These four players, and their particular skill sets, could be the key to figuring out who the next Super Bowl champion is.
The Ravens, I: Joe Flacco's Deep Ball
The Ravens' offense is relatively ordinary aside from two particular attributes. ESPN commentator Ron Jaworski recently said that Joe Flacco has the strongest arm in the NFL, and while there are a few other guys who are in that conversation, Flacco definitely belongs in the upper echelon. In addition to raw strength — picture Joe Flacco, right now, bicep-curling 13-year-old humans — Flacco also has enough touch to be a successful deep-ball guy.
In the above play, from Baltimore's double-overtime win over Denver in the divisional round, Flacco hits an open Torrey Smith in stride for a touchdown. As one of the fastest guys in the league, Smith's his best deep-receiver asset; Jacoby Jones is also solid when he manages to haul in the pass.
Flacco connected with Smith again in that game, aided by a tremendous catch by Smith.
Part of Flacco's ability to throw the deep ball has to do with the protection he gets from the Ravens very good offensive line — he's only been sacked four times through three playoff games.
The Ravens, II: Ray Rice's Screen-Play Elusiveness
The Ravens' other primary weapon is running back Ray Rice. Rice is a great on-the-ground runner, but he's also one of the league's best pass-catching backs, particularly when it comes to screen passes. On this play, the Ravens let New England penetrate behind the line and then dump the ball to Rice. As you can see when he's circled in red, Rice fakes like he's engaged as a blocker and then loses his man, catching the pass.
From there, he's able to take it out of the backfield with his agility and great acceleration, making four Patriots players miss on his way past the first-down marker.
