Ravens show Patriots what it’s going to be like going forward

BALTIMORE — The Ravens were a litmus test for the Patriots, facing their first decent team, with a legitimate quarterback at the helm.

Lamar Jackson certainly caused problems, and the Ravens running attack continued to expose the one area of the Patriots defense that’s been a weakness during the season.

Jackson, Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards had 155 rushing yards combined in the first half alone. Then, when the Patriots managed to slow down the rushing attack, Jackson made enough plays through the air, making huge conversions on third and fourth down throughout the game. Jackson rushed 62 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and threw for one to tight end Nick Boyle during the 37-20 Ravens win at M & T Bank Stadium. Ingram rushed for 116 yards on 15 carries as the Ravens rushed for over 200 yards on the Patriots defense.

And while the Pats won’t have to face any quarterback quite as uniquely talented as Jackson the rest of the regular season, expect more of this going forward.

The competition is getting tougher, not easier, this month with the Eagles, Cowboys, Texans and Chiefs on tap. All of these teams have good quarterbacks, and top running games. Plus, the Patriots got physically dominated in the trenches by the Ravens in the run game. They couldn’t handle the Ravens schemes. They’re sure to see a lot more of it going forward.

The Eagles have been grinding out wins on the ground of late. The Cowboys have Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot and one of the best offensive lines in the league. The Texans have Deshaun Watson and Carlos Hyde, who rushed for 160 yards on the Jaguars Sunday. The Chiefs have Mahomes, with Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy. Watson and Mahomes have similar skillsets to Jackson. They might be better passers, but Jackson is in a different league as a runner, as he showed last night. So it’s not going to get any easier for a defense that appeared on its way to making history.

The Ravens were the first to break through, serve up some humble pie to the defense, and hand the Patriots their first loss of the season.

With Jackson and his other-worldly abilities, the Ravens offense was unlike any other the Patriots had faced to this point. Even though the Patriots defense had some difficulties stopping the run, and giving up explosive plays – most notably runs of 41 and 28 by Frank Gore against the Bills; a 65-yard reverse by Steven Sims of the Redskins; a 44-yard run by Nick Chubb of the Browns – none of those had much impact on the previous games.

Big plays by Jackson & Co. hurt the Patriots early and late. Ingram had a 53-yard run, Jackson had an 18-yard run, and a 26-yard pass play to Marquise Brown.

Entering the game, Jackson, Ingram and Edwards had combined for 1,280 yards and 10 TDs. They added to those totals at the Patriots expense.

Bill Belichick tried mixing up his schemes, playing both man and zone. After an early onslaught by the Ravens, things calmed considerably in the second quarter to allow Tom Brady & Co. to get back in the game. But in the second half, there was no holding down Jackson & Co.

Jackson beat the Patriots with his legs and did just enough with his arm, while Ingram simply ran through them. You can bet, there will more of that coming up. The teams are better, and they’ll ground it out against the Patriots if that gives them the best chance to win.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2WCkdPq