Whether you credit it to a higher power, good fortune, great play or
black magic, the Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl. Glory days are
here again.
In a game packed with more drama in the closing minutes than an entire season of “Pretty Little Liars,” the Patriots miraculously held off the Baltimore Ravens for a 23-20 victory today to claim the AFC Championship at rocking and rolling Gillette Stadium.
“It’s awesome,” coach Bill Belichick, decked out in his signature gray hoodie and sporting a rare smile, said from a confetti-strewn field after the Patriots had just won their 10th straight game and 15th in 18 tries this season.
“I’ve just got to give a lot of credit to the players. Those guys fought all year and, just like today, it wasn’t always perfect. But they fought to the final gun and we came out on top.”
The Patriots will face the in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
These Patriots have displayed plenty of heart this season, but it didn’t appear they’d be anywhere near the Heartland next month as the Ravens methodically marched down the field with the clock winding down.
But the black-helmeted Ravens, playing the role of visiting villain to perfection, were foiled when rookie defensive back Sterling Moore somehow dislodged the ball from Lee Evans, denying the receiver of a likely game-winning touchdown catch with less than 30 seconds to play.
Two plays later, kicker Billy Cundiff was way, way, way wide left with his eminently makeable field-goal attempt from 32 yards. It was his first miss in the fourth quarter in two years.
“A long foul ball,” said safety James Ihedigbo, a UMass alum who grew up in Western Mass. following the Patriots as a kid.
“I had my eyes closed,” veteran tackle Matt Light said. “I wasn’t going too watch that one. That was a little too much stress for this guy, but it was unbelievable. Things happen for a reason.”
All that was left was for Tom “I sucked” Brady, who wasn’t his usual superhuman self while throwing two interceptions and no touchdowns, to take a knee, ensuring the Patriots of their fifth trip to the Super Bowl in the last 11 seasons.
Despite the Canton-bound presence of Belichick and Brady and the usual double-digit win total, these Patriots are not your older brother’s Patriots. Chiefly, they lack a dominate defense - something traditionalists believe is the key to winning championships.
But what this team doesn’t lack is character and camaraderie, versatility and flexibility. It doesn’t get down on itself and it isn’t full of itself.
“It’s a pretty mentally tough team,” Brady said. “There’s really some resiliency, we’ve shown that all season. Even in the three games we lost, we fought to the end.”
Now the Patriots are one win away from winning their first NFL championship in eight years. It is, as many believe, a foregone conclusion that will happen.
Call it a gift from heaven.
The Patriots have dedicated this season to Myra Hiatt Kraft, who grew up in Worcester and died in July after losing a bout with cancer. She was 68 and had spent 48 of those years married to Robert Kraft, who has owned the previously pathetic Patriots since 1994.
“We’ve dedicated the season to her and doing all we can to advance to our goal,” running back Danny Woodhead said. “We’re happy to win and I’m sure she’d be happy we won.”
At the other end of the hectic locker room, Kraft spoke with a handful of reporters. He talked about Brady’s stumbles, Vince Wilfork’s stoutness and the field goal gone wild.
“(There were) forces at work that’s beyond anything we can understand,” Kraft said, later adding, “I’m so excited we’re going to the big game. I still pinch myself thinking about it and I think of my sweetheart.”
In a game packed with more drama in the closing minutes than an entire season of “Pretty Little Liars,” the Patriots miraculously held off the Baltimore Ravens for a 23-20 victory today to claim the AFC Championship at rocking and rolling Gillette Stadium.
“It’s awesome,” coach Bill Belichick, decked out in his signature gray hoodie and sporting a rare smile, said from a confetti-strewn field after the Patriots had just won their 10th straight game and 15th in 18 tries this season.
“I’ve just got to give a lot of credit to the players. Those guys fought all year and, just like today, it wasn’t always perfect. But they fought to the final gun and we came out on top.”
The Patriots will face the in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
These Patriots have displayed plenty of heart this season, but it didn’t appear they’d be anywhere near the Heartland next month as the Ravens methodically marched down the field with the clock winding down.
But the black-helmeted Ravens, playing the role of visiting villain to perfection, were foiled when rookie defensive back Sterling Moore somehow dislodged the ball from Lee Evans, denying the receiver of a likely game-winning touchdown catch with less than 30 seconds to play.
Two plays later, kicker Billy Cundiff was way, way, way wide left with his eminently makeable field-goal attempt from 32 yards. It was his first miss in the fourth quarter in two years.
“A long foul ball,” said safety James Ihedigbo, a UMass alum who grew up in Western Mass. following the Patriots as a kid.
“I had my eyes closed,” veteran tackle Matt Light said. “I wasn’t going too watch that one. That was a little too much stress for this guy, but it was unbelievable. Things happen for a reason.”
All that was left was for Tom “I sucked” Brady, who wasn’t his usual superhuman self while throwing two interceptions and no touchdowns, to take a knee, ensuring the Patriots of their fifth trip to the Super Bowl in the last 11 seasons.
Despite the Canton-bound presence of Belichick and Brady and the usual double-digit win total, these Patriots are not your older brother’s Patriots. Chiefly, they lack a dominate defense - something traditionalists believe is the key to winning championships.
But what this team doesn’t lack is character and camaraderie, versatility and flexibility. It doesn’t get down on itself and it isn’t full of itself.
“It’s a pretty mentally tough team,” Brady said. “There’s really some resiliency, we’ve shown that all season. Even in the three games we lost, we fought to the end.”
Now the Patriots are one win away from winning their first NFL championship in eight years. It is, as many believe, a foregone conclusion that will happen.
Call it a gift from heaven.
The Patriots have dedicated this season to Myra Hiatt Kraft, who grew up in Worcester and died in July after losing a bout with cancer. She was 68 and had spent 48 of those years married to Robert Kraft, who has owned the previously pathetic Patriots since 1994.
“We’ve dedicated the season to her and doing all we can to advance to our goal,” running back Danny Woodhead said. “We’re happy to win and I’m sure she’d be happy we won.”
At the other end of the hectic locker room, Kraft spoke with a handful of reporters. He talked about Brady’s stumbles, Vince Wilfork’s stoutness and the field goal gone wild.
“(There were) forces at work that’s beyond anything we can understand,” Kraft said, later adding, “I’m so excited we’re going to the big game. I still pinch myself thinking about it and I think of my sweetheart.”
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