On Sunday, the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens every will perform inside their third AFC Championship game in excess of the previous 6 many years, the Patriots winning the two as well as Ravens losing each, which includes final year's 23-20 heartbreaker in Foxboro. It really is also the third time the teams have met during the playoffs inside the previous 4 many years.
No meeting appears extra evenly matched, and that is the initial rematch in the conference championship considering that the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers met 3 many years in the row (1992-94).
It may be the last game of your excellent occupation for Ray Lewis, and potential Hall of Fame security Ed Reed is just not far behind him for retirement. Consequently, the Ravens possess a smaller sized window of possibility, however they would be the secondary story.
In the event the New England Patriots fall in your own home or fail to win the Super Bowl this yr, it will eventually carry on the best run of playoff disappointment in NFL historical past.
Patriots should validate their record success
Even though coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady won 3 Super Bowls with each other from 2001-2004, that was an eternity ago. The only other present Patriots to possess won a Super Bowl with all the group are Deion Branch (backup receiver) and Vince Wilfork (being a rookie in 2004).
New England's regular-season results has only enhanced, but no a lot more championships have come. The Patriots did come excruciatingly near 3 times, losing two Super Bowls on last-minute touchdown drives through the New York Giants and blowing the biggest lead ever in the championship game (18 factors), losing towards the Indianapolis Colts.
The 2007 season began with controversy following the Spygate story of illegal videotaping broke, questioning the validity of New England's historic achievement. Belichick answered with on the list of most dominant seasons in background.
Even though they had been nonetheless ahead of your curve offensively in people days, in 2007 the Patriots transformed the dynamic of their crew by including receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the latter defining the part with the slot receiver. There was tiny comparison with their championship teams, which have been developed on robust defenses.
New England's 2007 offense became the very first to implement the shotgun on a lot more than 50 % of their plays, making use of factors on the spread offense Belichick picked up on from university coach Urban Meyer.
The outcomes had been amazing because the 2007 Patriots scored a record 589 factors. Brady threw a record 50 touchdown passes with Moss catching 23 of them. Once the group commenced 10-0, it had been outscoring opponents by 25.four factors per game, on the lookout like arguably one of the most dominant group in background.
However the grind of the march to your fantastic season took its toll. The Patriots fell behind by twelve factors towards the New York Giants in Week 17, but came back to win to clinch the only 16-0 typical season ever. Even so, the game developed self-assurance during the Giants, who took down the Patriots (twelve.5-point favorites) in Super Bowl XLII, holding probably the most prolific offense ever to just 14 factors. Brady, who scoffed at Giants' receiver Plaxico Burress' prediction of New England scoring 17 factors, was sacked 5 occasions soon after enjoying pristine pass safety all season.
It nonetheless took the biggest drive in NFL historical past, engineered by Eli Manning, to have the 17-14 win, however the Giants pulled off the upset, leaving the Patriots which has a hollow 18-1 finish.
Brady tore his ACL while in the initially quarter in the very first game in 2008, however the Patriots even now managed to finish 11-5 behind Matt Cassel. Even so, they became just the 2nd 11-5 group ever (1985 Denver Broncos) to not qualify for your playoffs.
Returning to start out the 2009 season, Brady led the Patriots to a thrilling comeback win in excess of Buffalo in Week one, but that might be Brady's only game-winning drive with the season. The 2009 crew struggled to near video games out, which was the hallmark of New England's earlier achievement from the decade.
The season-changing second came in Week ten once the Patriots (6-2) played the Colts (8-0) in prime time. After holding a 17-point lead within the fourth quarter, the Patriots faced a 4th-and-2 at their particular 28, holding onto a 34-28 lead with two:08 left. Most coaches would punt, but Belichick kept the offense about the field. Brady's pass to Kevin Faulk was brief on the initial down, and Peyton Manning threw the game-winning touchdown with 0:13 left in the 35-34 comeback win.
From that stage the Patriots completed just 4-4, lost Welker to injury in Week 17, and hosted the Ravens during the Wild Card round. Ray Rice started out the game with an 83-yard touchdown run, and Brady turned the ball in excess of 3 times during the to start with quarter. Baltimore led 24-0 at that stage, and went on to win 33-14. The Ravens lost in New England by a 27-21 last in Week four.
In 2010 the Patriots yet again started out to evolve their offense right after drafting tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. They completed the typical season on an eight-game winning streak, turning the ball above just one particular time (+23 in turnover differential), and averaging 37.four factors per game (no less than 31 factors in just about every game). No effectiveness was a lot more amazing than a 45-3 rout with the Jets in Week 13.
The 2010 Patriots scored 518 factors. Brady won his 2nd MVP award, getting to be the very first unanimous assortment ever. He threw 36 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions, going a record 335 pass attempts devoid of an interception.
This was the scariest group getting into the playoffs lately. Possessing clinched the league's very best record (14-2), the Patriots had currently beaten the Steelers (39-26), Jets (45-3), Bears (36-7) and Packers (31-27). These 4 teams ended up getting the last 4 in 2010, since the Patriots fell flat on their encounter in your own home inside the Divisional round against the Jets.
Brady threw an interception on his very first possession, snapping his streak. Mark Sanchez confidently guided the Jets to an upset win, although the scoring juggernaut managed 11 factors from the game's initially 58 minutes against Rex Ryan's defense. Two late scores have been also minor as well late since the Jets won 28-21.
