(SportsNetwork.com) - It may not be a big divisional matchup, but Saturdays AFC playoff matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and hosting New England Patriots figures to be a good one. After all, it appears you cant go wrong with Joe Flacco and Tom Brady in the postseason. The Patriots and Ravens rank first and second in the NFL in victories since 2008, with New England amassing 88 in that span. Baltimore has 82, a number it increased with last weekends 30-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC Wild Card round clash. The Ravens went into that game 0-3 in Pittsburgh in the postseason, but sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger five times to highlight a solid defensive effort and got a pair of passing touchdowns from Flacco. Flacco threw for 259 yards and he teamed with head coach John Harbaugh for their seventh playoff victory together. Thats playoff football. Thats Joe Flacco, a jubilant Harbaugh beamed. Hes the best quarterback in football. Well take him any day of the week, twice on Sunday...or Saturday night, if that be the case. Baltimore is 10-4 in the playoffs under Harbaugh with a Super Bowl win and the Ravens have handed the Patriots two of their four all-time losses in 19 home playoff games. Baltimore beat New England in a 2009 wild card matchup and again in the 2012 AFC Championship game prior to winning Super Bowl XLVII. The Ravens shut Brady and the Pats out in the second half of that game to rally for a 28-13 and avenge a loss to New England in the previous AFC title game. This is the fourth postseason battle between the clubs, with each taking place in Foxborough, though Brady doesnt factor home-field advantage that much into the matchup. It always goes to execution and how well you play because theres nothing that the crowd can do to help you make the plays that youre supposed to make, he said. I think there are things that -- the communication and the ability to communicate late in the play clock is a strong advantage for the offense. New England is making its sixth straight postseason appearance, but hasnt won the Super Bowl since 2004 or reached the championship matchup since 2007. A victory in this game, though, would make the Patriots only the fifth team to reach four straight conference championship games. The Pats won the AFC East with their third straight 12-4 season, securing the top seed in the conference. They have advanced to the Super Bowl in three of the previous four seasons they have claimed the top seed. New England head coach Bill Belichick comes in having won 19 postseason games, tied with Don Shula for second most all-time and one back of Tom Landrys NFL-leading 20. WHAT TO WATCH FOR Saturday could become a milestone day for Brady after he passed for over 4,000 yards with 33 touchdowns in the regular season. Bradys 43 postseason touchdown passes rank third in NFL history and he comes in just behind second-place Brett Favre (44) and the all-time leader Joe Montana, who had 45. Brady also is one of two quarterbacks with at least 6,000 passing yards in the playoffs and no other quarterback has recorded as many postseason wins as his 18. While the Ravens had success last weekend in getting to Roethlisberger, Brady and his ability to move the ball quick present a different challenge. Its different because Ben scrambles a little more and hes a little stronger shrugging off tackles and things like that, noted Harbaugh. Neither one of them really scramble to run; both of them scramble to throw. Tom does a great job of getting the ball out quick. Theyre both excellent before the snap. New England did get 13 rushing touchdowns this season, but none of its players ran for more than Jonas Grays 412. However, receivers Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell combined along with tight end Rob Gronkowski for 248 receptions and 23 touchdowns. Gronkowski, limited to seven games and none in the playoffs last season due to a knee injury, led the Pats with 12 touchdown catches and should provide an added offensive punch New England did not have when it lost to Denver in the AFC Championship Game. Hes a real key to our offense, Brady said of his tight end. Hes a very talented player and weve got to find ways to get him the ball. Hes got to be a big factor. Were all excited to be out there this week. The Pats are likely to have Edelman back in action to. He led the team with 92 receptions to go along with 972 yards and four TDs, but missed the final two regular season games due to a concussion. Anytime you dont get to go out and play with your teammates its very tough, especially at the end of the year where you are preparing for postseason, but all of that is in the past. Im looking forward to today and preparing for the Ravens and getting ready for this game, Edelman said. Brady will be going up against a Ravens team that ranked 24th against the pass, but was dominant in allowing only 88.3 rushing yards per game. And though they give up yardage, the Ravens can also wreck havoc on a quarterback thanks to linebackers Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil set a single-season franchise record with 17 sacks and then picked up another two versus the Steelers. He was part of a pass rush that forced Roethlisberger into throwing a pair of interceptions. Then there is Suggs, who has had many battles with Brady and the Pats offense. He made six tackles and had a pick versus the Steelers and comes in with 12 career playoff sacks, tied with Reggie White for third all-time. Hes phenomenal. Hes (in his) 12th year; it looks like its his third year out there, said Brady of Suggs. Hes the leader of that defense, he makes great plays. I think theres the play thats called, and then what he actually does. So even though he has a certain responsibility, if he sniffs it out he takes a shot and goes for it. New England also may have some respect for Flacco, who has faced the Pats five times in Foxborough and has averaged 225.8 yards per game while throwing nine touchdown passes. His 92.8 passer rating is the beat by an opposing quarterback at Gillette Stadium since 2008 with a minimum of three games and he completed a trio of TD passes with no interceptions in the 2012 AFC Championship game. Flacco has thrown for 1,399 yards and 13 touchdowns with no picks over Baltimores current five-game playoff winning streak. Hes a good quarterback in all situations. Hes a good quarterback, period. I have a lot of respect for him, noted Belichick of Flacco. While Torrey Smith represents a deep, reliable threat for Flacco to look for -- with Smith leading the Ravens with 11 touchdown catches -- Steve Smith topped the team with 79 catches in his first season with the club and added another five receptions for 101 yards against the Steelers. Known for excellent hands, Steve Smith may see himself facing Pats cornerback Darrell Revis a lot in this game. Revis was credited with 14 passes defensed this season and picked off a pair of