A collective sigh has been heaved across Patriots nation. New England’s beloved football team has been defeated by the Baltimore Ravens, 28-13. Joe Flacco and the rest of the Ravens completely took over the game in the fourth quarter and never looked back. Super Bowl 47 will now be the final game for legendary LB Ray Lewis, as his 17-year career comes to a close. The game also sets up a battle in the bayou between the brothers Harbaugh, as 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh led his team past the Falcons earlier today.

Patriots QB Tom Brady, who throughout his career as a starter has been known for his strength late in the game, completely fell apart in the fourth quarter. On paper he had a pretty decent game, going 29-for-54 for320 yards and a touchdown, but the two interceptions he threw in the final quarter completely derailed his team’s offensive efforts. Flacco, on the other hand, netted 240 yards and 3 TDs, resulting in a 106.2 QB rating, but it was his leadership late in the game that was the real story. He was fearless up until the very end and lead his team to the promised land.

Outside of the quarterbacks, the two standout offensive performers were both wide receivers – Wes Welker of the Patriots and Anquan Boldin of the Ravens. Welker picked up 117 yards and a touchdown on 8 receptions, while Boldin secured two TDs and 60 yards on a mere 5 receptions.

As the Ravens set their sights on the 49ers, the Patriots have no choice but to look forward to next year. With  young players like Chandler Jones, Stevan Ridley and Dont’a Hightower showing loads of promise, they’ll no doubt be back in the mix, using the taste of tonight’s loss as motivation to continue the quest for their fourth Super Bowl.

Both the Patriots and the Ravens have keep a tight grip on the football through the first three quarters, as there has not been a single interception or fumble on either side. That being said, the first team to upset that balance could very well put themselves out of this very close game.

Baltimore was able to recapture the lead after a 5-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco to TE Dennis Pitta, and went into the fourth quarter up 14-13. With the continued absence of Chung and Talib, the Patriots secondary is showing some holes, which are being taken advantage of by the Ravens offense. Flacco has upped his stats by throwing 17-for-30 for a touchdown and 204 yards, overtaking Brady’s 18-for-32, 182-yard and one-touchdown performance. (UPDATE: Not five seconds after posting this, Flacco improved to 207 yards and 2 touchdowns with a 3-yard pass to WR Anquan Boldin.)

The second quarter of the AFC Championship showed a stark contrast from the first. Both offenses showed signs of starting to figure out the other team’s defense, and were able to capitalize from it in efficient fashion. The Ravens completed a 90-yard, 5:51 drive with a 2-yard Ray Rice touchdown, and the Patriots immediately answered with a 79-yard, 5:10 drive, capped off by a 1-yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Wes Welker.

The first half was business as usual for Brady, who completed 14 for 24 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target so far has been TE Aaron Hernandez, who’s already pulled in 7 receptions for 67 yards.

Injuries to the Patriots’ defense could prove harmful to the team’s chances. Throughout the first half, New England saw DT Kyle Love, CB Aqib Talib and S Patrick Chung go down, all of which with questionable returns at this point.

Even though both teams looked very strong in the first half, there’s one single stat that could prove to be the most important: Tom Brady is 67-0 at home when going into the second half with a lead. 67-0. Yeah.

That old sporting adage came to the forefront during the first quarter of the AFC Championship, as the defenses of both the Patriots and the Ravens were able to keep scoring to a minimum. The Patriots defensive unit held Joe Flacco and the Ravens to only 43 yards and two first downs, as New England ended the quarter with a 3-0 lead. The Patriots offense fared slightly better, racking up 114 total yards, though only had a Stephen Gostkowski field goal to show for it. The Patriots also personified another old adage, “the best defense is a good offense”, by controlling the football for 10:30. The Ravens will have a tough time scoring if they can’t keep the offense on the field.

The sun is going down, temperatures are falling, and the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens have taken the field for warm-ups here at Gillette Stadium. Out in the parking lot, fans of both teams could be seen getting riled up for this AFC Championship rematch. (Click here for Photo Gallery) Based on the recent history between these two teams, it’s sure to be a fierce battle up until the very last second. Young stars on both sides of the ball will be out to prove they belong in such an elite game, while seasoned veterans like Tom Brady and Ray Lewis will be fighting to continue their success and lead their team to the big dance in New Orleans.

