FOXBORO -- The Patriots defense has noticed what Baltimore has changed, offensively, this season.
The Ravens have incorporated a more consistent no-huddle attack. But it's not necessarily the "hurry-up" portion of their offense that may seem difficult to keep up with, at times. Instead, Baltimore's biggest benefit to the no-huddle offense is the fact that they have so many weapons, to go along with that "hurry-up."
"They do some more things," said Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty before Thursday's practice at Gillette Stadium. "But they still have some of their basics in there. They're going to try to run the ball, but the no-huddle definitely switches some things up."
"It's tougher for us, because it's just another aspect of their game that's pretty special," said Vince Wilfork. "It just makes it harder on their opponent, when they can do so many different things. And like I said, they have guys everywhere that can make plays.
"So you just can't say, 'Well, we're going to double this guy, or we're going to take this guy out of the game,' because they have five other, six other guys that can hurt you."
Jerod Mayo has seen Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco progress in his career, but he agrees with Wilfork. They have more than just one weapon on offense.
"Flacco's been doing a lot for a long time," said Mayo. "But at the same time, they have a lot of players, a lot of weapons on that team that a lot of people don't really give a lot of credit to, especially those guys on the outside who are speedsters and can really take a chunk of yardage out in a hurry."
New England Patriots
Other than Flacco, running back Ray Rice is also a major concern for the Patriots. Rice gets plenty of credit for being one of the league's best rushers. And in the no-huddle offense, his speed won't just be the only factor. Rice also benefits from his size.
"Whether Rice gets five carries or 30 carries, he's making a lot of yards," said Mayo. "So, he's a dangerous player. But they change each and every game.
"He's strong, fast, has great hands out of the backfield. And he's short, so it's kind of hard to see him at the same time. But he's strong like a big running back."
Making what the Ravens do with their no-huddle offense, that much more dangerous.