Ravens Vs. Patriots 2012: Tom Brady Removed From Injury Report; Ed Reed Will Play

Ravens Vs. Patriots Predictions: Baltimore Is Capable Of The Upset

The Baltimore Ravens have the ability to beat the New England Patriots. The point spread doesn't show it and many predictions on the game (including mine) don't either.

But, as SB Nation's Baltimore Beatdown explained it, the Ravens clearly have the talent to win this game. We asked Baltimore Beatdown why the Ravens can beat the Patriots and why they can blow it.

Why The Ravens Can Win: The Ravens should be able to move the ball on the low-ranked Patriots defense, both on the ground as well as through the air. If RB Ray Rice gets close to 30 touches both rushing and receiving, and QB Joe Flacco has the time to throw against an average pass rush, there is no reason Baltimore can't put close to 30 points on the board and pull off what would be considered an upset everywhere (other than Baltimore).

Why The Ravens Can Lose: If the Ravens are unable to slow down Pats QB Tom Brady and his receivers, getting into a shoot-out, they will have a tough time outscoring New England.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

Championship Sunday: Picks And Predictions From SB Nation Bloggers

Championship Sunday is here as the Patriots host the Ravens in the AFC Championship game and over in the NFC the Giants play the 49ers. SB Nation's NFL bloggers make their expert picks on the game.

Ravens Vs. Patriots, AFC Championship 2012: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms To Call Title Game

CBS' top NFL broadcasting team of Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (analyst) will be joined by field reporter Steve Tasker for the call of the 2011 AFC Championship Game between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots.

The same crew got an up-close look at the Patriots in last Saturday night's 45-10 win over the Denver Broncos, a performance that impressed Nantz.

"No doubt about it. (Tom) Brady was in a special zone," Nantz told The Denver Post.

"The last Super Bowl win for Brady and the Patriots was seven years ago, and they hadn't performed well in playoff competition in recent seasons. Brady and his teammates were not about to lose this game. This, I think, was more of a factor than facing Tebow.

"And the fans contributed. They were loud...They were bloodthirsty."

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

NFL Playoff Schedule For Sunday: AFC, NFC Championship On Tap

The AFC Championship Game kicks off the NFL weekend, while the NFC Championship Game will be played in primetime on Sunday night.

Ravens Vs. Patriots, AFC Championship 2012: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

For the second time in the last four seasons, the Baltimore Ravens have advanced to the AFC Championship Game. Standing in their path to a second Super Bowl appearance are the AFC East Champion New England Patriots, who are 3-0 at home in AFC Championship Games and will be looking to go to the Super Bowl for the seventh time in franchise history.

Including the post-season, the Patriots are 4-1 at home against the Ravens, who are 7-4 all-time in post-season road games. One of those seven wins was a 33-14 win over the Patriots in the 2009 Wild Card Playoffs, with running back Ray Rice scoring on an 83-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game. Rice averages 145.7 yards for scrimmage in his three games against the Patriots.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady tossed an NFL record-tying six touchdown passes in last Saturday night's win over Denver Broncos. In doing so, Brady moved into third place on the NFL's all-time post-season touchdown pass list. Brady and head coach Bill Belichick moved past Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw for most wins (15) by a head coach-quarterback duo in post-season history.

Date & Time: Sunday, January 22nd, 3:00 p.m. ET

Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

TV: CBS

Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and field reporter Steve Tasker.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

Patriots Vs. Ravens, AFC Championship 2012: Weather Forecast Predicts Snow In New England

The New England Patriots are preparing to host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game. The visiting Ravens may have to deal with some interesting weather this weekend.

The weather forecast for the weekend anticipates a 20 percent chance of precipitation on Sunday. It is expected to be partly cloudy and between 29 and 34 degrees. The easy assumption to make is that the potentially adverse conditions would be likely to favor the Patriots, who are certainly used to all manner of weather.

According to Jamison Hensley at ESPN, the Ravens do not seem overly concerned about the weather on Sunday.

"We think we're an all-weather team," coach John Harbaugh said. "We think we're built for any kind of conditions. That's the idea."

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game, Ravens Vs. Patriots: Baltimore Must Account For Wes Welker

The Baltimore Ravens are getting ready to take on the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. The Ravens defense must prepare for the Patriots explosive offense. Immediately most people will think of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, but the Ravens know Wes Welker is who they need to focus on.

