Ravens-Patriots Sunday primer

The road to Indianapolis for a Saturday night rematch with the Colts starts with the ground game in Foxborough. The Ravens are counting on a big passing game from Joe Flacco, but not necessarily this week. For the Ravens to win today, they need to punish the Patriots' defense, and the way to do that is with the running game. Even without a 50-yard gain, Ray Rice averaged five yards a carry against the Patriots in their Week 4 matchup. The way Willis McGahee ran last week in Oakland gives the Ravens more than one option -- and one style -- to run the ball. The Patriots ranked 13th in run defense, but defensive end Ty Warren and inside linebacker Jerod Mayo are back from injuries, and nosetackle Vince Wilfork is healthy. The Ravens are likely to counter with more and bigger bodies in the run game. So watch for their unbalanced line early. The Ravens gouged the Raiders with a variety of unbalanced formations, and they should keep up that trend. Other points to look for: (1) Th...