The New England Patriots are 8-0 but need to take down a familiar foe if they want to enter the bye week with an undefeated record. The Baltimore Ravens have their fair share of success against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, although the duo hasn’t lost to the Ravens since the 2012 AFC Championship Game. Even with New England’s recent streak of wins against the Ravens, they’ve never faced off against the hyper-athletic Lamar Jackson. Let’s take a look at some Patriots bold predictions heading into their Week 9 matchup against one of their greatest rivals.
New England Patriots vs Baltimore Ravens Bold Predictions
Lamar Jackson Throws Three Interceptions
Despite being the fifth quarterback off the board in the 2018 NFL Draft, Lamar Jackson is playing like the best of all the second-year quarterbacks. Throughout the course of the season, Jackson has completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,650 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions to go along with a 70.9 QBR and a 94.1 passer rating. John Harbaugh re-wrote his offense to fit Jackson’s skill set, and it’s turned the quarterback into one of the most exciting players in football.
However, Jackson and Harbaugh have never faced a defense this good. New England’s unit is playing at a historical level right now and should be able to exploit Jackson’s questionable accuracy. Baltimore’s wide receivers aren’t anything special, so Stephon Gilmore and company should be able to hold their own in coverage. With no open throws available, don’t be surprised if Jackson makes a few bad decisions and gives away the ball on multiple occasions.
N’Keal Harry Records 50 Yards and a Touchdown
The New England Patriots should get their first-round pick back in time for their Week 9 matchup. N’Keal Harry looked great in limited preseason action but suffered an injury that placed him on the short-term injured reserve. Fortunately, he’s now eligible to return and should make his debut against an underwhelming Baltimore Ravens secondary.
The New England Patriots offense hasn’t been its’ usual dominant self, especially in the red zone. The passing game has yet to find a replacement for Rob Gronkowski, and the offensive line can’t open holes for Sony Michel or Rex Burkhead. Asking Harry to singlehandedly fix the red zone offense is asking a lot, but the first-round pick has the tools to emerge as a reliable red zone weapon. At 6’-4” and 225 pounds, Harry towers over the typical cornerback and, based on his college tape, catches everything thrown remotely near him. He made two phenomenal catches in the preseason, so look for New England to utilize their newest weapon early and often.
Nick Folk Is Perfect in NFL Return
The New England Patriots have had their fair share of kicking woes in 2019. After Stephen Gostkowski landed on the injured reserve, New England tried to fill his void with Mike Nugent and Younghoe Koo. Koo spent some time on the practice squad but never made it into a game. Nugent, meanwhile, hit just five of his eight field goal attempts while converting 15 of 16 extra-point attempts. The Patriots had seen enough after his two-miss performance against Cleveland and replaced him with journeyman kicker Nick Folk.
If Folk were any good, he would’ve had a job by now. The former New York Jet hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2017, but he performed adequately in the short-lived AAF. The Patriots should move the ball fairly easily against Baltimore’s defense, and hopefully Nick Folk can be perfect in his return to the NFL.
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