Foxboro Blog - A New England Patriots Blog
Seven years ago, the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. Since that fateful day, every single season has ended in an absolute gut-wrenching fashion. Now, with New England playing in its seventh Super Bowl, Brady, Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots have the opportunity to finally put those lost seasons to rest by achieving the ultimate redemption. But before they do, I wanted to take a moment to revisit each and every one of those six seasons of pain. I've been covering the Patriots since 2002, and at the end of every season, I took the time to reflect on the final game and the season as a whole. For the next six days, I'll be re-running the end-of-the-season article from the past six years. It's time to rip open the scabs and pout salt in these old wounds. Because until you've spent time in the valley, you'll never appreciate the view from the top of the world.
"The Carnival of Idiots"
Written on December 30th, 2008
Week 10
Ben Rothilsberger decides to reverse Petyon Manning's 3 TD's and 0 INT's with 0 TD's and 3 INT's of his own in Pittsburgh's 24-20 loss to the Colts.
Week 15
Not that it mattered with the Jets folding to the Seahawks a week later, but at the time, I was sure the Patriots had been done in by Dick Jauron's unfathomable decision to call a passing play when his Bills were leading late in the 4th quarter and he would've choked the Jets by running three times and killing the clock. JP Losman's subsequent fumble returned for a game-winning Jets TD nearly made my head explode.
After Dallas surges to come with 19-17 late in the 4th quarter, the Ravens have the ball. This is an obvious running situation for Baltimore as their best bet is to kill the clock. Will McGahee runs as expected, only none of the Cowboys saw this coming and let him run untouched for a 77-yard touchdown.
Dallas manages to score a quick touchdown to cut the deficit again to 26-24. You would think they'd be prepared for a run this time, right? Not so, because on the ensuing play Baltimore's Le'Ron McClain notches an 82 yard touchdown run.
Week 17
Fifteen seconds after a Miami touchdown gave the Dolphins a 7-6 lead, Brett Favre thought it would be a good idea to throw the ball directly at a Miami defender. I'm not talking a bad throw or a missed route. I'm talking about having the ball snapped to you and then inexplicably chucking it directly into the chest of a defender. The throw turns into a 25-yard TAINT and the Phins go up 14-6.
With the Jets trailing 24-17 late in the 4th, Brett Favre is tempted to add another legendary drive to his resume. However, he just can't resist the urge to end the season with as many INT's as TD's and once again decides to take the snap and throw the ball DIRECTLY to a Miami defender.
And with that pick, the man who started this entire Carnival rolling with his un-retirement brings the show to a crashing halt. The New England Patriots season is over.
When I look back at the 2008 New England Patriots, I will undoubtedly remember the myriad of stupidity that kept them out of the post-season. Some of those gaffes rest squarely upon their own shoulders. Others, as I've so bitterly chronicled above, were completely out of their control. In the end, no NFL team is an island and each franchise is ultimately affected by how the others perform. Indy's lucky horseshoe streak, Dallas's collapse, the Favre saga - those are all part of what makes the league what it is. Some seasons you reap the benefits like Miami did, other years you get shut out. The Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI because their starting quarterback got injured. By the same token, the Patriots probably lost out on Super Bowl XLIII because their starting quarterback got injured. You have to take the bad with the good. I guess if there's one thing about 2008 that leaves a bad taste in my mouth, it's that an 11-5 team has been left out of the mix while an 8-8 team gets the 4th seed and a playoff game at home.
Far more idiotic than any Brett Favre pick is the current NFL system of 4-team divisions. When you have divisions like the NFC West, the AFC West, and the NFC North guaranteed to hand home playoff games to mediocre-at-best teams how is that good for the league? I realize that things change over time and in four years the NFC West could be a powerhouse and the NFC East could be pathetic, but can you ever think of a year when all eight division winners were arguably among the best four teams in their conference? The Chargers are tied for the 8th and 9th best record in the AFC this year! They aren't even clearly in the top half of the conference! Andyet they're HOSTING the 12-4 Colts this weekend? It's just ridiculous. Want some more insanity about the Patriots' situation? The 12-4 Steelers who finished ONE game better than New England earned a bye week. How does ONE game make the difference between getting a 1st round bye and not making the playoffs at all? Explain to me how that makes any sense! Or what about the fact that after New England smashed Arizona by 40 points in Week 15, the Cardinals had two more losses than the Patriots, but had already clinched a home playoff game on Week 13? Seriously, the Patriots got a 1st round bye and won the Super Bowl at 11-5 back in 2001. The Giants won it all last year at 10-6! The fact that something like this is even possible proves the system is broken...