"He's a safety net for Brady, it's his reliable guy," Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano told the Carroll County Times. "He gets open. He's quick as a cat. He's got feet like a shore bird. They move him around out of the backfield. He's all over the place." Pagano added, "We've got to identify where he's at and what the situation is, what the down and distance is. Brady has got a certain comfort zone with him. He's his go-to-guy, among others, but he makes that thing go."

Against the Denver Broncos last week, Welker had just 6 receptions for 55 yards. During the regular season however, Welker led the Patriots with 122 receptions for 1,569 yards.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game, Patriots The Pick To Beat Ravens

The New England Patriots are gearing up to host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. And if the predictions everyone are making turn out to be true, it's going to be a great day for the home team.

Over at ESPN.com, seven of the eight experts pick the Patriots to top the Ravens. Only Seth Wickerhsam thinks the Ravens will win.

All five of the CBSSports.com experts are picking the Patriots as well.

Over at The Sporting News, they think the Pats will nip Baltimore 24-23.

No offense to Flacco, but Brady looks like a man on a mission. He played brilliantly against the Broncos with six touchdown passes. And he will get his team a step closer to accomplishing it.

And Peter King just can't see a scenario where the Patriots and Tom Brady lose this game:

Maybe they've found the fountain of youth. Maybe Bill Belichick knew all along these guys would be ready when the games really mattered. Whatever. I can't see Ray Rice breaking loose and winning this game for Baltimore. I can see Tom Brady making more than enough plays to win.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Odds: Joe Flacco Prop Bets Are Fun Things

The deeper into the NFL season we get, the more common it is to see prop bets. The really great prop bets don't come out until the Super Bowl, but there are some fantastic ones for the AFC Championship Game. If you're into the more conventional odds, those are interesting as well, but the prop bets are a lot more fun.

A lot of the conversation coming into the game between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots has centered around Joe Flacco. Ed Reed picked his words poorly when talking about his quarterback during a radio interview and Flacco had been criticized before that. If you're extremely confident about his abilities or lack thereof, there are odds on all of his stats, via Bovada.

Total Passing Yards - Joe Flacco (BAL)

Over/Under 240½

Total TD Passes - Joe Flacco (BAL)

Over 1½ (-140)

Under 1½ (+110)

Total Interceptions - Joe Flacco (BAL)

Over ½ (-165)

Under ½ (+135)

New England are heavy favorites at the moment, giving up nine points to the Ravens. The over/under is set at 50.5. Apparently the beat-down of Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos did a bit for the bookies' confidence in the Pats.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

Ravens Vs. Patriots 2012: Ed Reed Is The Only Player On Baltimore's Injury Report

The Baltimore Ravens will be healthy when they walk into Gillette Stadium this weekend to meet the New England Patriots for the NFC Championship game. The Ravens exited the week of practice with just one player on the injury report -- Ed Reed.

The Ravens safety was injured on the final defensive play last weekend against the Houston Texans but the ankle won't keep him out of Sunday's game. Reed is listed as probable and is expected to play against the Patriots.

The big injury talk this week over in New England has been Tom Brady. The Patriots quarterback missed practice on Wednesday but he returned for Thursday and Friday and has been removed from the injury report.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game, Ravens Vs. Patriots: Tom Brady Removed From New England Injury Report

Breathe easy, New England Patriots fans. When your beloved Pats take on the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012 AFC Championship game, Tom Brady is sure to be behind center, not that you were all that worried about it. The Patriots removed Brady from their updated injury report on Friday. Brady has practiced in both of the last two days.

Seventeen players remain on the Patriots injury report.

Three players are listed as probable. They include cornerback Kyle Arrington (foot), center Dan Connolly (groin), and receiver Matthew Slater (shoulder).

The 14 Patriots who are listed as questionable include receivers Deion Branch (knee) and Wes Welker (knee); offensive linemen Marcus Cannon (ankle), Logan Mankins (knee), Nate Solder (concussion), and Sebastian Vollmer (foot/back); defensive backs Patrick Chung (knee) and James Ihedigbo (shoulder); linebackers Dane Fletcher (thumb), Rob Ninkovich (hip), Brandon Spikes (knee), and Tracy White (abdomen); tight end Aaron Hernandez (concussion); and defensive lineman Kyle Love (ankle).

