Patriots' porous run defense could have used Seymour

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- As Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Kelley Washington, a former Patriot, ran from the field to the locker room, he said what many fans and scribes were afraid to say, but most definitely were thinking.

"Their run is over," Washington screamed.

Inside the Ravens locker room just moments later, running back Willis McGahee struggled to take off his pads. His shirt was, after all, too tight. It might have been the only thing McGahee had trouble doing all day.

Simply put, the Ravens demolished the Patriots and they did it the old-fashioned way -- by running straight up the middle. Paul Brown and George Halas would have been proud.

Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said most of the plays Baltimore ran in its 33-14 victory Sunday were the ones it practiced on the first day of minicamp.

"Kind of ironic how that works," Cameron said.

The Patriots, however, couldn't do what they worked on the first day of training camp -- stopping the run.

Pats coach Bill Belichick often says the season is a journey -- minicamps, training camps, the regular season. It was, however, a decision in August on an early Sunday morning when most of New England was asleep that Patriots fans might question for a long time -- the decision to trade defensive lineman Richard Seymour.

While everyone was excited about acquiring a 2011 first-round pick, that player will not be in Foxborough for another year and he couldn't help stop the Ravens running game on Sunday.

By the time that player gets here, Tom Brady will be 34, and it would be a shame to think about additional Super Bowls the Pats could have won if only they had an adequate defense.

There was a thought (or so it went) that Seymour's best days were behind him. The statement might have been true, but the Pats did not have an adequate replacement. They tried Jarvis Green, Mike Wright and even Ron Brace at end. They all played well at times, but were inadequate when the team needed them most. In the end, they proved why they were backups.

With a quarterback who was struggling late in the season, the Ravens had no choice but to run the ball. When the Patriots defeated the Ravens 27-21 in October, Baltimore threw 47 times and ran only 17 times. Ravens running back Ray Rice had 103 yards on only 11 carries. Cameron knew the distribution was a mistake. On Sunday, the Ravens threw only 10 times and ran 52 times.

Patriots players, particularly those on defense, said there was nothing fancy about playing this Ravens team: You knew they were going to run and you had to stop them -- something the Patriots couldn't do from the Ravens' first offensive play, when Rice ran for an 83-yard touchdown.

The Patriots' performance failed to improve; they allowed 236 yards on 50 attempts (4.7 yards a carry). The Ravens never hesitated to run when they needed a first down -- all the more frustrating for the Patriots because they knew Joe Flacco was struggling, and if they could stop the run, they were likely to win.

Thanks to an ineffective defensive line, the Patriots secondary sees way too much of Ray Rice. (AP)

"If you would have told me they would have only thrown 10 times, I would have asked why they had to throw so little," Pats defensive end Ty Warren said.

In fairness, Cameron said the turnovers made it easy to call plays. The Ravens could be conservative and stay with the run. Baltimore's next two touchdown drives started at the Patriots 17- and 25-yard lines. Each time, however, the Patriots could not hold the Ravens to field goals -- something they did in years past as they prided themselves on red-zone productivity.

The Patriots finally stopped the Ravens in the red zone on their third try -- after an interception gave them the ball at the 9.

The Patriots defense had another chance to make a stand late in the first half when a terrific Chris Hanson punt pinned Baltimore at the 4. Stop Baltimore, and you get the ball back with a great chance to score. The Ravens needed two first downs, and they got both of them on five consecutive runs.

With just under two minutes to go in the third quarter, the Patriots made it 27-14 on a touchdown pass to wide receiver Julian Edelman. Once again, the Patriots defense failed to stop the Ravens, who went on a 12-play 52-yard drive, 33 of which were gained on the ground.

There are many reasons why the Patriots played like a bunch of JV players (to use Vince Wilfork's words): a porous offensive line, receivers who couldn't get open and a running game that gained only 64 yards.

The run defense, however, shouldn't be excused.

"We didn't come to play. Point blank. Never had a chance from the first play to the last play," said Wilfork, who will be a free agent this offseason.

It was a chance that likely faded months ago with the decision to trade arguably the best defensive lineman in franchise history.