...and I have a way to fix it. The league needs to scrap the four divisions and go back to having just an East and West for the AFC and NFC. If you win your eight-team division, you get an automatic bye. The other four playoff spots go to the teams with the best record. You're pretty much guaranteed to have the the best six teams competing for the conference crown and it makes winning the division mean that much more. Some may argue that this would kill rivalries, but if you simply merged the East and South divisions and North and West divisions, you would keep all the feuds intact. It works perfectly geographically, with one one exception possibly being the need to flip the Texans and Ravens as no team bordering the Atlantic Ocean should be in a "West" division.
This is how your 2008 Playoff Seedings would look...
AFC:
1. Titans
2. Steelers
3. Colts
4. Dolphins
5. Ravens
6. Patriots
NFC:
1. Giants
2. Vikings
3. Panthers
4. Falcons
5. Eagles
6. Cardinals
Yes, I realize that the only team difference is the Patriots over the Chargers - but that's no homerism, just fairness. 11-5 should get precidence over 8-8 every time. With this system the Colts also get a home playoff game, which is fair. As do the Falcons, also fair. The one and only "unfair" aspect to this whole system is that the Vikings would get a bye week at 9-7. Still, they would've beaten seven other teams to earn it, not three. Also, when you break it down, forcing Carolina to play an extra home game against the weak Cardinals is hardly as unjust as the Patriots not getting a playoff game at all. A perfect system doesn't exist, but what I've proposed is worlds better than the current mockery the league is using.
At any rate, an 11-5 season is nothing to hang your head about. There are 22 other teams in the league who would have loved to have that record. If you had told at the beginning of the year that we were losing Tom Brady, and Rodney Harrison, and Adalius Thomas, and Lawrence Maroney, and Tedy Bruschi - and that Deltha O'Neal would be featured heavily at corner back for most of the season, I would've gladly taken my chances with 11-5. While there were certainly many mistakes and bumps along the road, the Patriots managed to band together and weather the storm, literally. Needing to win out their schedule to even have a prayer of the post-season, the Patriots withstood a Northwest downpour, a New England blizzard, and 60-mile-per-hour winds in Buffalo to secure their tie atop the standings with Miami. In the end, they looked nothing like the team I had berated in my article four weeks ago. Instead, they looked like the champions I knew they could be, finally clicking into gear and peaking at just the right moment.
Unfortunately, that moment will never come.
Seven years ago, the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. Since that fateful day, every single season has ended in an absolute gut-wrenching fashion. Now, with New England playing in its seventh Super Bowl, Brady, Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots have the opportunity to finally put those lost seasons to rest by achieving the ultimate redemption. But before they do, I wanted to take a moment to revisit each and every one of those six seasons of pain. I've been covering the Patriots since 2002, and at the end of every season, I took the time to reflect on the final game and the season as a whole. For the next six days, I'll be re-running the end-of-the-season article from the past six years. It's time to rip open the scabs and pout salt in these old wounds. Because until you've spent time in the valley, you'll never appreciate the view from the top of the world.
"Imperfect"
Written on February 3rd, 2008
I wouldn't swap the pain, for never knowing you,
I wouldn't swap the pain, it was worth it for the view.
- Bell X1 "In Every Sunflower"
I'm going to make this brief because I need to get to bed, and there's no way I'll be up for writing this article for at least another week. It's pretty much now or never.
The Giants were the better team tonight. They deserved to win. End of story.
I wish it was that simple. It's not. As much as I want to play the role of the dignified loser, put this game in the back of my mind, and move on, I won't be forgetting this game for a long time, maybe ever.