Tensions are already running extremely high on the field as the teams prepare for battle. Ray Lewis just rallied the Ravens with one of his patented and powerful pregame speeches, potentially the last of his storied career. One notable matchup on the field tonight is that of Baltimore DE Arthur Jones and his younger brother, Patriots rookie DE Chandler Jones. It’ll be the second time this season that the two brothers have been on opposite sides of the field, after the Ravens edged the Patriots back in week 3 by a score of 31-30. Expect big games out of both siblings as they strive to prove who’s the best in the family.

Be sure to check back in throughout the game for updates and analysis straight from the source. Speaking of updates, the 49ers just secured a trip to the Super Bowl by defeating the Falcons, 28-24, in a very hard-fought game. San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh has punched his ticket to New Orleans, meaning the championship could turn into a family affair if the Ravens and their head coach, big brother John Harbaugh, bring their A-game against the Pats.

Less than a day remains until the Patriots and Ravens duke it out, and even though the weather’s looking to be quite chilly, I don’t think it’ll play much of a factor. The forecast is calling for temperatures dropping into the 20s, with a wind chill down in the teens during the game.

As temperatures have been descending all week, both teams have been preparing to deal with the icy conditions. In a press conference Friday, QB Tom Brady said: “Coach tries to always get us acclimated to the conditions. We’ve practiced in the stadium every Friday, so it was good to be out there and try to simulate what it will be like on Sunday. I was cold out today though.” The Patriots have seen success in cold weather at home in the past, but it usually only matters when the visiting team is coming from sunny California or Florida. The city of Baltimore has been experiencing similar winter weather as of late, and also, as I’ve been saying, this is the NFL playoffs. Both teams are going to be hungry, and anything can happen. Patriots safety Patrick Chung summed it up well on Friday: “Of course we are ready to go. That is kind of our advantage in the cold, but they are going to be here, ready to play, so the weather really means nothing.”

Be sure to check back in on Sunday, I’ll once again be providing info from a bird’s eye view in the press box at Gillette Stadium. Go Pats!

Media Reps for the Patriots announced Friday that a pair of familiar faces will be given a special honor at the AFC Championship in Foxboro Sunday. Long-time New England RB Kevin Faulk and OT Matt Light will be honorary captains for the game. Both players spent their entire careers with the Patriots, and were integral factors in the team’s astounding success.

Light retired in May of 2012 after 11 years with the team.  He also has the distinction of being one of only five players to have started in five Super Bowls, a list that also includes the man he was paid to protect, Tom Brady. Faulk spent 13 years with the Patriots, and was known throughout New England as one of the most reliable men on the field, a true team player. He performed multiple roles for the team and remains New England’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards and kickoff return yards.

The two will be joined by 7-year-old Patriots fan and NFL Punt, Pass & Kick national champion Matiwos Rumley of Hebron, Conn.

Now that the honeymoon period is over following the Patriots AFC Divisional victory over the Texans, the team is setting their sights on the Ravens. Despite having lost 31-30 to Baltimore back in week 3 on a last-second Justin Tucker field goal, New England has the necessary weapons to take this game, not to mention the fact they have home field advantage, they have a very successful playoff history under Bill Belichick, and the replacement refs were on the field that week. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that last part to resurface the sheer frustration football fans were forced to endure early in the season.

The Patriots and Ravens match up very well against each other, and for each fault one team has, the other has a separate strength. On a very base level, New England has a stronger offense. According to ESPN, they’ve collected over 1,000 yards more than Baltimore this year and have scored 59 touchdowns, compared to Baltimore’s 39. The Patriots also have a very impressive turnover ratio of +25, whereas the Ravens have an impressive, but not nearly as impressive +9 for 2012.

The stark differences between Tom Brady and Joe Flacco can be spotted just by watching a game involving either quarterback, and the stats only strengthen that fact. Tom tossed 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns more then Flacco this season, not to mention he gave up a mere 10 turnovers (8 interceptions and 2 fumbles) compared to Flacco’s 19 (10 picks, 9 fumbles).

As for the rushing game, the two teams are pretty evenly matched, which may come as a surprise to you. Ravens RB Ray Rice, who’s considered a premier running back in the NFL, ran for 1,143 yards and 9 touchdowns this year. Pats RB Stevan Ridley, still considered an up-and-comer, ran for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns, and both had a respectable average of 4.4 yards per carry. The Ravens have a stronger second man in Bernard Pierce (532 yds, 3 tds), but after him lies a substantial dropoff. The Patriots have a much deeper and more versatile bench, with the three backs behind Ridley rushing for more than 250 yards and multiple touchdowns apiece. In total, New England rushed for 2,184 yards this year, and Baltimore racked up 1,901.

