Weekly Commentary
Tom Brady’s performance wasn’t spectacular. For the day Brady went 22 of 36 for 236 yards, with two interceptions, and no touchdowns. But Brady made the big plays when called upon in clutch situations. The Patriots defense held NFL rushing King, Ray Lewis to just 78 yards on the ground. Give credit to the Patriots offensive line, for holding the sack happy Ravens to just one sack.
On the Patriots second drive, Brady drove the Patriots right down the field to the Ravens 11 yard line. The drive stalled at that point as Gostkowski kicked a short field goal, as the Patriots lead 3-0. With 5:49 left in the first quarter, the very fired up Vince Wilfork sacked Joe Flacco for a big loss. Did Vince Wilfork play his heart out the whole game? You bet he did, that’s why he was elected the games MVP.
On the Patriots next drive, Brady hit Aaron Hernandez for 11 yards. Then two plays later Lardarius Webb intercepted Brady on a rather poor thrown ball, to give the Ravens offense the momentum they needed. The Ravens offensive line finally settled down, giving Flacco enough time to find a wide open Torrey Smith for 42 yards. Three plays later Flacco hit Smith again for 11 more. The Patriots defense stiffened, as Billy Cundiff kicked a 20 yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3.
The Patriots offense surprised the Ravens defense with two successful runs by Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis for 24 yards. Brady then found Rob Gronkowski open down the middle for a 20 yard gain. Why was Gronkowski so open? The Ravens linebackers had to honor the run, and left Gronkowski wide open. Three plays later, Green-Ellis ran into the end zone from seven yards out, as the Patriots lead 10-3.
With 10:37 left in the first half, Flacco came to life. Flacco hit Lee Evans for a 20 yard gain. Then Flacco hit Anquan Boldin for 37 yards to the Patriots 18 yard line. Ray Rice rushed four times to the Patriots six yard line. Then Flacco behind good protection, fired a strike to Dennis Pitta for a six yard touchdown to tie the game at 10-10. How much time did Flacco have to complete that pass? Pitta was Flacco’s fourth option receiver, it was that easy.
With 6:03 left in the second quarter, Brady got hot, completing five for five passes. Brady threw two perfect strikes to Wes Welker for 22 yards. Then Brady completed two perfect spirals to Hernandez for 26 yards. From the Ravens 17 yard line, the Ravens defense adjusted to the Patriots no-huddle offense. Brady fired three straight incompletions. Gostkowski kicked a 35 yard field goal, as the Patriots lead 13-10.
The Patriots got the ball back, on their own ten yard line with 58 seconds left. The Patriots ran out the clock. A wise choice? Not really the Ravens defense is good, but you can’t just back away with time on the clock, and Brady at the controls.
On the first drive of the third quarter, the Patriots offense drove 74 yards to the Ravens six yard line. The Ravens defense did a much better job at taking away Green-Ellis’s cutback lane near the goal line. Green Ellis was stopped for no gain on third and two. The Patriots added another field goal to take a 16-10 lead.
The Ravens offense responded with an impressive drive to the Patriots 29 yard line. On third and four, Flacco burned the Patriots blitz with a 29 yard touchdown to Torrey Smith. The Ravens lead 17-16. The replay showed that Smith’s foot was out of bounds at the four yard line. After the official went under the hood, the play stood as a touchdown. A bad call? For sure it was.
Then on the ensuing kickoff, Danny Woodhead fumbled at the Patriots 32 yard line. The Ravens recovered, but the Patriots defense stiffened, allowing only a field goal. The Ravens lead 20-16, with 50 seconds left in the third quarter. Did that defensive stand get the Patriots defense fired up for the rest of the game? Oh you bet it did.
In the early fourth quarter, the Patriots offense played like AFC Champions. The Patriots drove 73 yards to the Ravens one yard line. On fourth and one, coach Bill Belichick, decided to go for the touchdown, instead of the sure field goal. Then Brady showed what a great competitor he is. Brady dove right over the top of the pile, right through Ray Lewis’s arms for a touchdown. How did Brady manage that effort? Brady wanted the touchdown just a bit more, then Lewis wanted to prevent it. The Patriots lead for good 23-20.
The Ravens ran seven plays into the Patriots territory. The drive was interrupted when Brandon Spikes stepped in front of Flacco’s pass, for a huge interception. But then Brady and the Patriots offense gave the ball right back, as Brady under threw Matthew Slater in the end zone. The Ravens Jimmy Smith caught the interception off the deflection.
Was the long pass a good call? No that’s not what the Patriots offense does well. The Patriots offense is about quick throws, that often results in scoring at least 28 points in games.
Both defenses stiffened over the next five minutes. With 1:44 left in regulation, the Ravens had one last chance. Flacco completed four passes to Anquan Boldin for 60 yards. The Ravens offense drove to the Patriots 14 yard line, but couldn’t get any closer. Billy Cundiff attempted a game tying 32 yard field goal, but the kick sailed wide left.
The Patriots had won the AFC Championship game and were on their way to their first Super Bowl since 2008. Hopefully the Patriots will have Rob Gronkowski back for the Super Bowl. Gronkowski suffered a bad leg injury, because of a very cheap shot from the Ravens safety, Bernard Pollard.
The Patriots will be in a rematch with the New York Giants. At least the Patriots coaching staff will have time to study the film from the earlier loss to the Giants in November. As for which team will take home the Super Bowl trophy, just one question remains. Who wants it more?