This one hurts. It doesn't hurt as bad as last year's collapse against Peyton Manning, but it still hurts. Deeply. To go an entire season, 18-0, and then fall short at the final seconds - "disappointing" doesn't even begin to describe it. Tonight I lost the opportunity to watch my team make history. It's an opportunity I may never get again. It's a fact that just flat-out hurts for me, for my fellow fans, for Coach Belichick, and for every man that put on that jersey tonight an played his heart out.
That being said, I'm extremely glad that I'm not a New York Giants fan. I'm not trying to pull sour grapes or diminish what they've accomplished. Believe me, they're experiencing a well-deserved euphoria tonight that I certainly wish me and my fellow fans could take part in. It's that rush of adrenaline, pride, and pure joy that makes us follow these games week in a week out. But I would never trade being a Patriots fan for the thrill of winning that game tonight. I will gladly sit here and suffer with my players, because being a part of the Patriots nation means more than any championship every could. We've overcome an amazing amount of adversity this season, just like we have the six years before this, and just like we will in the years to come. I couldn't be prouder to root for this team and what they stand for. Come the greatest victory or most crushing defeat, I am proud to be a Patriot. Here's why... no comments
I have the privilege, well sometimes it can be a detriment to be a fan of a team that lives in one city, but live in the city of the opposition. Five years ago, I was at the final regular season game in Giants Stadium to watch the Patriots complete the first sixteen game undefeated regular season in NFL history. Tom Brady and the Patriots were on the verge of something totally special. Then, the Super Bowl came along.
Now, I have no problem dealing with the Jets’ fans in New York City because at the time, Jets’ fans were not as loud as they used to be. The Giants were a team that the Patriots had already beaten that year, so it felt like a sense that history would happen. Watching the game with a bunch of Giants’ fans as the game got tighter and tighter made it even more nerve wracking. Brady completes the touchdown to Moss to give New England the lead with 2:00 to go and I was ready for the greatest moment in my fan hood.
Then, the unthinkable happened. To this day, I try very hard to avoid any clips of that final drive from Eli Manning whether it be the Asante Samuel dropped interception, the David Tyree catch, or the Plaxico Burress touchdown. That was a low point for me as the next day was filled with a lot of low points going back to a New York school as a Patriots’ fan. In fact, I tried to watch that Super Bowl when it was replayed on Monday night on NFL Network and could not get my mind to flip to that channel.
Five years later, I am a college student, getting to write for the team I love to root for, this game that will be played next Sunday is not only a revenge/redemption tour for the Patriots, but revenge for me. I was asked on a show I co-hosted Sunday night whether I would give back two of the Patriots’ three titles just to see them win this one in Indianapolis. I actually paused for a second on that one. That shows you how much I want this win!
This win would start to put Tom Brady into the discussion as the greatest of all-time among quarterbacks and complete the rock band revenge tour that he and Belichick are on this season. So far this week, I have seen a lot of people lean towards Eli Manning in this matchup of quarterbacks. All I am saying is as great as Manning has been this year, you still have to take Brady because he just never seems to play two bad games.
See, it is not the Giants’ fans that anger Patriots’ fans in New York because Giants fans are classy. It is the Jets’ fans who pretend to be Giants fans that actually do the most talking, but there is no surprise in that.
Here’s hoping we have a great Super Bowl and we at Foxboro Blog will have all the coverage for you over the next week!
no commentsSeven years ago, the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. Since that fateful day, every single season has ended in an absolute gut-wrenching fashion. Now, with New England playing in its seventh Super Bowl, Brady, Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots have the opportunity to finally put those lost seasons to rest by achieving the ultimate redemption. But before they do, I wanted to take a moment to revisit each and every one of those six seasons of pain. I've been covering the Patriots since 2002, and at the end of every season, I took the time to reflect on the final game and the season as a whole. For the next six days, I'll be re-running the end-of-the-season article from the past six years. It's time to rip open the scabs and pout salt in these old wounds. Because until you've spent time in the valley, you'll never appreciate the view from the top of the world.
