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Patriots: Ranking the 2019 regular season opponents

By Patrick Morgan

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 03: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots makes a pass against the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 03: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots makes a pass against the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 12: Kenneth Dixon #30 of the Baltimore Ravens is tackled by the New England Patriots during their game at Gillette Stadium on December 12, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 12: Kenneth Dixon #30 of the Baltimore Ravens is tackled by the New England Patriots during their game at Gillette Stadium on December 12, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

2. Baltimore Ravens (AWAY)

The good news for New England in 2019? They get to face the Steelers at home.

The bad news for New England in 2019? They get to face the Ravens away.

In what we predict will be the Patriots’ stiffest challenge on the road next season, Tom Brady travels to Baltimore to take on Lamar Jackson and that No. 1 ranked defense.

Many analysts were worried about New England’s chances against Baltimore should the Ravens have beaten the Chargers and advanced to the divisional round in Gillette. Of course now we’ll never know, since Philip Rivers and company dismantled the young Ravens in Baltimore, before summarily getting destroyed themselves by the Pats the following weekend.

The Ravens are always a tough matchup for the Patriots, no matter who’s behind center. Jackson is still young and developing, though he showed real flashes as a rookie in guiding Baltimore back to the postseason. The young twentysomething shares some similarities with Buffalo’s Josh Allen, in that both are tremendous threats with their legs and still works in progress with their arms and decision-making abilities.

The Patriots proved this season that they could win against some of the league’s best defenses – they did so resoundingly against the Chargers, and then again versus the Rams in Super Bowl 53. The Ravens are of a different class, though, and are sure to present Brady and the Patriots with perhaps their greatest challenge in 2019 as far as opposing defenses are concerned.

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