On Sunday, the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens every will perform inside their third AFC Championship game more than the previous 6 many years, the Patriots winning each along with the Ravens losing the two, like final year's 23-20 heartbreaker in Foxboro. It is also the third time the teams have met while in the playoffs inside the previous 4 many years.
No meeting appears additional evenly matched, and that is the primary rematch inside a conference championship considering that the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers met 3 many years within a row (1992-94).
It may very well be the last game on the fantastic profession for Ray Lewis, and long term Hall of Fame security Ed Reed is just not far behind him for retirement. As a result, the Ravens possess a smaller sized window of chance, however they will be the secondary story.
If your New England Patriots fall in the home or fail to win the Super Bowl this yr, it will eventually carry on the biggest run of playoff disappointment in NFL background.
Patriots should validate their record success
Even though coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady won 3 Super Bowls collectively from 2001-2004, that was an eternity ago. The only other present Patriots to get won a Super Bowl together with the crew are Deion Branch (backup receiver) and Vince Wilfork (as being a rookie in 2004).
New England's regular-season good results has only greater, but no extra 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 to your Indianapolis Colts.
The 2007 season began with controversy right after the Spygate story of illegal videotaping broke, questioning the validity of New England's historic good results. Belichick answered with on the list of most dominant seasons in background.
Even though they had been nonetheless ahead of your curve offensively in these days, in 2007 the Patriots altered the dynamic of their group by including receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the latter defining the function with the slot receiver. There was minor comparison with their championship teams, which had been created on powerful defenses.
New England's 2007 offense became the 1st to utilize the shotgun on greater than 50 % of their plays, using components on the spread offense Belichick picked up on from university coach Urban Meyer.
The outcomes have been amazing since the 2007 Patriots scored a record 589 factors. Brady threw a record 50 touchdown passes with Moss catching 23 of them. Once the crew commenced 10-0, it had been outscoring opponents by 25.four factors per game, hunting like arguably quite possibly the most dominant group in historical past.
However the grind of the march to your best 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 normal season ever. Having said that, the game created self-assurance from the Giants, who took down the Patriots (twelve.5-point favorites) in Super Bowl XLII, holding by far 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 right after enjoying pristine pass safety all season.
It nevertheless took the biggest drive in NFL background, engineered by Eli Manning, to acquire 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 within the initially quarter with the initially game in 2008, however the Patriots nonetheless managed to finish 11-5 behind Matt Cassel. Nonetheless, they became just the 2nd 11-5 group ever (1985 Denver Broncos) to not qualify for that playoffs.
Returning to start out the 2009 season, Brady led the Patriots to a thrilling comeback win more than Buffalo in Week one, but that will be Brady's only game-winning drive from the season. The 2009 crew struggled to near video games out, which was the hallmark of New England's earlier accomplishment inside the decade.
The season-changing second came in Week ten once the Patriots (6-2) played the Colts (8-0) in prime time. The moment holding a 17-point lead from 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 in the very first 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 inside the Wild Card round. Ray Rice began the game with an 83-yard touchdown run, and Brady turned the ball more than 3 times inside the initial 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 once more started out to evolve their offense just after drafting tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. They completed the normal season on an eight-game winning streak, turning the ball more than just a single time (+23 in turnover differential), and averaging 37.four factors per game (a minimum of 31 factors in just about every game). No overall performance was a lot more remarkable than a 45-3 rout of your Jets in Week 13.
The 2010 Patriots scored 518 factors. Brady won his 2nd MVP award, starting to be the very first unanimous choice ever. He threw 36 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions, going a record 335 pass attempts with out an interception.
This was the scariest group getting into the playoffs in recent times. Obtaining clinched the league's greatest record (14-2), the Patriots had currently beaten the Steelers (39-26), Jets (45-3), Bears (36-7) and Packers (31-27). People 4 teams ended up currently being the last 4 in 2010, because the Patriots fell flat on their encounter in your own home within the Divisional round against the Jets.
Brady threw an interception on his initial possession, snapping his streak. Mark Sanchez confidently guided the Jets to an upset win, although the scoring juggernaut managed 11 factors while in the game's to start with 58 minutes against Rex Ryan's defense. Two late scores had been also very little also late since the Jets won 28-21.
