Since the Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants back in the 2007 season the Patriots have experienced a few playoff woes. 2008 saw Tom Brady get injured for the season on the opening day of the campaign against the Kansas City Chiefs but shockingly the team rallied together and went 11-5 for the season but became the first team since the expansion to 12 teams in the playoffs to not make the playoffs with 11 wins.
Tom Brady then returned for the 2009 season and helped the team regain the AFC East Title before crashing out to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14 who the Patriots meet this Sunday for the AFC Championship and a place in Super Bowl 46 but before we get on to that I'll continue with this. Brady looked back to his best last year, 2010 season, as the Patriots finished with the best record in the league, 14-2, but lost to rivals the New York Jets. The Patriots had hit a low, 2 home defeats in their opening games in the playoffs two years straight.
This is why Sunday's game against the Broncos was so important but within 2 minutes of the game Brady hit Welker and the Pats were up 7-0. Brady threw a pick at 14-7 which could of been a changing point to make the game closer but the Pats D was all over Tebow and with Brady on fire New England went in at halftime 35-7 ahead. Brady had broke a record for Touchdowns thrown in the first half of a playoff game, 5.
Brady who threw for 5,235 yards this season and 39 Touchdowns certainly looks just as good as he's ever played. With main receiving threat Rob Gronkowski on fire, he caught 3 of the 6 Touchdows on Sunday, and the likes of Welker, Branch and other tight en Aaron Hernandez all playing great in this unique looking Patriots offense the team could make their 5th Super Bowl in 11 seasons with a win over the Ravens this coming Sunday.
The Gronkowski-Hernandez combination suits Brady so well, it ensures that the offence is unpredictable and with both tight ends being able to catch them ball so well it make them a mismatch for any defence in the NFL. The Patriots could be on to something very special, as a Patriots fan myself once the Broncos game ended it was somewhat revenge seeing as Denver had beaten us in the last playoff game the teams played back in the 2005 season 27-13.
With them being swept out the way on Sunday the Patriots now have the chance to get revenge on the Ravens for that embarrassing home playoff loss two seasons ago, the Patriots and Ravens have had their war of words over the past few years which adds to the tension and excitement of this AFC Championship game. The obvious battle between the two sides is this amazing Patriots offense against an extremely strong Ravens defence who themselves finally managed to clinch the AFC North title for the first time in 5 years over rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers and were the 2nd seeded team in the AFC for the playoffs.
So the game on Sunday involves the 2 best teams in the AFC, I hope and I believe that come Sunday night here in the UK I will be celebrating a New England victory and a trip for the Patriots and all the PatsNation to Super Bowl 46 on February the 5th in Indianapolis. Hopefully the Giants get a win in the NFC Championship game over the 49ers to set up a Super Bowl rematch with the Patriots so that this time we can win the Vince Lombardi trophy and will exercise our demons from previous years to because Super Bowl Champions!
Let's Go Patriots!