"Death of a Dynasty"
Written January 21st, 2007
I couldn't sleep that night.
I tossed and I turned, my mind racing, my stomach churning. How did we lose that game? We were up by 18 points. We didn't make any huge mistakes. We didn't get hosed by the referees. How did the Patriots lose that game?
I think it's safe to say that after Sunday's AFC Championship game, all Patriots fans feel like they've stumbled into the Twighlight Zone. That was the type of game that the Patriots win, not throw away. It's Brady and Belichick who rise the occasion late in the fourth quarter, not Manning and Dungy. Yet when everything was all said and done, it was the Colts hoisting the Lamar Hunt trophy into the air. And the Patriots Nation was left watching, completely befuddled, and trying to make sense of the apparent disconnect between Asante Samuel's interception and the image we were seeing now. no comments
Seven years ago, the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. Since that fateful day, every single season has ended in an absolute gut-wrenching fashion. Now, with New England playing in its seventh Super Bowl, Brady, Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots have the opportunity to finally put those lost seasons to rest by achieving the ultimate redemption. But before they do, I wanted to take a moment to revisit each and every one of those six seasons of pain. I've been covering the Patriots since 2002, and at the end of every season, I took the time to reflect on the final game and the season as a whole. For the next six days, I'll be re-running the end-of-the-season article from the past six years. It's time to rip open the scabs and pout salt in these old wounds. Because until you've spent time in the valley, you'll never appreciate the view from the top of the world.
"The Worst Game. Ever."
Written January 15th, 2006
It's been almost one week since the Patriots got ousted from the post-season in Denver, and I still can't begin to write this article. There just isn't words to describe what those three hours were like. It was absolutely surreal. Looking back on it, I still can't believe what happened. And when I start to believe it, it makes me feel sick.
This was, by far, the single worst loss I've ever experienced. Just thinking about it makes me want to slash my wrists and do push-ups in alcohol. I've gone through seven straight years of watching my Timberwolves get knocked out of the first round. None of those losses even touches this one. What's even stranger is how badly this loss has affected me, considering my team's won three of the last four Super Bowls. You would think those trophies would be a huge comfort. They aren't. If anything, they're just a reminder of the awesome experience the Patriots nation just missed out on. I've gotten used to feeling euphoria in early February. It's going to be a very difficult withdrawal.
Three titles in a row is something you'll probably only have one shot at in your lifetime. We didn't get it done. And to do it on a stage as big as Super Bowl XL would be... Well like I said, it just makes me sick to think about it. So without further ado, here's Bill Simmons from ESPN.com. Even though he can barely type about it himself, he and his readers have managed to do a fairly decent job of describing what we're all going through... no comments
When I showed up for work this morning, a solid 12+ hours after the Patriots' defeat of the Baltimore Ravens, my mind was still numb. The Patriots have had some big wins over the past eleven years, but none were anything like last night's. In Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots led for much of the game, blew that lead, and then raced back at the end. There was a good chunk of that night, where as unbelievable as it seemed, I actually thought that the Patriots were going to win. Same thing for Super Bowl XXXVIII - I really didn't doubt the Pats for a second. The 2006 Divisional Round game at San Diego was a stunning come-from-behind win, but the stakes were no where near as high.
Last night, with nearly as much on the line as you could imagine, the Patriots looked for all the world like they were heading for a gut-wrenching loss. I liked how the Patriots looked in the first half, building up to a 13-10 lead, but the second half was like a horror movie where you were just waiting for the axe murder to pop out from behind the corner and lop your team's head off. New England scored on their opening drive of the half, but settled for their third field goal in four red zone trips. We all knew heading into the game that laying down 3's instead of 7's was a recipe for keeping Baltimore in the game. Then the Ravens turned the tables, scoring a touch down and putting New England behind 16-17.
