{"id":75445,"date":"2019-10-30T06:55:46","date_gmt":"2019-10-30T10:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=75445"},"modified":"2021-05-30T13:45:16","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T17:45:16","slug":"new-england-patriots-bold-predictions-week-9-baltimore-ravens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/10\/30\/new-england-patriots-bold-predictions-week-9-baltimore-ravens\/","title":{"rendered":"New England Patriots Bold Predictions: Week 9 vs Baltimore Ravens"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New England Patriots<\/a> 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<\/a><\/strong> and Bill Belichick<\/strong>, although the duo hasn\u2019t lost to the Ravens since the 2012 AFC Championship Game. Even with New England\u2019s recent streak of wins against the Ravens, they\u2019ve never faced off against the hyper-athletic Lamar Jackson<\/a><\/strong>. Let\u2019s take a look at some Patriots bold predictions heading into their Week 9 matchup against one of their greatest rivals.<\/p>\n

New England Patriots vs Baltimore Ravens Bold Predictions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lamar Jackson Throws Three Interceptions<\/h3>\n

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<\/strong> re-wrote his offense to fit Jackson\u2019s skill set, and it\u2019s turned the quarterback into one of the most exciting players in football.<\/p>\n

However, Jackson and Harbaugh have never faced a defense this good. New England\u2019s unit is playing at a historical level right now and should be able to exploit Jackson\u2019s questionable accuracy. Baltimore\u2019s wide receivers aren\u2019t anything special, so Stephon Gilmore<\/a><\/strong> and company should be able to hold their own in coverage. With no open throws available, don\u2019t be surprised if Jackson makes a few bad decisions and gives away the ball on multiple occasions.<\/p>\n

N\u2019Keal Harry Records 50 Yards and a Touchdown<\/h3>\n

The New England Patriots should get their first-round pick back in time for their Week 9 matchup. N\u2019Keal Harry<\/strong><\/a> looked great in limited preseason action but suffered an injury that placed him on the short-term injured reserve. Fortunately, he\u2019s now eligible to return and should make his debut against an underwhelming Baltimore Ravens secondary.<\/p>\n

The New England Patriots offense hasn\u2019t been its\u2019 usual dominant self, especially in the red zone. The passing game has yet to find a replacement for Rob Gronkowski<\/a><\/strong>, and the offensive line can\u2019t open holes for Sony Michel<\/a><\/strong> or Rex Burkhead<\/a><\/strong>. 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\u2019-4\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Nick Folk Is Perfect in NFL Return<\/h3>\n

The New England Patriots have had their fair share of kicking woes in 2019. After Stephen Gostkowski<\/a><\/strong> landed on the injured reserve, New England tried to fill his void with Mike Nugent<\/a><\/strong> and Younghoe Koo<\/a><\/strong>. 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<\/a> with journeyman kicker Nick Folk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If Folk were any good, he would\u2019ve had a job by now. The former New York Jet hasn\u2019t 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\u2019s defense, and hopefully Nick Folk can be perfect in his return to the NFL.<\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>