two seasons ago, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs and went on to win it all was the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens always tend to be a tough matchup for anyone, but that goes double in the postseason. Quarterback Joe Flacco and head coach John Harbaugh wield an impressive 10-4 playoff record. The 6-foot-6 Flacco has a reputation for being “Joe Cool” in the postseason. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, Flacco lived up to that expectation and emphatically outplayed division rival Ben Roethlisberger. Despite being very fortunate to even get into the playoffs, the Ravens played like they belonged to be there.

The Patriots have since hushed the temporary critics after their 2-2 start. Winning the AFC East and clinching a first-round bye doesn’t even begin to scratch the lens on their big-picture goals. Head coach Bill Bellichick and quarterback Tom Brady are tired of having their Super Bowl aspirations fall short. For once, they have the luxury of a healthy Rob Gronkowski and are truly in a great position to make a run.

Naturally, due to home field and a better regular season, the Patriots are favored to win the game. But truthfully, this game is about as up in the air as any previous matchup between the two teams. The Patriots and Ravens have developed somewhat of a playoff rivalry, making this matchup all the more enticing. Who will be victorious? The Patriots, who have dominated consistently, or the Ravens, who seem to be catching fire at the right time?

More than likely, both quarterbacks will play well for their teams. The winner of this game, as most playoff games are, will be determined by the better defensive performance. The Ravens and Patriots both had very similar statistical seasons on the defensive end. Historically, the Ravens are known for great defenses, but this is a different unit. This isn’t Ray Lewis or Ed Reed‘s team. This is Haloti Ngata‘s team. As for the Patriots? Led by Vince Wilfork and Darrelle Revis, the Patriots have a nice combination of youth and experience at the helm.

But there’s something special about the Ravens. Their personality almost cancels out the advantages of home field and an extra week of rest. One could even argue the Ravens do better on the road as underdogs than they do favored at home. These factors, although they can’t really be proven, are too uncannily consistent over recent years to avoid bringing up.

The Ravens can shock everyone and win this game if they get running back Justin Forsett going early. The Patriots’ defense has given up 104.3 rushing yards per game on average throughout the regular season. Forsett will likely do well as he has in most games this season. The Ravens can win this game, but it will be close. Despite the fact that Harbaugh and Flacco are just as dangerous as Belichick and Brady, it is the team that can run the ball and play defense that will win this one. And despite losing Ray Rice and all the drama behind that, the Ravens have successfully ran the ball well all season.

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