But still, it was only one point, right? Not so fast... Here comes Danny Woodhead, making a great kickoff return, only to cough up the ball right back to the Ravens. At this point, the Patriots are down 0-2 in the turnover batter. Heading into the contest, it was widely known that ball control was another key to the game. Like red zone efficiency, the Patriots were failing miserably in this area. Thankfully, the defense came up huge again and held the Ravens to a field goal. The Pats now trailed 16-20.
In retrospect, the next Patriots drive was monumental. At the time, it just seemed like a routine part of the game. Nobody would have ever thought that Tom Brady's "Super Man" leap would put the final points of the game on the scoreboard. Backing up a bit, the Patriots had 1st and 5 at the goal line. Woodhead ran for 4 yards, 1 foot, and 6 inches. There was a mere half a yard between him and paydirt. For some reason, the refs made a horrible spot and put him back at the 1 yard line. Then Brady did his patented QB sneak and a touchdown was called, only to be reversed. Another bad spot put the Patriots at the 1/2 yard line, when Brady was literally about two inches from the endzone when his knee hit the ground. On third down, Benjarvus Green Ellis gets stuffed, setting up a crucial 4th down. Again, there was no way of knowing how important those 7 points would eventually be, but I think every Patriots fan was rooting for Bill Belichick to make the gutsy call and have the team go for it. The Patriots simply would not win this game by settling for field goals instead of touchdowns and they were too close to 7 points to give up now. So Tom Brady made his patented QB sneak for the ages and lept up and over the Ravens defensive line for the deciding score.
With 11:26 remaining, I half jokingly spoke to the Patriots defense as they lined up on my TV screen. "If you guys can hold the Ravens scoreless for the next eleven and a half minutes, we're going to the Super Bowl." I had no idea how true those words would eventually ring.
From there, we had the Spikes interception...
...followed by the inexplicable Tom Brady interception one play later (a long bomb to Aiken, our 6th receiver, in triple coverage? Really???)...
...followed by Vince Wilfork shoving the Ravens out of field goal range and forcing a failed 4th down conversion...
...followed by a inexplicable 3 and out when a 1st down would have sealed the game...
...followed by the Ravens marching into field goal territory...
...followed by the Ravens marching into legit touchdown territory...
...followed by vomit rising in the back of my throat, as I remembered how the defense let nearly the exact same thing happen against the Giants earlier this year...
...followed by Lee Evans catching the game-sealing touchdown in the end zone...
...followed by Sterling Moore's immaculate deflection batting that ball out of his hands...
...followed by Billy Cundiff lining up for a gimme field goal to send the game into overtime...
...followed by...
Utter joy.
This had all the makings of another tragic playoff loss. Missed opportunities like Brady overthrowing Gronkowski for an easy touchdown early in the game... Field goals that were settled for... Turnovers, followed by turnovers... But somehow, some way, these New England Patriots found within themselves the way to overcome it all and win a game of inches by a millimeter.
I've heard a lot of talk that the Patriots "got lucky" and that the Ravens were "the better team". Every bit of it is pure and utter hogwash. There was no botched call or controversy last night. Defenders need to swat balls. Kickers need to make kicks. That's football. And even if Billy Cundiff made that field goal, who is to say that the Patriots wouldn't have prevailed in overtime anyway?
Last night was a night of celebration. It was the last game at home during the MHK season. Drew, Tedy, Ty, and Troy were in the building. And all the disapointment of the past three seasons were wiped away as the Patriots finally returned to the Super Bowl. Improbable or not, it just couldn't have ended any other way. Robert Kraft summed it up best, when he used the word "family" during the Lamar Hunt Trophy presentation. That's what last night was all about. The past met the present. A hope for the future was forged. And we all experienced it together, as one, as a family, whether we were on the field, in the stands, or watching on our sofa at home.
And now, together, we head to Indianapolis.
no commentsWe’re back in the big dance again.
And in the unlikeliest of circumstances, it wasn’t because of Tom Brady.
Stifled by the Ravens defense, Brady threw two picks and didn’t throw a touchdown.
Instead, it was the unheralded Sterling Moore, second-year linebacker Brandon Spikes and the 325-pound Vince Wilfork (I want an official weigh-in) who made the plays of the day.