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game, Ravens Vs. Patriots: Rex Ryan Chimes In, Picks Baltimore To Win

The New York Jets lost three straight games to end the 2011 regular season, eliminating themselves from the playoffs. It would seem that Rex Ryan ought to have a lot on his mind, like veiled snipes at his starting quarterback and a toxic locker room environment. On Friday he took time out to weigh in on the this week's AFC Championship Game in an interview with WFAN, however, predicting the Baltimore Ravens to win over the New England Patriots due to their superior defense:

"The only way you're going to beat New England is if you have a great defense," Ryan said. "And when you look at the teams that won - obviously Buffalo was the one exception - in three years I'm talking about, the Giants had a great game defensively, they were able to get pressure on the quarterback, make plays in the back end. The Ravens had beaten New England before with a dominant defense. We beat New England three times but we did it creatively...a different type of defense, (Tom Brady) wasn't comfortable."

Ryan went on to predict a potentially monster game for defensive end Terrell Suggs, who recorded 14 sacks for the Ravens during the regular season. SB Nation blog Baltimore Beat Down agrees, extolling the unseen value of quarterback pressure and the turnovers it causes.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

NFL Playoffs Picks: Doubt Flacco And Eli At Your Own Risk

The stage for the Super Bowl will be set Sunday, and it all comes down to the Patriots and Ravens for the AFC Championship, and the Giants trying to knock off the 49ers out west. Who ya got?

Tom Brady's Injury Explained: Shoulder Is Issue Of Pain Control

The New England Patriots are gearing up to host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady raised some eyebrows and no small amount of concern when it was announced that he had missed Wednesday's practice.

Albert Breer of the NFL Network reported on Friday that Brady sat out the practice in order to mitigate the pain he is experiencing as a result of a sprain in his left shoulder. The missed practice is part of the schedule the Patriots have set up for the quarterback in order to ensure that his shoulder will continue to heal properly.

Brady's injury occurred in New England's December 24 game against the Miami Dolphins, but has not missed any game time since then. He is expected to play all of Sunday's game.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game: Tom Brady Is Michael Corleane, Joe Flacco Is Fredo

If it's all about the quarterbacks when the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots meet in the 2012 AFC Championship this Sunday, then former Patriot Tedy Bruschi has the analogy of the week so far.

Bruschi broke down the two quarterbacks in an ESPN conference call Thursday in a way that's easy for everyone to understand. With the usage of Godfather references:

"Joe Flacco, he wants his respect, he hasn't gotten it, and he's going to get his opportunity against New England because there's going to be multiple lead changes. He may have to bring his team back in the fourth quarter. You want it, you've got it, Joe Flacco; here's opportunity right now, because right now Tom Brady is Michael Corleone and Joe Flacco is Fredo. That's who [Flacco] is. He's Fredo. He wants his respect. Well, if you want your respect, you're going to have to be that quarterback that plays well, not better than Brady, but leads your team to victory. So you want it, you've got it."

Insert requisite "I knew it was you" moment when Brady and Flacco meet at midfield following the game.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

Ravens Vs. Patriots, AFC Championship 2012: Game Schedule And More

The New England Patriots ended a three-game NFL Playoffs losing streak with a 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos last week. It was the first playoff win since Jan. 2008, as the Patriots went on to lose the Super Bowl to the New York Giants that season. The Patriots could have a replay of that game this season, but first they need to defeat the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens are playing in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since Jan. 2009 when they lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens are 1-1 in championship games since the team did defeat the Oakland Raiders in 2001 before winning the Super Bowl against the Giants.

Game time/date: 3:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012

Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

TV: CBS

Odds: New England favored by 7 or 9 points; Points total put at 50.5

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game, Ravens Vs. Patriots: Troy Brown Thinks Baltimore Defense Will Struggle

The New England Patriots bring a plethora of weapons on offense to take on one of the best defenses in the NFL in the Baltimore Ravens. While Tom Brady has complimented some of the Ravens players, such as safety Ed Reed, by saying their the best he's ever seen at their respective positions. Former Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown however thinks that it's going to be a tough match up for the Ravens defense.

