Ravens WR Torrey Smith gave the Patriots headaches in the first meeting. Baltimore won the Week 3 matchup, 31-30, and Smith had six receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns.
Smith is a matchup problem for the Patriots that concerns Belichick in this week's rematch. Expect New England to make some adjustments to try to prevent the big plays Smith can make.
"He’s always been able to run and the guy that makes all the plays down the field," Belichick said. "He can also run after the catch on the shorter and intermediate routes. If you give him a big cushion, that’s a problem too. He’s made a lot of big plays down the field on deep balls and that’s opened up things for him underneath as well. He’s been very productive."
The major difference in this meeting is New England acquired No. 1 cornerback Aqib Talib in a midseason trade with the Tampa Bay Bucanneers. The Patriots knew they needed a better cover corner against dynamic receivers like Smith if they want to make a Super Bowl run.
Talib spent much of last week’s game defending Houston Texans Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson. Expect Talib to see a lot of time on Smith Sunday.
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