Despite losing every statistical area, the Pats etched out the 23-20 win and will face the Giants in the Revenge Bowl in two weeks.
Let’s take a look at the risers and fallers from the AFC Championship win.
Risers
1. Vince Wilfork: Who said a nose tackle couldn’t rush the passer? Despite playing the highest percentage of snaps in his career, Big Vince has become a dominant force, particularly in the second half of the season. The veteran leader on defense played his best game in a Patriot uniform. Despite facing off against a strong trio of Ben Grubbs, Matt Birk and Marshal Yanda, Wilfork lived in the Ravens backfield. The big man made a game-changing tackle for loss on Ray Rice, recorded a sack and anchored a run defense that limited Baltimore to only 3.7 yards per carry. The biggest guy on the defense played the biggest role in the biggest game of the season.
2. Brandon Spikes: Call me biased. I’m a Gator and Spikes was one of the best players in school history. When his head is on right, he can be a man amongst boys. Number 55 recorded a team-high nine tackles and made perhaps the second-biggest play of the game with a fantastic one-handed interception one play after getting pancaked by Vonta Leach. Spikes’ return to the lineup has inspired the run defense and I absolutely love his violent style of play.
3. Sterling Moore: I was ready to vilify the guy when he whiffed on the tackle on Torrey Smith. But the little-known safety/corner out of SMU made THE play to save the Patriots season when he slapped the ball out of Lee Evans hands on what should have been the game-winning touchdown. He followed that up with another pass break up and may have earned immortal status in New England if the Pats end up winning it all. His story has been incredible, and the play he made on Evans was an example of why you should never quit.
4. Matt Light: Offensive linemen do the dirty work and never get the credit. Well props to Light who never had his name mentioned during the whole game. That’s because he completely neutralized Terrell Suggs and the Ravens vaunted pass rush. Baltimore got its only sack from Paul Kruger who made a nice move to beat Nate Solder. Meanwhile, Light kept Brady upright and keyed a run game that was effective when it needed to be.
Fallers
1. Tom Brady: It’s hard to be critical of the guy who got us this far, but Brady played well below his typically excellent standards. Considering how good the Ravens defense is, it was expected that Brady wouldn’t put up six touchdowns, but he made some poor decisions with the football and wasn’t as accurate as he normally is. He’ll need to step up and carry the team against the Giants who can score points on this defense.
2. Receivers: The Ravens got physical with the Patriots wideouts and mixed up their coverages and it worked. Wes Welker moved the chains with six catches, but he didn’t stand out. The depth behind Mustache Wes was invisible. Deion Branch failed to get any separation and only made two receptions for 18 yards. Matt Slater failed to reel in his only target and Julian Edelman wasn’t very effective as a receiver, although you have to give him credit for playing 27 snaps on defense. Overall, a disappointing day on offense.
no commentsAh, we're finally back.
On February 5th, the Pats will be in Indianapolis to face the winner of the Giants and 49ers for the fifth Super Bowl appearance in the Belichick/Brady era.
The ending was classic. Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff had the chance to tie the game up with eleven seconds left with a 32-yard field goal, but he hooked it slightly wide left. The crowed went wild, and Tom Brady preceded to kneel on the ball to finish out the remaining time.
On the second down play two plays before the missed field goal, Lee Evans had the chance to catch a touchdown in the end-zone. But thanks to Patriots rookie Sterling Moore getting his hands on the ball and Lee Evans having a bad pair of hands, the ball was never caught.
All four quarters were bitterly fought by both teams, and neither time ever decisively pulled away.
The Ravens led in the fourth quarter 20-16, but Tom Brady managed to pull out a great drive that culminated in a one-yard TD dive by Brady on fourth down. That would be the final score of the game.
One of the scarier plays of the game was when Rob Gronkowski left the field with an apparent leg injury in the third quarter. It looked pretty bad, but he eventually came back on the field and it's likely that he'll be a go for the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady wasn't in his usual form, as he didn't pass for a touchdown for the first time in 36 games and he threw two interceptions as well. Brady will have to play better if the Pats are to win the Super Bowl.
