It's important for NFL players to not get too high or too low emotionally each week, but there's something about the New England Patriots coming to town that makes the vibe around the team a little different.
The Ravens are preparing to host the Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday night in the most anticipated game on the Week 9 slate. The Patriots are the defending Super Bowl champions and sit atop the AFC standings with an 8-0 record, while the Ravens lead the AFC North at 5-2.
Ravens defensive lineman Brandon Williams admitted to reporters Wednesday that the days of preparation ahead of a matchup against the Patriots are a little different compared to other weeks.
“I feel like there’s always something in the game every time we play the Patriots," Williams said. "Around here, it gets a little quiet around here. It’s Patriots week. You just have to focus a lot more. You have to look into the playbook a lot more, just make sure you’re ready. Sharpen all your tools, because they’ve definitely been sharpening theirs. And they’re going to give us everything, even some things we haven’t seen before.”
The Ravens, at least on paper, are the toughest opponent on the Patriots' schedule to this point in the season. New England's first eight opponents have a combined .250 win percentage, which is the lowest in the league.
What makes the Ravens confident they can give the Pats a real challenge Sunday night?
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“It’s hard-nosed football, Ravens-style football – running to the ball, hitting quarterbacks, hitting in general, anything you see, everything, anyone who has the ball, just being aggressive, very aggressive," Williams said. "It’s straight-mouth football. It’s going to happen Sunday.”
An aggressive style of play is what the Ravens do best, but protecting the football probably is the most important factor in whether they'll beat the Patriots. New England punishes its opponents' mistakes better than any team, and it leads the league with 25 takeaways (including 19 interceptions) through eight weeks.
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