Making their own breaks, while accepting more gifts from the football gods, the Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, yesterday in the AFC Championship game at Gillette Stadium. It was a spectacular 60 minutes of football, not decided until a kicker from Harlan, Iowa, missed a 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds left on the clock. Thank you, Billy (Buckner) Cundiff.
“You saw a great football game,’’ said defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. “You saw a classic of two football teams that didn’t want to budge.’’
Bingo, as Troy Brown would say. There were mistakes aplenty in the 2012 AFC Championship game, but you could watch it 10 more times without getting bored. It was a smorgasbord of hard hits, near misses, and big plays. Plus, the Angel of Myra.
“It wasn’t always perfect, but they fought to the final gun and we came out on top,’’ said Patriots coach/football historian Bill Belichick.
This will be Belichick’s fifth trip to the Super Bowl since taking over as head coach in 2000. Only Don Shula (six) has coached in more Super Bowls.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady - Bill Russell to Belichick’s Red Auerbach - will be making his record-tying (John Elway) fifth start in the ultimate football game. Brady needs one more Super Bowl win to tie Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana’s record (four). Yesterday’s victory was Brady’s 16th in the playoffs, tying him with Montana for most all time.
Belichick, Brady, and owner Bob Kraft are the constants in this 21st century NFL dynasty. In an era designed to make teams fall after they succeed, the Patriots have rewarded their fans annually, watching other rivals (Colts, Jets) fizzle and fail.