"Here's the great thing about the Patriots -- they can put five guys in those eligible positions and kill you with any of them," Brown told CSNNE. "And Tom Brady's great at finding the mismatch out there. If you leave (Deion) Branch one-on-one, he's going to kill you out there. You can only double a couple guys at a time, basically on the opposite end of the field. You double Welker over here, you double Gronk over there -- Hernandez and Branch are somewhere else one-on-one, so they will absolutely kill you."

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

Ravens Vs. Patriots, AFC Championship 2012: New England Favored By CBS Experts

The New England Patriots looked like a juggernaut last Saturday in its 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos, but that was a mismatch against an opposing defense that was with a weak secondary. Tom Brady won't be able to throw six touchdown passes against the Baltimore Ravens defense. Still, CBS' panel of five experts has gone with the Patriots in a straight pick'em for this game.

Pete Prisco broke down his selection of the Patriots, whom he has winning, 31-21. While Prisco notes the Ravens' dominant playoff victory at Gillette Stadium two years ago, time has changed those teams. Prisco also believes the Ravens should attempt to shut down Rob Gronkowski, but that means Brady can just go to Aaron Hernandez. As strong as the Ravens' defense is, both tight ends can't be stopped.

If Joe Flacco can get through the Patriots' pass defense early, the Ravens should be able to stay in this game and possibly pull off the upset. But even if they can't, the Ravens might make it close enough to overcome the spread of 7.5 points in favor of the Patriots.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

Tom Brady's Injury Not Expected To Keep Him Out Of Thursday's Practice

The quarterback drama in the NFL continues but this time around it's good news for the New England Patriots. Tom Brady missed Wednesday's practice with a left shoulder injury but head coach Bill Belichick indicated he's likely to return to practice on Thursday.

The Boston Herald asked Brady about missing Wednesday's practice and he said, "It's not the first practice I've missed."

Brady suffered a left shoulder injury several weeks ago that's cost him a little bit of practice time but he hasn't missed a game and no one expects him to miss Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens. Brady hasn't missed a game since the 2008 season in which he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

The Patriots are favored over the Ravens in New England which is a good sign that the oddsmakers aren't concerned about Brady's injury.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game, Patriots Vs. Ravens: Ray Rice Is Small, But Tough

On the opening play of a 2009 AFC Wild Card Playoffs game between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, Ravens running back Ray Rice stunned the Patriots with an 83-yard touchdown run right up the middle of the defense.

Rice's run set the tone for the Ravens' 33-14 win that day and earned the respect of the Patriots' defense, Michael Vega of The Boston Globe reports.

"To be that small, you wouldn't expect him to be that tough of a runner, " said Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork," but I'll tell you what, he's probably one of the toughest guys to bring down in this league because he always keeps those wheels spinning. He always comes up with big plays, too, whether it's in the pass game or the running game."

In three career games against New England, including the one post-season game, Rice has 61 carries for 350 yards and two touchdowns with 13 receptions for 87 yards.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

Patriots Vs. Ravens, AFC Championship 2012: New England Still Touchdown Favorite

The odds in the 2012 AFC Championship between the New England Patriots over the Baltimore Ravens favored the Patriots by a touchdown when they were originally released. Not much has changed since then.

According SB Nation's odds partner OddsShark, the line has dropped slightly, but remains fairly steady. OddsShark has the Pats favored by 7 points by just about everyone and one oddsmaker going as high as 9 points. Many of those oddsmakers had the Pats as a 7.5 favorite on Wednesday.

The Ravens beat the Patriots, and handily, when they last met in a playoff game in the 2010 Wild Card round: Baltimore went into Gillette Stadium and thumped New England, 33-14, in that game, and Ray Rice ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns as the Ravens rolled up 234 rushing yards to make up for Joe Flacco's utterly forgettable four-for-10 performance.

However, judging the Patriots one season with a team from the previous one has never been a smart idea, in either direction.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

Patriots Vs. Ravens, AFC Championship 2012: New England Dominant In Recent History Over Baltimore

The New England Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. The meeting will be just the eighth ever between the two franchises, which is unsurprising considering the Ravens have only been the Ravens since the 1996 season. Since then, the Patriots have won sixth out of seven meetings.

