Patriots Outlast Ravens 35-31 in Instant Classic to Reach 4th Straight AFC Championship Game

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How rare is it for a game to not only exceed expectations but immediately vault into the realm of instant classic? Tonight was one of those such gifts as the Patriots erased a pair of 14-point deficits (something they'd never done in franchise history) to beat the Ravens 35-31 at Gillette Stadium. New England advances to next Sunday's (6:40, CBS) AFC Championship Game back at Gillette vs. either the Colts or Broncos who meet tomorrow (4:40, CBS) in Denver.

It was a milestone performance for Tom Brady (33 of 50 for 367 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) as he set the new all-time mark for playoff TD passes (46) passing Joe Montana. Bill Belichick won his 20th playoff game which tied Tom Landry for the most all-time and Julian Edelman (8 catches, 74 yards) threw the longest touchdown in playoff history by a non-quarterback (51 yards to Danny Amendola). You could make a good case that Amendola had not only his best game as a Patriot (not too tough in his underachieving time here) but he was their player of the game with two clutch touchdowns. Then again, it was a typical Pats playoff win with numerous guys making big plays.

Things couldn't have started out any better for the Ravens as they marched right down the field on their first two drives for an early 14-0 lead. Joe Flacco (28 of 45 for 292 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs) was playing like Mr. January once again as he found Kamar Aiken for an easy 19-yard catch and run then the ageless but still batshit insane Steve Smith for a juggling 9-yard catch when Darrelle Revis was trying to cover him.

This was all Brady's game on offense since New England abandoned the run, would you blame them with a total of 14 yards gained on 13 rushing attempts? Jonas Gray was a surprise addition to the inactive list after being probable with an ankle injury. He'll never be Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson in terms of scrambling ability but it is still pretty remarkable how much Brady has improved in that area at the ripe old age of 37. He got the Patriots on the board with a 4-yard run.

Amendola tied it at 14 with a sick 15-yard touchdown grab that ended with him flying through the air to the pylon. Somehow, it looked like the Pats would be at least tied or possibly leading at halftime after they were so outplayed. That's when Brady threw his bi-annual brutal interception (to Daryl Smith) and Flacco took advantage by throwing a beautiful 11-yard touchdown to Owen Daniels who was barely open between three defenders with 10 seconds left in the half.

New England's defense was run over in the first half and that continued early in the third quarter as Justin Forsett (24 carries, 129 yards) made it 28-14 Ravens with a simple 16-yard touchdown catch on a swing pass. As is usually the case, Rob Gronkowski (7 catches, 108 yards) was the best receiver on the field/freak of nature and Brady hit him for a five-yard score. The Patriots forced a Ravens punt and that's when Josh McDaniels dialed up probably his best play as New England's offensive coordinator: the double throw from Brady to Edelman to a streaking Amendola. Devin McCourty intercepted Flacco on the following drive but the Pats couldn't cash that in for more points.

Baltimore took a 31-28 lead on Justin Tucker's 25-yard field goal but the Patriots did their job by holding strong in the red zone and forcing the kick. Brady saved his magic for the end: his game-winning 23-yard touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell (5 catches, 62 yards) was perfect. You can't make a better throw and at the same time run a better route than that.

The Ravens are so resilient though and they never gave up. Duron Harmon picked off Flacco in the end zone and on the final play of the game, McCourty knocked the ball away from danger in a hail mary situation. New England improved to 2-2 vs. Baltimore in the playoffs the last few seasons while also avenging that bitter defeat in the 2013 AFC Championship Game at Gillette.

It might seem silly to want to play the Broncos next week since they are clearly better than the Colts (well at least going into tomorrow) but I think it would be so much sweeter to go through Denver than pushover Indy. Plus the storylines are way too juicy to pass up (Brady vs. Manning, Patriots handing out some payback for losing in that game last year not to mention facing Talib and Welker). We all need some rest after today's exhausting game but I'm sure we'll be ready to go for next Sunday.

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Patriots Lose In Unforgettable Fashion Once Again, What's With This Season?

I can deal with a Patriots loss just fine but to see them lose for the second time this season on a dubious play is tough to swallow, again. Carolina (7-3 overall, 4-1 home) held on for a 24-20 win over New England (7-3, 2-3 away) tonight at Bank of America Stadium on Monday Night Football. Ted Ginn Jr. of all people had the winning score: a 25-yard touchdown catch and run that came with 59 seconds left in regulation.

After moving the ball down the field, on the final snap of the game Tom Brady (29 of 40, 296 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) threw the ball into the end zone intended for Rob Gronkowski (5 catches, 59 yards, 1 TD). Panthers star linebacker Luke Kuechly (12 tackles, 8 solo) wrapped Gronk in a bear hug, making sure he had absolutely no chance to catch the pass. While this was happening, rookie safety Robert Lester picked it off to end it.

The questionable part of the play is that the refs actually threw a flag at first but then retracted it thus the game ended. Some would say the ball was uncatchable but I can only counter with look at what all the ex-players and officials (save for Grandpa Gerry Austin) concluded: it should have been a penalty for defensive holding.

The worst part is that one stupid play will dominate the airwaves for a few days. I guess we need to be happy that there is one less day to relive it before New England's next game-Sunday night (8:30, NBC) vs. Denver (9-1).

I also have to give the Panthers credit, I thought they might be frauds that took advantage of an easy schedule. Cam Newton (19 of 28 for 209 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs; 62 yards rushing) made a bunch of big plays and their defense is formidable. Carolina head coach Ron Rivera seems too conservative which could come to bite them (no pun intended) in the playoffs and yes I think the Panthers will make the playoffs in the superior NFC.

Brandon LaFell (7 catches, 59 yards) started the party with a nine-yard touchdown catch late in the first quarter. This came after plenty of fighting between Aqib Talib and Steve Smith (4 catches, 62 yards) that resulted in Talib getting a penalty and a seat on the bench (for a while).

Graham Gano's 43-yard field goal made it 10-0 before the Patriots finally woke up with a 42-yard-field goal by Stephen Gostkowski late in the first half. New England's offense started to find a rhythm in the third quarter. Brady tied it on a 9-yard pass to Gronk who broke the tackle of three Panthers.

Newton responded with his best throw of the night: a 15-yard touchdown to Greg Olsen in the corner of the end zone where only he could get it. The Pats appeared ready to get an impressive road win as Stevan Ridley (48 yards rushing) tied it with a 1-yard touchdown run. LeGarrette Blount led the Patriots with 49 yards rushing while Shane Vereen had a great return to action with a team-high eight catches for 65 yards. Ridley had another fumble, this time in the red zone which led to a brief benching of his own. Will it ever end with this guy?

An incomplete pass on 3rd-and-1 proved to be costly for the Pats when they settled for a 26-yard field goal by Gostkowski that temporarily gave them a 20-17 lead. Carolina went down the field, gaining yards and burning clock before Newton connected with Ginn Jr. for his only catch of the night. The former first round bust of the Dolphins was able to make Kyle Arrington miss a tackle before he turned on the Jets.

There is no rest for the weary as the Patriots host the Broncos in another highly-anticipated game. Who knows how things will shake out in January but it could very likely be an AFC Championship Game preview. New England is 5-0 at home this season but it'll be tough to beat Denver with such a depleted defense. Losing back-to-back games against Super Bowl contenders would be harsh for the Pats' playoff hopes.

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