Early Look At AFC Championship Game – New England Patriots vs Baltimore Ravens
AFC Championship Game Preview: Ravens (12-6) at Patriots (13-4) 6:30 p.m. EST CBS Sunday Jan. 20th, 2013
The Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs are over and time to move on to the AFC and NFC Championship games. Baltimore stunned Peyton Manning and the Broncos last Saturday with a double overtime win sending them back to the AFC Championship game for the second straight year. The New England Patriots and Tom Brady decided to join the Ravens for a rematch when they, for the second time in 4 weeks, destroyed the Houston Texans. The loss came at a price though, the team lost TE Rob Gronkowski (re-broken forearm), for the rest of the playoffs. Let’s break down the teams in the AFC Championship game!
New England Patriots AFC Championship Game Preview:
The New England Patriots are one win away from making their 6th Super Bowl appearance in 12 years! That’s not only an NFL record, it’s ridiculous. Tom Brady has led this team to home field for the second straight year in spite of a rotating roster due to injury. It’s easy to put up a ton of numbers to prove the Patriots offense is one of the best in the NFL but, only one number matters, wins. The Patriots when led by Brady have more post season wins than any two teams combined in the last 12 years. (including 3 Super Bowls)
There isn’t much else to say about the New England Patriots team. They lack a star packed roster, flash, and an outspoken coach. The team does one thing well…win in the playoffs. The NFL’s most successful team of the 20th century have a huge advantage this week against an old Baltimore Ravens roster who played an entire extra quarter of football in Denver. The Patriots are the odds on favorite to win their second straight AFC title on Sunday and make that historic 6th Super Bowl.
Baltimore Ravens AFC Championship Game Preview:
The Baltimore Ravens fantastic story continues on Sunday as Ray Lewis leads the inspired team into Foxboro to face the dynamic Patriots offense. Baltimore has one question to answer for themselves, do they have anything left in the tank after 5 quarters of football in Denver? Everyone is aware of the inspiration that Lewis has had on the team in recent weeks since the retirement announcement but, the roster is old and tired. No amount of inspiration can over come other long cold road trip.
Joe Flacco is playing well and he has to as his defense has been injured. Baltimore boasted a top ten defense 11 out of the last 12 NFL seasons. The Ravens will need to rely on Ray Rice and Joe Flacco to keep them in this game while trying to stop the fast pace offense. Playing the extra quarter of football in Denver will take a toll and unlike the weather last week, Foxboro will be cold on Sunday. That’s a lot to ask even for a Ray Lewis led team.
Baltimore fans it’s been a great ride and the Ravens are sending Ray Lewis off with pride. No team will miss a single player more than what this team next season and beyond. As for the AFC Championship game, this one is all Patriots.
This is a rematch of last season’s A.F.C. championship game, which the Ravens lost when they dropped a pass in the end zone and then missed a field goal that would have sent the game into overtime. The Patriots lost to the Ravens, 31-30, in Week 3 of this season. On Saturday, the Ravens stunned the Broncos in double overtime. The lesson? Don’t underestimate the Ravens’ ability to stay with even the most explosive offenses….More at AFC Championship Preview: Ravens at Patriots – New York Times (blog)
New England Patriots-Baltimore Ravens a fitting matchup for AFC championship game: Two teams have been among con… http://t.co/pMSNhKpJ
— SaintsNOW (New Orleans Saints) (@SaintsNOW) Tue Jan 15 2013
Time to tell us who you think wins the AFC Championship game and why?
Chris
NFL News Desk Staff Reporter
