National Football League

Ravens plan to hit Brady between his knees, neck

Published Jan. 6, 2010 5:43 p.m. ET

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New England quarterback Tom Brady found it amusing Wednesday when asked whether he gets preferential treatment from NFL referees.

Brady, The Associated Press 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, drew a round of laughs from the Baltimore media during a conference call in advance of Sunday's Patriots-Ravens playoff game.

``I'm begging for preferential treatment if they'll give it to me. I just don't think they'll give it to me all the time,'' Brady replied with a chuckle. ``I'm trying to butter up to those officials before the game and during the game so we do get a call every once in a while. If it helps our team win, I'm all for it.''

Brady's exploits in the pocket were no laughing matter to the Ravens on Oct. 4.

Two roughing-the-passer calls helped New England pull out a 27-21 victory. The penalties, against Baltimore's Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs, extended a pair of drives that ended in touchdowns.

The calls left the Ravens furious, especially after a stumbling Suggs appeared to merely brush against Brady's right knee. Brady did a little tap-dance, then shot a demanding glance toward the referee while pointing at the prone Suggs. The official nodded as he threw the yellow flag, and two plays later the Patriots took a 10-point lead.

``It's embarrassing to let a defensive player play his heart out - do everything he can - and then you call something like that?'' Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said after the game.

Brady missed most of the 2008 season with a knee injury that came from a low blow in a game against Kansas City. The play - which did not draw a flag - brought about a new penalty designed to protect a quarterback's knees, an infraction unofficially named after the man who inspired the legislation.

``The rule came from him. It's the Tom Brady rule,'' Ravens linebacker Antwan Barnes said.

Hit a quarterback high, it's a penalty. Smack him low, it's a penalty. Which leaves the Ravens with two options Sunday.

``Just hit him above the knees and below the neck,'' Barnes said.

``You got to stay in the strike zone,'' tackle Kelly Gregg said. ``You don't want to put it in the refs' hands. You want to keep it legal. But you definitely want to get a good hit. How do you rattle a quarterback? You hit him. That's what we're going to try to do.''

Baltimore plays defense with too much fervor to change its approach against Brady or any other quarterback.

``You take the aggression away, you take away the way you play the game,'' defensive end Trevor Pryce said. ``If you take away the way you play the game, what are we? We're the Lions. You leave that where it is and you move on from it. You play within the rules, and if something happens, something happens. But you can't take away the aggression.''

Lewis hasn't forgotten what happened the last time the Ravens went to New England, but he isn't going to let those two penalties dictate the way Baltimore plays defense on Sunday.

``If you're stuck back that far ago, you've lost your focus on the game. That week, whatever your frustrations was, they was,'' Lewis said. ``That was 10 weeks ago. I'm not upset anymore. It's a new year. You don't worry about that. You go play football.''

Outside linebacker Jarret Johnson said, ``You can't worry about the penalties. If you do, it's just going to slow you down. And if you give this guy any time, he'll carve you. You definitely want to be mindful when you're around him, but you can't be worried about penalties.''

Patriots coach Bill Belichick understands why the Ravens were disappointed in the way that October game played out. But he also remembers that New England was flagged for a late hit against Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco.

``Mike Wright was called for roughing the passer on Joe,'' Belichick noted. ``Those calls are part of the game. We don't always agree with them. I'm sure the Ravens don't always agree with them. And not all the calls are always right. But that's the rules we've all decided to play by.''

But are they slanted more toward Pro Bowl quarterbacks such as Brady? Can a guy like Flacco get similar protection?

Flacco says yes, and so does Pryce.

``Quarterbacks make this league go round, so if the business of the NFL doesn't protect them, you're not protecting your biggest asset,'' Pryce said. ``That's just called reality.''