Of course, It should be noted that the Colts resided in Baltimore once upon a time, and made a habit out going to the Super Bowl and beating the Pats in the franchise's early days. Baltimore beat the Boston/New England Patriots in each of the first three meetings between the two teams between the 1970 and '71 seasons. The Patriots would go on to win the fourth matchup between the two teams on Dec. 19, 1971, but the Colts would have the last laugh by winning Super Bowl V over the Dallas Cowboys. From 1972 to the Colts' move to Indianapolis in 1984, the two teams were a dead even 12-12 against one another.

Though the Patriots have dominated Baltimore in recent history, the Ravens did score a major blow in a dominating 33-14 two seasons ago in the AFC Wild Card round. The Ravens would go on to lose to the Indianapolis Colts in the next round. New England won the most recent matchup on Oct. 17, 2010, however, scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 35-yard field goal in OT, his third of the night, to secure the 23-20 win for the Pats.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

Ed Reed Injury: Ravens Safety Limited In Practice But Expected To Play

In last weekend's game against the Houston Texans, Ed Reed landed awkwardly on his ankle and appeared to be in pain. X-rays taken on Monday proved to be negative and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has indicated he expects Reed to play on Sunday against the New England Patriots.

So far, Reed is the only injured Raven. He was limited in Wednesday's practice with the ankle injury and he was also the only player to appear on Wednesday's injury report. The Ravens shouldn't have any injury concerns heading into Sunday's game.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick thinks very, very highly of Ed Reed and praised him on Wednesday. Unfortunately for Belichick and the Patriots offense, It sounds like Reed will be out there.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

Bill O'Brien On Penn State, The AFC Championship And Replacing Joe Paterno

Tom Brady Misses Patriots Practice; Aaron Hernandez Returns

There's quarterback drama in the NFL. Joe Flacco is dealing with some criticism he took from Ed Reed. Eli Manning is sick. And now Tom Brady is not present at the start of practice. The New England Patriots practiced on Wednesday to prepare for Sunday's AFC Championship against the Baltimore Ravens and Brady was absent, according to media reports.

The Boston Herald points out that Brady talked to the press earlier on Wednesday, and he didn't appear to be injured following last weekend's game against the Denver Broncos, so it's likely nothing more than a rest day for the Patriots quarterback.

Brady had a shoulder injury earlier in the season, which NFL Network's Albert Breer noted was a "pain control" thing. It's unclear if that injury and Brady's absence are related. The Patriots will release an official participation report on Wednesday afternoon. The media only views a portion of the practice.

Returning to the practice field is TE Aaron Hernandez, who suffered a head injury last weekend. It appears he'll be good to go on Sunday.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game, Ravens Vs. Patriots: New England's O-Line Must Step Up

Tom Brady torched the Denver Broncos last week for 363 yards and six touchdowns passing. A big reason for his success was how well his offensive line protected him from pass-rushing mavens like Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil. The New England Patriots will face a much steeper challenge against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, however, a team that ranked third in the league with 48 sacks during the regular season.

Still, Brady had plenty of praise for the job his o-line did last weekend.

"I thought those guys played well, really as they have had all year," quarterback Tom Brady said during his weekly appearance on sports radio WEEI on Monday. "The offensive line has been our biggest strength on offense. It went that way in the regular season and continues to be that way in the playoffs."

Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down made note of the dominance of defense in this year's playoffs, despite the increasing preponderance of pass-happy teams throughout the league. Patriots blog Pats Pulpit says that New England is a much better team than the last time they played, and lost, to Baltimore in the playoffs.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game: Ravens Need Joe Flacco, Ray Rice To Step Up

Joe Flacco and Ray Rice have been waiting three years to get back to this spot, and if the Baltimore Ravens hope to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2001, they'll need their dynamic duo to take their game up another level.

As a pair of rookies following selections in the 2008 draft, Flacco and Rice were a part of a Ravens club that was dealt a 23-14 setback at Pittsburgh in Baltimore's last trip to the AFC Championship Game. It was a forgettable day for Flacco, who was picked off three times and held to under 150 passing yards.

