Posts Tagged ‘NFL’

Kacsmar: Ravens need to win, Patriots have to win

On Sunday, the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens every will perform within their third AFC Championship game more than the previous 6 many years, the Patriots winning the two plus the Ravens losing each, which includes final year's 23-20 heartbreaker in Foxboro. It truly is also the third time the teams have met inside the playoffs within the previous 4 many years.

No meeting appears far more evenly matched, that's the very first rematch inside a conference championship considering that the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers met 3 many years within a row (1992-94).

It might be the last game on the terrific profession for Ray Lewis, and potential Hall of Fame security Ed Reed isn't far behind him for retirement. Therefore, the Ravens possess a smaller sized window of chance, however they will be the secondary story.

In case the New England Patriots fall at your home or fail to win the Super Bowl this yr, it's going to carry on the biggest run of playoff disappointment in NFL background.

Patriots will need to 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 recent Patriots to get won a Super Bowl with all the group are Deion Branch (backup receiver) and Vince Wilfork (like a rookie in 2004).

New England's regular-season good results has only improved, 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 inside a championship game (18 factors), losing to your Indianapolis Colts.

The 2007 season started out with controversy immediately after the Spygate story of illegal videotaping broke, questioning the validity of New England's historic results. Belichick answered with one of several most dominant seasons in background.

Although they have been nonetheless ahead from the curve offensively in people days, in 2007 the Patriots modified the dynamic of their crew by including receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the latter defining the part on the slot receiver. There was tiny comparison with their championship teams, which had been constructed on sturdy defenses.

New England's 2007 offense became the 1st to make use of the shotgun on in excess of 50 % of their plays, making use of aspects from the spread offense Belichick picked up on from university coach Urban Meyer.

The outcomes had 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 started out 10-0, it had been outscoring opponents by 25.four factors per game, wanting like arguably one of the most dominant crew in historical past.

However the grind of the march for the best season took its toll. The Patriots fell behind by twelve factors on the New York Giants in Week 17, but came back to win to clinch the only 16-0 normal season ever. Nonetheless, the game constructed self-assurance while in 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 instances immediately after enjoying pristine pass safety all season.

It even now took the best 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 using a hollow 18-1 finish.

Brady tore his ACL inside the very first quarter from the initially game in 2008, however the Patriots nevertheless 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 begin the 2009 season, Brady led the Patriots to a thrilling comeback win more than Buffalo in Week one, but that might be Brady's only game-winning drive on the season. The 2009 crew struggled to near video games out, which was the hallmark of New England's earlier achievement while in the decade.

The season-changing minute came in Week ten once the Patriots (6-2) played the Colts (8-0) in prime time. As soon as holding a 17-point lead while in the fourth quarter, the Patriots faced a 4th-and-2 at their very own 28, holding onto a 34-28 lead with two:08 left. Most coaches would punt, but Belichick kept the offense over the field. Brady's pass to Kevin Faulk was quick in the initially down, and Peyton Manning threw the game-winning touchdown with 0:13 left within a 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 started off the game with an 83-yard touchdown run, and Brady turned the ball in excess of 3 times during the very first 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 standard season on an eight-game winning streak, turning the ball above just a single time (+23 in turnover differential), and averaging 37.four factors per game (a minimum of 31 factors in each and every game). No effectiveness was a lot more amazing than a 45-3 rout in the Jets in Week 13.

The 2010 Patriots scored 518 factors. Brady won his 2nd MVP award, turning out to be the 1st unanimous assortment ever. He threw 36 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions, going a record 335 pass attempts without the need of an interception.

This was the scariest crew getting into the playoffs in recent times. Acquiring clinched the league's most effective record (14-2), the Patriots had by now beaten the Steelers (39-26), Jets (45-3), Bears (36-7) and Packers (31-27). Individuals 4 teams ended up staying the last 4 in 2010, because the Patriots fell flat on their encounter in the home from the Divisional round against the Jets.

Brady threw an interception on his to start with possession, snapping his streak. Mark Sanchez confidently guided the Jets to an upset win, whilst the scoring juggernaut managed 11 factors while in the game's initially 58 minutes against Rex Ryan's defense. Two late scores had been as well tiny also late since the Jets won 28-21.

From 2006-2011, Brady set a NFL record with 31 consecutive wins in the home within the frequent season. But hidden inside the streak had been these two dwelling playoff losses.

