Socci's Notebook: Hard To Beat Majesty, Intrigue Of Patriots-Ravens Monday Night Matchup
By Bob Socci, 98.5 The Sports Hub
FOXBORO (CBS) -- The triple-header began in Buffalo, where Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell dashed through the snow for 236 yards to help the Steelers keep pace in pursuit of the postseason, while the Bills were left with piles of rubber pellets amidst the rubble of a 17th straight playoff-less winter.
Next up was a high-definition return to the days of grainy NFL Films classics capturing steam-breathing scenes of breathtaking moments unfolding on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Granted, as pregame flurries fell on this Sunday of this season, which has mostly been as gore-ious as glorious for Green Bay, the plot of earth on which the Packers played the Seahawks was both covered and heated.
Still, though it may not have been the Ice Bowl II, the Pack got back in the postseason hunt; re-gaining its footing in the race with a 38-10 rout of Seattle, which looked less than like a leading NFC contender for Super Bowl LI.
Then, in the nightcap to the Week 14 Sunday in the NFL, the same could be said of the conference-leading Cowboys.
Before the Cowboys' game against the Giants, the only team to beat Dallas in 2016, rookie quarterback Dak Prescott kept it loose while trying to get loose in the Meadowlands. A native of Louisiana who played collegiately in Mississippi, Prescott was pictured using his foot to write his name in the white dusting that layered the field of MetLife Stadium.
But following his pregame fun with snowflakes, Prescott finished the frigid evening by completing just 17-of-37 passes for 165 yards in a 10-7 loss that ended an 11-game winning streak.
A rare Sunday off at this time of year afforded glimpses of those games. As you know, the Patriots play tonight against the Ravens.
They last met in the AFC divisional playoffs on Jan. 10, 2015. It was 20 degrees at kickoff, with a wind chill of 8. Three hours and 29 minutes later, the Pats prevailed by a 35-31 final, overcoming two 14-point deficits in the process.
Of course, that 'process' included unusual -- though not unprecedented -- and perfectly legal formations (yes, that's right, Baltimore friends) for (only) a handful of plays. There was also the brilliantly orchestrated and perfectly timed touchdown pass from one receiver (Julian Edelman) to another (Danny Amendola).
Victory, however, wasn't gained on gadgetry alone.
Baltimore's Joe Flacco was outstanding at the outset, throwing for three touchdowns and increasing his streak of postseason passes without being intercepted to 197 straight attempts. But then he was picked off twice, by Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon.
In between, Flacco's counterpart -- Tom Brady -- threw three TDs of his own. The last occurred after Baltimore had a first-and-goal from New England's 9-yard line but settled for a field goal. It was Brady at his best, lobbing a tight spiral precisely into the hands of Brandon LaFell from 23 yards out for the game-winner with 5:13 to go.
The fallout in the aftermath is still being felt and heard (i.e., last Thursday's conference call linking Ravens coach John Harbaugh with New England media). Despite the mutual respect they've earned as two of the NFL's top teams of the 2000s, a cold wind constantly blows on the Pats-Ravens rivalry.
Often their games come with grand implications. A third of their dozen all-time meetings took place in the playoffs.
And almost always, they meet or exceed expectations. Six of their last nine encounters were settled by six points or fewer, starting in 2007.
Tonight the Patriots (10-2) look to close in on an eighth straight AFC East title, while clinging to the lead in pursuit of the conference's top seed. It's the start of a grueling stretch, encompassing three games in 13 days, for a team that's been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the Ravens (7-5), who went 0-for-October with four straight defeats, seek their fifth win in six games. They're coming off their best overall performance of the year in a 38-6 rout of Miami. Yet, winning is a must to regain their virtual lead over Pittsburgh (8-5) in the AFC North.
Adding to the intrigue -- and television visuals, perhaps -- an expected wintry mix could make for unforgiving elements in what should be a tightly contested Patriots vs. Ravens: Episode XIII.
A few days ago, a newcomer to this series who spent the first nine years of his career in sunny San Diego put it simply and said it best when summing up the evening he's about experience.
"You think of football, you think of the Northeast. You think of New England. You think of Baltimore," said Ravens safety Eric Weddle, who mentioned Pittsburgh as well. "That's football."
Indeed, Eric.
Four weeks from the regular-season finish line, this is football; the NFL as it ought to be.
Bob Socci is the radio play-by-play voice of the New England Patriots. You can follow him on Twitter @BobSocci.