The Patriots defense picked up the slack though, holding Joe Flacco in check and shutting down Ray Rice. The young New England defense is heating up at just the right time.
I'm hoping for a Super Bowl XLII rematch so that the Patriots can avenge their loss against the Giants, but I'm just happy to be back again.
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These teams have plenty of history and some bad blood between them. While the Patriots have had the upper hand, it was the Ravens who embarassed Brady and Co. in 2009, knocking them out of the playoffs in decisive fashion. New England managed to scratch and claw for an overtime win in 2010, but this team is predicated on its two tight ends. Let's take a look at the top matchups in the AFC Championship showdown.
1. The Boston TE Party vs. Baltimore linebackers/safeties: Considering the title of this post, this may seem a bit confusing. But it'll take an army, not an individual player, to stop New England's fantastically talented tight ends. Gronkowski is the intimidating force who can block as well as he can catch the ball. The Ravens safeties can't match his size (6-foot-6, 265 pounds) and their linebackers don't excel in coverage either. If they choose to double Gronk, it'll only make things easier for the second half of the best tight end duo - Aaron Hernandez. The former Gator is an athletic mismatch for any linebacker and has the agility and speed to match most receivers. It'll be interesting to see who matches up on Hernandez considering nobody has been able to stop him lately. He's simply too quick for Ray Lewis or Jarret Johnson, and should have no problem beating safety Bernand Pollard. Perhaps Ed Reed or rookie corner Jimmy Smith will be asked to cover Hernandez...or at least try.
2. Matt Light vs. Terrell Suggs: Both of these guys have been fixtures at their positions for the better part of a decade. Light has protected Brady’s blindside while Suggs has made his money beating offensive tackles with strength and speed. Number 72 will be tasked with stopping the Pro Bowl outside linebacker/defensive end as Suggs often lines up on the right side of the defense. Light has held up extremely well this season, most notably in last week’s blowout against Denver’s duo of Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller. If Light wins the one-on-one battles against Suggs, the Patriots will be in business.
3. Wes Welker vs. Lardarius Webb: The battle of the Ws will be a fun one to watch as Webb, an ascending talent, will be tasked with stopping the cat-quick Welker. Selected in the third round in 2009, Webb became the Ravens’ top corner this year with six picks. He has great speed (4.35) and has the quickness to match Welker’s. The Patriots need Welker to work from both the slot and the outside in order to open up the offense.
4. Jerod Mayo & Brandon Spikes vs. Ray Rice & Vonta Leach: This might be one of my favorite matchups to watch on Sunday. Mayo is the quiet leader of the defense while Spikes is the physical, vocal force that intimidates offenses. Rice is one of the top-three backs in the league and Leach is perhaps the best fullback. Described as one of the most violent inside linebackers by film guru Greg Cossell, Spikes’ role will be to blow up the fullback to allow Mayo to have space to make the tackle. It won’t be easy as Leach is one of the best run blockers in the league and can match Spikes in the physicality department. Stopping Rice is key to the Patriots road to victory, and no duo is more important than Mayo & Spikes.
5. Interior offensive line vs. Haloti Ngata: The trio of Logan Mankins, Dan Connolly and Brian Waters has been excellent this year (despite a down year from Mankins). However, facing Ngata is a totally different ballgame. The 6-foot-4, 330-pounder is equally nimble as he is strong and is an excellent interior pass rusher. The common misconception is that edge pressure results in sacks, but getting pressure up the middle is the key to stopping Tom Brady. The Patriots interior linemen must stop Ngata and Terrance Cody from collapsing the pocket.
6. Devin McCourty vs. Torrey Smith: Whether McCourty plays safety or corner, he’ll be instrumental in stopping the Ravens’ rookie deep threat. Smith has incredible speed and has a knack for making big plays. McCourty has been beat pretty regularly this season after a Pro Bowl rookie campaign, but he needs to play with better technique to prevent Smith from beating the Pats over the top. Smith is a limited route runner and doesn’t have the best hands. McCourty seems a bit slower this year, but still plays with physicality and has the talent to step up.
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