From 2006-2011, Brady set a NFL record with 31 consecutive wins in your own home during the typical season. But hidden inside the streak had been these two residence playoff losses.
In 2011 the Patriots once again reshaped their offense, entirely using Gronkowski and Hernandez, now inside their 2nd season, on the tune of 169 receptions for two,237 yards and 24 touchdowns. Gronkowski had the best obtaining season ever by a tight finish with 18 complete touchdowns.
Brady passed for five,235 yards (2nd most in NFL background), plus the Patriots scored 513 factors from the season. Nevertheless they once more couldn't resolve Tom Coughlin's Giants, losing in the two the normal season and Super Bowl, scoring 17 factors this time inside a 21-17 reduction.
Right here the Patriots are once again in 2012, scoring 557 factors during the frequent season, which can be the third-highest complete in NFL background. Considered one of their newest offensive developments would be the utilization of one-word play-calls to run a no-huddle offense so quickly the defense can not even get set (here is taking a look at you, Houston). It had been a further stellar standard season, and now they sit two wins far from that elusive ring.
But we now have noticed this ahead of. Within the finish, a group the Patriots played during the frequent season has come back to beat them, and that is what has took place all 6 occasions from the playoffs because 2005. It could possibly be Baltimore, who currently beat the Patriots 31-30 in Week three (in Baltimore), or it could possibly be the San Francisco 49ers within the Super Bowl, who also beat the Patriots this yr.
Pretty much each of the gamers over the Patriots never understand what it truly is prefer to win a Super Bowl, however the shadow Belichick and Brady carry above the crew meshes their previous title accomplishment collectively using the regular-season records considering the fact that 2007.
These two eras are mutually unique, plus the failure to win a championship within this offense-driven era must reflect extra poorly about the group, Belichick and Brady than it has up to now.
The Patriots are 76-20 (.792) inside the typical season given that 2007, that's among the most effective six-year runs ever. It's also the top run to not generate a championship.
Regardless of every one of the offensive records, the Patriots haven't sealed the deal because that final Super Bowl win practically eight many years ago. New England has currently had 3 in the highest-scoring teams in NFL background and only managed to score 14, 21 and 17 factors in the season-ending reduction for which it had been the favored each and every time.
As being a 9-point preferred more than Baltimore, the Patriots certainly can't win the Super Bowl this Sunday, nevertheless they can drop a different shot at one particular right after nevertheless a different historic standard season.
The possibilities are operating out for Brady and Belichick. When these two can rest on their laurels, historical past won't deal with the Patriots as kindly with out a championship to validate this era's good results.
Ravens look for breakthrough win and fantastic ending for Lewis
Nobody needs to be sleeping to the Ravens. The return of leader Ray Lewis has lifted the group, because they hope to make that storybook ending which has a walk-off Super Bowl victory, loved in previous many years by John Elway (1998) and Jerome Bettis (2005).
The Ravens are inside the AFC Championship game to the third time given that 2008, the begin with the John Harbaugh/Joe Flacco era. Once more these are to the road, possessing lost 23-14 in Pittsburgh (2008) immediately after Flacco threw an interception returned to get a touchdown by Troy Polamalu.
There's the bitter taste of final year's reduction, by which Patriots defensive back Sterling Moore knocked what would happen to be the game-winning touchdown from Lee Evans' hands with 22 seconds left. Seconds later on, Billy Cundiff rushed and missed the game-tying kick, just the 2nd time in background a kicker missed a do-or-die field purpose within a championship game or Super Bowl.
(The 1st time was once the Buffalo Bills' Scott Norwood missed the game-winner in Super Bowl XXV, lifting then-New York Giants defensive coordinator Belichick with all the win.
Harbaugh came from Philadelphia, in which he was the exclusive teams coordinator in the course of the Eagles' streak of 3 straight losses during the NFC Championship (2001-2003). His crew has sufficient big-game expertise to acquire in excess of the hump, nonetheless it is normally a difficult activity to win in Foxboro.
Baltimore is 2-4 against New England given that 2007, but each and every reduction was a nail-biter that went down on the wire. These teams know one another very well, along with the Ravens can stage to a handful of optimistic indicators soon after dealing with a so-so standard season.
The Ravens by now have beaten the Patriots this yr, as well as 503 yards of offense they piled up that evening would be the most New England has permitted this season. The Patriots have enhanced on defense considering that Week three, but so has Baltimore.
The postseason is the only time this yr the Ravens have had their large 4 on defense intact. That is Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata. Even though they've faced 174 offensive snaps the final two weeks, this defense is back to generating plays and limiting factors. They'll also get some aid in the reality that Rob Gronkowski is out to the Patriots.
If winning a Super Bowl today is a lot more about peaking on the ideal time, needing to conquer adversity, then the Ravens match the bill. They've the rallying cry to win a single for Lewis, Flacco is thriving with major pass plays soon after the crew replaced offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, and right after the Giants, no crew has provided the Patriots a lot more issues than the Ravens.
New England's not the only steady winner on this game that lacks a latest championship. The Ravens are just the sixth crew to ever win a playoff game in 5 consecutive seasons, however they will be the only crew to not attain at the very least 1 Super Bowl. Only the 2000-04 Eagles failed to win a Super Bowl, when another 4 teams all came by not less than as soon as.
With legacies within the line, and windows closing on many of the game's greats, this ought to be a traditional AFC Championship.
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