Suggs: Ravens 'know when to show up' in New England
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens have no secret potion for winning on the road in the playoffs against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
But there is a formula the Ravens have used to win two out of three postseason games at New England since the 2009 season and nearly sweep all three.
Not that opposing coaches John Harbaugh of the Ravens and Bill Belichick of the Patriots are analyzing playoff history this week.
"I'm not going to tell you all why we've been so good at it," Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "I think it's just we know when to show up as a team."
In his career, Brady has thrown about three times as many touchdown passes as interceptions. In three playoff games against the Ravens, he has three touchdown passes and seven interceptions. New England has a minus-seven turnover ratio in those games.
In the three playoff games at New England, the Ravens have sacked Brady four times. But the Ravens have disrupted him enough to force mistakes.
Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees is a former Patriots assistant under Belchick (2004-2009).
"I've seen them go five wide and no huddle for a whole game. I've seen them go three tight ends for a whole game," Pees said. "You've got to get ready for everything. ... That's why they win every year."
In winning at New England, the Ravens have managed to get Brady off his game.
"You've got to try to get to him as quick as possible," Pees said. "You've got to do a great job of covering on the back end (downfield) and make him hold the ball a little bit."
Offensively, the Ravens have had success in multiple forms at New England.
In the 2009 game, Baltimore made the most of four Brady turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble) and outrushed New England 234 yards to 64.
En route to a Super Bowl title in the 2012 season, Joe Flacco threw for three touchdowns; Brady passed for one touchdown with two interceptions.
In the AFC title game in the 2011 season, Flacco threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns with one interception; Brady passed for 239 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
Flacco dismissed the notion he has outdueled Brady.
"Hey, the one time we went up there and I only threw the ball 11 times," Flacco said. "... It's not really about outdueling Tom or him outdueling me."
When the Patriots dominated the Ravens in Baltimore in 2013, they outrushed them 142 yards to 121 with no turnovers. Flacco was intercepted twice. Baltimore had four total turnovers.
That was a reversal of how it's gone in the playoffs. We'll see how it goes Saturday in Foxborough, where New England is 12-3 in the postseason under Belichick.
"We most definitely would rather be doing it here in Ravens Nation's backyard," Suggs said. "... (But) it's a playoff game just like last week (a road win in Pittsburgh). ... We're going to be ready to play, no matter where it's at."
Follow Gary Mihoces on Twitter @ByGaryMihoces.
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