NFL playoffs 2015 live stream: How to watch Ravens vs. Patriots online
Baltimore is looking to knock off New England at Gillette Stadium on Saturday afternoon, something it has done twice before in the postseason. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on NBC.
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On Saturday afternoon, the New England Patriots host the Baltimore Ravens at 4:25 p.m. ET on NBC in an AFC Divisional playoff contest. The game can also be seen on all Verizon platforms and the NBC Sports website.
New England is the conference's top seed and is a prohibitive favorite to reach its sixth Super Bowl under Bill Belichick. Baltimore is the sixth seed but is always a threat to the Patriots, having already knocked them off twice in Foxborough during Belichick's reign. The Ravens defeated Tom Brady and the bunch in the 2012 AFC Championship game and the 2009 Wild Card.
This year, New England is perhaps the best it has been since going 16-0 in 2008. The Patriots began the season slow at 2-2 but have since gone 10-2 behind Brady and a host of stars including Rob Gronkowski, Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork and Chandler Jones. Brady put together another Hall of Fame-worthy campaign, throwing for 4,109 yards and 33 touchdowns. Gronkowski was the main target for Brady, catching 82 passes for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Defensively, New England poses a threat to Joe Flacco. The Patriots registered 40 sacks with Rob Ninkovich leading the way with eight. Dont'a Hightower and Jones each chipped in with six, giving the Patriots balance in the front seven. On the back end, Revis and safety Devin McCourty are two top-end players, alongside Brandon Browner and Patrick Chung. The matchup of the day will be Revis against Baltimore receiver Steve Smith, the veteran who never seems to age.
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Smith appeared to be slowing down as the regular season wore on, failing to amass a 100-yard game throughout the last 10 contests after having four in the first six weeks. However, Smith rose to the occasion last week in a 30-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching five balls for 101 yards. Smith led the Ravens with 1,065 receiving yards this year, finishing ahead of Torrey Smith (767) and tight end Owen Daniels (527).
Baltimore's defense is led by its bookend pass rushers. Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil are two of the best, with Dumervil having a career year at 30 years old. The former Denver Broncos star totaled 17 sacks while Suggs provided 12 more from the blind side. The pass rush has to make up for a mediocre secondary. Cornerback Jimmy Smith was placed on injured reserve in November with a foot injury, and the Ravens have struggled to cover in man-to-man situations since.
How to Watch
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
When: 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile | NBC Sports
Odds
New England is favored by 6.5 points at home against Baltimore, with an over/under of 47.5, per OddsShark.
Further Reading
For more on the Ravens, check out Baltimore Beatdown.
To keep up with the Patriots, head over to Pats Pulpit.
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