With a date this weekend against the high-flying New England Patriots, the offense -- specifically Flacco and Rice -- will need to put up better numbers.

"As an offense, an offensive guy, I would think so." Flacco responded when asked after last week's win if the offense needs to put up more points this Sunday. "At the same time, we have a good defense. The way [the Patriots] played all year, the way they've played in the past, they put points on the board. So I think as an offense, you have to go in there and put points on the board too."

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game, Ravens Vs. Patriots: Vince Wilfork 'Good Won't Get The Job Done'

The New England Patriots are coming off a dominating 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos. The Patriots defense was able to play rather well, limiting the Broncos to just 252 yards of total offense. The Patriots were also able to sack Tim Tebow five times in the game. Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork thinks just playing "good" defense won't be enough, though.

"Good won't get the job done right now," Wilfork told WEEI. "You have to chase greatness. Trust me there's a bunch of guys out there who are taking there game to a whole new level out there on the field...We're looking to take a step forward. We can't take a step backward or stay the same. We have to get better." An area the Patriots can get better is stopping the run as they get ready to take on Pro-Bowl running back Ray Rice.

"The week we had off with the bye really helped us in different aspects of the game," Wilfork added. "Everyone used their time well. We're looking for better football in the postseason. Now that we've seen it, guys can understand how it feels to play 60 minutes of good football." The Patriots won't have that extra week to prepare against the Baltimore Ravens however, so they'll need to try to replicate what they did against the Broncos.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

2012 AFC Championship Game: Patriots' Offense Vs. Ravens' Defense

The old adage in football is that defense trumps offense because it is far easier to destroy something than it is to create it, which means that if you are the New England Patriots, this Sunday's AFC Championship Game means trouble.

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The 2012 NFL playoffs are down to the final four teams. SB Nation's NFL playoffs roundtable looks at which team is now the favorite to win the Super Bowl.

AFC Championship Game: Ed Reed Will Play Against Patriots

At the end of the AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, Ed Reed fell awkwardly on his ankle and appeared to be in significant pain while talking to reporters post-game. All indications after the game were that Reed was going to be fine, but confirmation finally came on Monday afternoon. X-rays on Reed's ankle were negative, and John Harbaugh confirmed that Reed will play against the New England Patriots.

Ray Lewis is the emotional leader of the Ravens defense and Terrell Suggs is key to the pass rush, but it's hard to argue that Reed isn't just as important to the team. He's a true playmaker in all facets of the game, and he'll be key to attempting to contain Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

AFC Championship Game: Ravens' Concerns Heading Into Patriots Game

With their victory over the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the AFC Playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens will travel to Foxboro to take on the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. It will feature a game with a fantastic offense against a team with a fantastic defense, the classic "unstoppable force Vs. immovable object" game.

SB Nation's Ravens blog Baltimore Beatdown has a couple of concerns for the Ravens heading into the game.

The biggest issue for the Baltimore Ravens coming out of the playoff win against the Houston Texans has to be the lack of pass rush. Yes, Houston does have a good offensive line. Yes, they were trying to run plays designed to render the pass rush irrelevant but still we had plenty of opportunities to try and put T.J. Yates on his back.

While T.J. Yates only passed the ball for 187 yards, he wasn't sacked at all and only hit twice in the game. Against a quarterback the likes of Tom Brady, that can kill a defense. The Broncos pass rush couldn't get to Brady all game and he lit up the Broncos for 363 yards and six touchdown passes.

Another big concern for the Ravens heading into the game against the Patriots was the struggle of the Ravens' running game. As a team, the Ravens ran the ball for just 87 yards.

The Ravens run game also seemed a bit lack luster on Sunday. They were playing a very good defense but in the beginning of the game they seemed as if they were afraid to run the ball. Ricky Williams had a decent game but there were a lot of yards left on the field in the run game. This will not do in New England. Baltimore will have to run the ball more.

Williams was the only Ravens running back to average over 2.9 yards per carry in the game, and Pro-Bowl running back Ray Rice had just 60 yards on 21 carries. The Patriots did give up 144 yards on the ground to the Denver Broncos on Saturday, however.

For updates and analysis on these teams leading up to the 2012 AFC Championship, visit Ravens blog Baltimore Beat Down, Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston. Don't forget to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for all your playoff news.

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