In terms of receiving, the Patriots definitely have the edge, mostly due to the lethal combination of Brady and Welker. The Ravens aren’t exactly slouches in that fashion, though Anquan Boldin pretty muc just put up the numbers you’d expect out of him, third-year TE Dennis Pitta improved but is still developing as a player, and Torrey Smith saw decent numbers, but was far from the standout WR many expected him to be and barely improved upon his rookie year stats.

The defensive side of the ball tips slightly in Baltimore’s favor, if only due to consistency. New England has had its issues this year on defense, but really started to put it together as the season went on. The Ravens held opponents to less passing yards by a few hundred, though the Patriots managed to pull down 20 picks to the Ravens’ 13, and both teams recorded 37 sacks this season. New England showed a stronger rush defense by holding opponents to only 1,630 yards compared to Baltimore’s 1,965, but then again, it would be hard to run against any team that had Vince Wilfork in the trenches. The tipping point, though, is the Ravens’ fearsome linebacker and defensive leader, Ray Lewis. He’s calling it quits at the end of this season, so expect to see him playing with no abandon since every game is now his last.

Numbers aside, the last three games between these two teams have come down to a field goal or less, so a vicious battle will surely be fought on the grounds of Gillette this Sunday.

It’s all over, the fat lady is singing. The Patriots continue their Belichick-era playoff success by crusing to a 41-28 victory over the Texans, securing their place in the AFC Championship Game against the Ravens.  This will mark the third match-up against the Ravens in the playoffs since 2009,  in which the Patriots have gone 1-1.

Tonight’s game was a true team effort on the part of the Patriots, with great performances on both sides of the ball. QB Tom Brady surpassed his boyhood idol Joe Montana as the winningest quarterback in postseason play, and tonight went 25-for-40 while racking up 344 yards and 3 touchdowns. WR Wes Welker had a heck of a day, pulling in 8 receptions for 131 yards, and TE Aaron Hernandez made up for Gronk’s absence by grabbing 85 yards on 6 catches. The team’s two-headed running attack of Ridley and Vereen fought for a combined 123 yards on 22 attempts, with one rushing touchdown apiece. (Vereen also had 2 receiving TDs, tying Curtis Martin for the most touchdowns in a Patriots postseason game)

The Patriots defense was able to limit Texans RB Arian Foster to only 90 yards, while SS Steve Gregory and CB Aqib Talib recorded 10 tackles apiece as they worked to defend the high-powered Texans passing game.

Despite the great efforts put forth by the offense and the defense, the most glaring flaw for the Patriots was the performance of their special teams, specifically during kickoffs. On four attempts, Houston’s Danieal Manning AVERAGED 54 yards per return. If the Patriots want to continue their success, they absolutely cannot allow that to happen.

The Patriots may have come out of this game with a win, but they didn’t do so unscathed. TE Rob Gronkowski left the field in the first quarter and never returned, and according to Pro Football News, he’s out for the rest of the postseason and will require more surgery on his injured forearm. They’ve been able to win games without him, but it’s certainly a shame to lose such a valuable asset. RB Danny Woodhead also left the game very early on due to a thumb injury. He was back on the sideline by the second quarter, though never returned to the field. The status of his injury has yet to be revealed.

I’ll end this last post by going back to some good news -  I get to keep this blog going! Big thanks to anyone that’s been keeping up with it, I’ll be posting daily until next Sunday’s game. Tell your friends.

It’s been a hard-fought game at Gillette Stadium so far, with only four points separating the Patriots and Texans. New England went into the locker room leading by a score of 17-13, following a last-second 55-yard field goal by Texans kicker Shayne Graham.

The Patriots saw two  standout performances in the first half, coming from WR Wes Welker and RB Shane Vereen. Welker ended the half with 6 receptions for a whopping 120 yards, including a long of 47 yards. He also picked up his 59th career postseason reception with the Patriots, a new franchise record. Vereen recorded both one rushing and one receiving touchdown, picking up 3 receptions for 45 yards and leading the rushing attack with 40 yards on 6 attempts.