From 2006-2011, Brady set a NFL record with 31 consecutive wins in the home while in the frequent season. But hidden inside the streak had been these two household playoff losses.
In 2011 the Patriots once more reshaped their offense, entirely using Gronkowski and Hernandez, now inside their 2nd season, to your tune of 169 receptions for two,237 yards and 24 touchdowns. Gronkowski had the biggest getting season ever by a tight finish with 18 complete touchdowns.
Brady passed for five,235 yards (2nd most in NFL background), as well as Patriots scored 513 factors inside the season. Nevertheless they once more couldn't remedy Tom Coughlin's Giants, losing in the two the normal season and Super Bowl, scoring 17 factors this time in the 21-17 reduction.
Right here the Patriots are once again in 2012, scoring 557 factors while in the common season, which can be the third-highest complete in NFL background. Certainly one of their newest offensive developments will be the utilization of one-word play-calls to run a no-huddle offense so speedy the defense are not able to even get set (here is taking a look at you, Houston). It had been yet another stellar common season, and now they sit two wins far from that elusive ring.
But we've got noticed this prior to. During the finish, a group the Patriots played from the normal season has come back to beat them, and that is what has took place all 6 occasions during the playoffs considering that 2005. It may be Baltimore, who previously beat the Patriots 31-30 in Week three (in Baltimore), or it can be the San Francisco 49ers within the Super Bowl, who also beat the Patriots this yr.
Practically all the gamers around the Patriots don't understand what it is actually wish to win a Super Bowl, however the shadow Belichick and Brady carry more than the group meshes their previous title achievement collectively with all the regular-season records given that 2007.
These two eras are mutually unique, as well as failure to win a championship within this offense-driven era need to reflect extra poorly to the crew, Belichick and Brady than it has up to now.
The Patriots are 76-20 (.792) while in the frequent season considering the fact that 2007, which can be on the list of finest six-year runs ever. It's also the very best run to not create 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 previously had 3 of your highest-scoring teams in NFL historical past and only managed to score 14, 21 and 17 factors within a season-ending reduction for which it had been the favourite just about every time.
Being a 9-point favourite in excess of Baltimore, the Patriots clearly are not able to win the Super Bowl this Sunday, nevertheless they can shed a different shot at 1 immediately after nevertheless yet another historic common season.
The possibilities are operating out for Brady and Belichick. Though these two can rest on their laurels, background 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 excellent ending for Lewis
Nobody must be sleeping around 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 while in the AFC Championship game for that third time given that 2008, the commence in the John Harbaugh/Joe Flacco era. Once more they may be to the road, possessing lost 23-14 in Pittsburgh (2008) right after Flacco threw an interception returned to get a touchdown by Troy Polamalu.
There exists 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 historical past a kicker missed a do-or-die field intention in the 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 along with the win.
Harbaugh came from Philadelphia, the place he was the distinctive teams coordinator throughout the Eagles' streak of 3 straight losses during the NFC Championship (2001-2003). His group has adequate big-game working experience to acquire in excess of the hump, nevertheless it is often a difficult undertaking to win in Foxboro.
Baltimore is 2-4 against New England given that 2007, but every single reduction was a nail-biter that went down for the wire. These teams know one another very well, as well as the Ravens can stage to several constructive indicators soon after dealing with a so-so normal season.
The Ravens presently have beaten the Patriots this yr, plus the 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 the fact that Week three, but so has Baltimore.
The postseason continues to be the only time this yr the Ravens have had their significant 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 are going to also get some assist through the reality that Rob Gronkowski is out to the Patriots.
If winning a Super Bowl lately is far more about peaking with the proper time, needing to conquer adversity, then the Ravens match the bill. They've got the rallying cry to win a single for Lewis, Flacco is thriving with major pass plays just after the crew replaced offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, and just after the Giants, no group has provided the Patriots much more troubles than the Ravens.
New England's not the only constant winner on this game that lacks a current championship. The Ravens are just the sixth group to ever win a playoff game in 5 consecutive seasons, nevertheless they will be the only group to not attain a minimum of one particular Super Bowl. Only the 2000-04 Eagles failed to win a Super Bowl, even though another 4 teams all came by not less than as soon as.
With legacies around the line, and windows closing on a lot of the game's greats, this must be a traditional AFC Championship.
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