In 2011 the Patriots once again reshaped their offense, thoroughly making use of Gronkowski and Hernandez, now inside their 2nd season, for the 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), plus the Patriots scored 513 factors while in the season. However they once more couldn't resolve Tom Coughlin's Giants, losing in the two the common season and Super Bowl, scoring 17 factors this time in the 21-17 reduction.

Right here the Patriots are yet again in 2012, scoring 557 factors from the normal season, that is the third-highest complete in NFL historical past. Certainly one of their most current offensive developments is definitely the utilization of one-word play-calls to run a no-huddle offense so rapid the defense are unable to even get set (here is taking a look at you, Houston). It had been a further stellar typical season, and now they sit two wins far from that elusive ring.

But we've observed this just before. From the finish, a group the Patriots played while in the common season has come back to beat them, that is what has occurred all 6 instances within the playoffs due to the fact 2005. It can be Baltimore, who currently beat the Patriots 31-30 in Week three (in Baltimore), or it may be the San Francisco 49ers during the Super Bowl, who also beat the Patriots this yr.

Pretty much every one of the gamers within the Patriots never understand what it can be want to win a Super Bowl, however the shadow Belichick and Brady carry above the group meshes their previous title achievement with each other using the regular-season records considering the fact that 2007.

These two eras are mutually unique, and also the failure to win a championship on this offense-driven era must reflect extra poorly to the crew, Belichick and Brady than it has to date.

The Patriots are 76-20 (.792) during the common season because 2007, which can be one of many very best six-year runs ever. Additionally it is the ideal run to not develop a championship.

Regardless of the many offensive records, the Patriots haven't sealed the deal given that that final Super Bowl win just about eight many years ago. New England has currently had 3 from the highest-scoring teams in NFL background and only managed to score 14, 21 and 17 factors inside a season-ending reduction for which it had been the preferred every time.

As being a 9-point favourite above Baltimore, the Patriots naturally can not win the Super Bowl this Sunday, nevertheless they can eliminate one more shot at a single just after but a different historic typical season.

The possibilities are operating out for Brady and Belichick. Whilst these two can rest on their laurels, background is not going to deal with the Patriots as kindly without having a championship to validate this era's achievement.

Ravens seek out breakthrough win and fantastic ending for Lewis

Nobody ought to be sleeping over the Ravens. The return of leader Ray Lewis has lifted the crew, because they hope to make that storybook ending which has a walk-off Super Bowl victory, appreciated 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 from the John Harbaugh/Joe Flacco era. Once more they're around the road, owning lost 23-14 in Pittsburgh (2008) soon after Flacco threw an interception returned for any touchdown by Troy Polamalu.

There exists the bitter taste of final year's reduction, during which Patriots defensive back Sterling Moore knocked what would have already been 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 target inside 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, exactly where he was the unique teams coordinator through the Eagles' streak of 3 straight losses during the NFC Championship (2001-2003). His group has adequate big-game practical experience to have in excess of the hump, nonetheless it is usually a difficult process to win in Foxboro.

Baltimore is 2-4 against New England given that 2007, but each reduction was a nail-biter that went down on the wire. These teams know one another effectively, plus the Ravens can stage to several beneficial indicators just after dealing with a so-so common season.

The Ravens presently have beaten the Patriots this yr, as well as 503 yards of offense they piled up that evening will 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 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. Though they've faced 174 offensive snaps the final two weeks, this defense is back to generating plays and limiting factors. They may also get some aid from your truth that Rob Gronkowski is out for your Patriots.

If winning a Super Bowl nowadays is extra about peaking in the ideal time, needing to conquer adversity, then the Ravens match the bill. They've got the rallying cry to win 1 for Lewis, Flacco is thriving with large pass plays just after the crew replaced offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, and following the Giants, no group has offered the Patriots much more issues than the Ravens.

New England's not the only constant winner within this game that lacks a current championship. The Ravens are just the sixth crew to ever win a playoff game in 5 consecutive seasons, nevertheless they will be the only group to not attain no less than a single Super Bowl. Only the 2000-04 Eagles failed to win a Super Bowl, when another 4 teams all came as a result of no less than after.

With legacies around the line, and windows closing on several of the game's greats, this ought to be a traditional AFC Championship.

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