Qadry Ismail Takes BFT to the House

It took double overtime, but on Saturday the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Denver Broncos on the road to advance to an AFC Championship rematch against the New England Patriots. Former Ravens wide receiver and kick returner- turned analyst Qadry Ismail joined the BFT on Monday to discuss what it will take to win at New England.

Going into Denver and walking out with a win was no easy task, and Ismail attributed good play from the defense, who is “bending, but not breaking,” as well as the play of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

“[Flacco] has been fantastic,” said Ismail. “Joe as of late has really settled in and honed in on just being disciplined.”

And while the ultimate goal for the Ravens is a victory in the Super Bowl, before they can punch their ticket to New Orleans they’ll have to go through the Patriots. The two teams faced each other in last year’s AFC Championship, which New England won 23-20 after a missed field goal by then-Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff. They played again in week three of this season, which Baltimore won 31-30 on a last-second field goal as time expired.

For this latest matchup against the Patriots, Ismail said that the key for Baltimore would be making sure that the Ravens’ offense can score and keep pace with the high-scoring, high-octane offense of the Patriots.

“In week three [when] they played, [New England] had a 13-0 lead,” Ismail remarked. “And the offense was able to just get things rolling and came right back in, and [Baltimore] wound up beating them 31-30.”

Ismail continued to say that the Ravens will need an aggressive and cutthroat mentality, specifically referring to getting touchdowns and not settling for field goals. Finally, Ismail highlighted the need for composure and limiting mistakes like penalties and turnovers.

Kickoff between the Patriots and the Ravens will be on Sunday, January 20th; in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

To listen to the entire interview click below