You can have the Jets and Broncos, for my money I'll take the Ravens as New England's biggest rival from the last few years. These battle-tested teams mirror each other in many ways which is why the games always seem to be instant classics that come down to the wire (haha well at least in the regular season). Sunday (4:25, CBS) shouldn't be any different as both teams are scrambling to make the playoffs. The Patriots (10-4) need a win (or Dolphins loss) to clinch another AFC East title while the Ravens (8-6) probably have to win out to make the postseason.
New England's rookie receiver Josh Boyce (ankle) is out while fellow rookies Kenbrell Thompkins (hip) and Aaron Dobson (foot) are both questionable but it sounds like at least one of them will return in this extremely important contest. Five other Patriots are questionable: Alfonzo Dennard (knee), Dane Fletcher (groin), Nate Solder (concussion), Kyle Arrington (groin) and Brandon Spikes (knee).
For the defending Super Bowl champs from Baltimore, cornerback Asa Jackson (thigh) is doubtful. Four Ravens are questionable: linebacker Albert McClellan (neck), running back Ray Rice (thigh), quarterback Joe Flacco (knee) and linebacker Elvis Dumervil (ankle). You know that Rice, Flacco and Dumervil will play so don't pretend otherwise.
This hasn't gotten the hype it deserved but it should only take a few plays to remember how much these teams hate yet respect one another. Stay tuned on Sunday for the rest of the inactives.
UPDATE 12/21: Thompkins and Solder are out, so yikes.
UPDATE 12/22: The Patriots inactives are Jake Bequette, Dane Fletcher, Isaac Sopoaga, D.J. Williams, Thompkins, Solder and Boyce. The Ravens inactives are Jackson, S Omar Brown, McClellan, C Ryan Jensen, WR Deonte Thompson, TE Dallas Clark and DT Brandon Williams.
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