passes. Quarterbacks sometimes tend to avoid throwing to his side of the field, but Flacco said that limits an offense too much. I think as a play-caller, you have to just go out there, rely on your guys that you have that are out there, rely on the fact that they have ability. And as a quarterback, you have to go out there and just go through your reads. And if hes open, throw it to him; if hes not, dont, Flacco said. Linebacker Jamie Collins led New England with a career-high 115 tackles and was one of only three players this season with at least four sacks and a pair of interceptions. OVERALL ANALYSIS Its never easy, but the Ravens are one team that has been able to run with the Patriots in the playoffs, and obviously playing on the road does not bother the team. Baltimore is 10-5 all-time on the road in the postseason, but Harbaugh doesnt think that gives his club any added advantage. I dont think it really matters. Its a new game. Really, the past, the future -- Its just whoever plays best Saturday afternoon is going to be the team that wins the game. Its always that way. So, I dont think it makes any difference at all one way or the other, said Harbaugh. The Ravens combined a good defense with an offense that managed to put up points last weekend, but now they face a motivated Patriots team that has begun to see its window of success under Brady enter the latter stages. Were always trying to win the last game of the year. We set pretty high expectations and I think we all have high expectations but youve got to go out there and earn it, declared Brady. Its not easy and this is a first step for us. A lot of teams played last week, we didnt get a chance to do that. This is a week where we can really try to make an impact on this season. Weve worked pretty hard to get to this point. New England is going to have to work hard again this weekend and though Brady may take some shots, hell probably also have an opportunity to make some plays against a suspect secondary, with a healthy Gronkowski being the difference maker. Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Patriots 27, Ravens 24 Seattle Seahawks Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey . That Ginette Reno can sing. Custom Seahawks Jerseys . Johnson shared an update after his surgery Tuesday on Twitter. He also wrote, "now lets get on the grind." The running back told The Tennessean he was having surgery in Pensacola, Fla. http://www.cheapseahawks.com/120o-cheap-...y-seahawks.html. The biggest shock of this seasons competition was on when Watford took a 2-0 lead after 30 minutes at Etihad Stadium, only for a remarkable Aguero-led comeback by City in the final half-hour. The Argentina striker produced clinical finishes in the 60th and 79th minutes to level the score before Aleksandar Kolarov put City in front in the 87th. Cheap Seattle Seahawks Gear . Ilonen birdied five of his closing seven holes in superb scoring conditions to end the day with a two-shot lead on the Fota Island course. Ilonen had just 26 putts on the occasion of his 300th European Tour event. Discount Seattle Seahawks Jerseys . The Calgary Stampeders announced both moves on Wednesday. Parker played 17 regular season games with the Stampeders in 2013, setting career-highs in catches (21) and yards (217).ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Alfonso Soriano used his legs to help produce a key run for the New York Yankees. Curtis Granderson drove in Soriano with a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning and the Yankees avoided a three-game sweep by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Sunday. Soriano started the winning rally with a one-out double off Jamey Wright (2-2). He stole third and came home on Grandersons fly ball to centre. "He ends up getting himself safe at third and now the situation changes," Granderson said. "I just have to get a ball to the outfield." Yankees manager Joe Girardi gave Soriano the green light to steal. "If its no outs you cant do that," Girardi said. "But with one out, were taking a chance trying to make it easier on Grandy." Soriano stumbled on his way to third. "Being the DH, my leg is not loose 100 per cent," Soriano said. "My mind is 100 per cent, but legs are not." Mariano Rivera, making his last regular-season appearance at Tropicana Field, received a standing ovation before getting the final three outs for his 38th save. The closer is planning to retire after this season. Rivera has 37 saves at Tropicana Field, the most by any opponent. Second on the list is Jonathan Papelbon with 10. Rivera has converted 64 of 66 save opportunities overall against Tampa Bay. Boone Logan (4-2) got two outs for the win. Pinch hitter Alex Rodriguez opened the 10th with a single to centre off Wright and went to second on Brett Gardners sacrifice. Rodriguez then was doubled off second after Wright grabbed a line drive by Ichiro Suzuki that appeared headed toward centre field. Rodriguez, who is appealing his 211-game suspension by Major League Baseball, was booed every time he came to the plate during the series. He went 2 for 9 with two strikeoutts.dddddddddddd. Girardi had the third baseman on the bench at the start of the series finale, due to a day game after a night game. Rodriguez didnt make his season debut until Aug. 5 after having off-season hip surgery. Evan Longoria homered and drove in two runs for the Rays. "We just cant permit the stolen base at third base," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Thats really what caused the win for them." New York got a homer and two RBIs from Robinson Cano. Longoria and Cano went back and forth for much of the game before Granderson delivered his key sacrifice fly. Longoria put the Rays up 1-0 with an RBI single in the first. Yankees starter Ivan Nova avoided further damage by getting an inning-ending double play from James Loney with the bases loaded. Cano then hit an opposite-field homer to left in the fourth and a tiebreaking RBI double against Alex Cobb in the sixth. He was easily thrown out attempting to stretch the hit into a triple. Longoria responded with his 28th homer in the bottom half. Nova allowed six hits and tied a career high with six walks in 6 2-3 innings. Cobb gave up seven hits over 5 2-3 innings. It was the right-handers third start -- the other two were victories -- after missing two months after being struck in the head by a liner hit by Kansas Citys Eric Hosmer on June 15. "Two victories and a chance to sweep, you want to step on their throat and finish them off," Cobb said. NOTES: The Yankees plan to activate SS Derek Jeter (strained right calf) from the disabled list for Mondays game at Toronto. ... Tampa Bay All-Star LHP Matt Moore (sore left elbow) is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game Thursday and could rejoin the rotation next week. .... ... The announced crowd was 34,078, which was just the Rays third home sellout this season. 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