Still no word on the return of Woodhead or Gronk, hopefully we’ll see them back on the field in the second half. (UPDATE: NFL Network’s Albert Breer reports that Gronk is out for the game)

No surprises on the Houston side of the ball, with Arian Foster spearheading the rushing game with 57 yards and a touchdown, while Andre Johnson lead the Texans’ receiving with 4 catches for 54 yards.

Quarter one is in the books here in Foxboro, with the Patriots coming out on top by a lead of 7-3. The 94-yard return by the Texans on the opening kickoff wasn’t exactly an ideal start, but the defense was able to hold them to only a field goal.

As I said in a previous post, injuries are a huge factor in these types of games, and the Pats already have two men down. RB Danny Woodhead has left the game with a thumb injury, and star TE Rob Gronkowski has suffered an arm injury, both are listed as questionable for return. It is unclear at this time if Gronk’s injury is related to his forearm injury that he’s been recovering from since the regular season game against the Colts.

The Patriots secondary has become an important presence early in the game, effectively shutting down Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, and the rest of the Texans passing attack. They will certainly need to keep that up if they want to come out victorious.

Greetings from the press box at Gillette Stadium! Things are about to get underway here, be sure to check back in throughout and after the game, I’ll be bringing updates, analysis, and of course photos alongside our esteemed Sports Director Eric Murphy.

In true nail-biting fashion, the Baltimore Ravens took down the #1-seeded Denver Broncos in double overtime by a score of 38-35. This comes as very welcome news to both the Patriots and the Texans, since the winner of tomorrow’s game will not only be granted entry into the AFC Championship, but they’ll now automatically have home field advantage. New England did fall to Baltimore back in Week 3, but it was by a single point, it was in Baltimore, and let’s be honest, this is the playoffs. Completely different ballgame.

Plus, it was great to see the “Peyton Face” once again.

Injuries can cause major problems for any team (NFC East anyone?) and losing key players can derail even the best in the business during the playoffs. This doesn’t look like it’ll be a factor though in tomorrow’s AFC Divisional game at Gillette Stadium.

The Patriots injury report shows an inconceivably short list of only five players, all of which fully participated in practice on Friday and are listed as probable for the game. This is wildly different than what we normally see from Bill Belichick, who normally puts half the roster on the list, presumably to mess with anyone that’s not Bill Belichick.

A healthy Patriots squad could spell disaster for Houston. The biggest factor comes in the form of a 6’6″, 265 lb. tight end. Rob Gronkowski was absent from the team’s last matchup against the Texans, and yet the Patriots still managed to steamroll them. As anyone reading this already knows, Gronkowski has been one of Tom Brady’s most dangerous weapons over the past three seasons. His mid-November forearm injury in the final minutes of the Colts game has put a bit of a damper on his season, but he’s shown steady improvement since his return. Having the past week off may have been just what the 23-year-old needed to complete his return to full form, and that alone should send a shiver down the spine of any Texans fans out there.

A notable drop from the list was Rob Ninkovich, answering any questions about the severity of the hip injury that took him out of the team’s last game against the Dolphins.

On the flip side of the coin, the Texans injury report is a much longer list, though everyone on it is listed as probable for the game, and only a handful were limited for Friday’s practice. The most prominent features on their list are OLB Brooks Reed (Groin), DT Shaun Cody (Back), DE Antonio Smith (Ankle), RB Ben Tate (Foot) and RB Justin Forsett (Ankle, but nobody really cares about the last two since the Texans have Arian Foster).

Hey everyone! Welcome to the Patriots Playoff blog for 2013. It was nice having a bye week along with the Patriots, but now it’s time to get back to business.

The Pats have the “almighty” Texans this week, who they provided with a 42-14 shellacking back in week 14. Unfortunately, this is no reason to get cocky. You may recall week 13 of 2010, when the Patriots made the Jets look silly by a score of 45-3, then proceeded to quite literally drop the ball and fall 28-21 to those same Jets in the AFC Divisional Game. I’m very confident about the Patriots’ chances in this game, but the similarities are a little too close for comfort. Need more evidence? Shall I bring up the the Super Bowl That Shall Not Be Named?

I’ll be keeping this blog alive with insight, photos and more as the Patriots work towards their fourth Super Bowl, so please do a young writer a favor and come along for the ride. On Sunday I’ll be getting a first-hand look at the game from the press box, so be sure to check in. After the game, alongside the Sports Wrap with Eric Murphy on WPRI 12, I’ll be furiously typing my thoughts here, regardless of the outcome. Go Pats.