Ravens tight end Nick Boyle dares to be confident: ‘We’ll see how good [the Patriots] are once we play them.’

By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com

Nick Boyle may regret speaking so brashly about his team going against the Patriots defense. But What Was He Supposed To Say?™

Well, he could have left it at "They're a great defense and a big challenge for us" and he might not have been bothered for the rest of the week. But instead, he dared to exude confidence. To be fair, it's a prerequisite to giving yourself a chance at beating the Patriots.

So what did Boyle say about the Pats' top-ranked D, anyway?

"We’ll see how good they are once we play them," Boyle said, via ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "I don’t think they’ve seen anyone like our offense or like Lamar. They’re a good team and we’ll need to bring our ‘A’ game."

Worth noting is that the Browns scored their only touchdown against the Patriots last week by throwing to their tight ends. They showed run with "12" personnel before sending both TEs out for passes, creating a pair of mismatches against the Pats' run-focused defensive grouping. It was more creative than most offensive approaches used against the Patriots in 2019.

You'd have to think that John Harbaugh saw this and may try it again. Covering two capable tight ends could give the Patriots defense issues, even if they tighten up their personnel and matchups so they're not left with Dont'a Hightower covering a TE one-on-one in space, which is certainly not his strength.

And Boyle isn't even the most dangerous target among the Ravens' tight ends. Mark Andrews ranks fifth among all TEs with 449 receiving yards and is tied for fourth with three touchdowns. If the Ravens can find ways to get both of them the ball, they could present more problems for the Patriots.

"Yeah, it's a good group," said Bill Belichick on Wednesday. "Andrews is an excellent receiver. He's their top target on third down. He's got the most production of any receiver, but they have a good receiving group overall, tight ends as well as receivers. But he's big, he's athletic, he has very good hands, he catches the ball well, he's got good instincts. [Hayden] Hurst is another athletic guy, obviously, a first round draft pick. Runs well, has good size, catches the ball well. [Nick] Boyle is kind of an all-purpose guy, does a little bit of everything, is a good blocker."

Now, the hope for the Patriots is that Boyle and the Ravens offense can't back up his words. But Boyle isn't exactly wrong that the Pats haven't faced an offense as good as the Ravens this season. But have the Ravens faced a team as good as the Patriots?

The answer for both teams is no. So we'll just have to see who does a better job letting their playing do the talking.

Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.