Vince Wilford was the defensive MVP of Sunday’s game,
pressuring Eli Manning late in the game.
I think I saw Bill Belichick smile; I kid you not.
For a brief moment there, when Bill Cundiff missed the 32-yard field goal that would’ve taken Sunday’s AFC Championship game into overtime, Belichick slightly smiled. It wasn’t a big one, and it wasn’t one that would draw much attention. However, if you are a Patriots fan and you’re used to seeing your head coach’s grimace every Sunday, this stood out.
The Patriots are headed back to the Superbowl, after losing to the Giants in 2008. That loss to the Giants ruined New England’s hopes of a perfect season, ending the year 18-1.
Now, four years later, the Patriots are set to match up with the Giants once more. That game went down in history as one of the greatest upsets ever, except this time Tom Brady and the Patriots will look to bring home the win.
Within minutes of the game ending, social media blew up, debating whether or not New England deserved to win or if the team was just lucky.
Brady threw two interceptions. Danny Woodhead fumbled, giving the ball back to the Ravens in Patriot territory, and Joe Flacco outshined Brady.
So were the Patriots lucky? Jackie MacMullan, a columnist for ESPNBoston.com, posted an article this morning on whether or not the Patriots had an angel looking out for them. A good read, and something to ponder about considering the religion theme that presented itself in the NFL playoffs this season, but it points something out that I think people should realize.
Sterling Moore came up big for the Patriots. Moore–who started the season in Oakland, signed with New England’s practice squad and was released before re-signing days later–saved the day.
Lee Evans appeared to posses the ball in the end zone when the play was slowed down for viewers at home. In fact, they won’t stop talking about it on SportsCenter. While Evans appears to have possession of the ball, the play is a lot faster than it appears to be when slowed down on your TV. Moore really did show up for New England when they needed it most by wrestling the ball out of Evans hands before he could secure the touchdown.
Moore then broke up the next play, knocking down a ball intended for Dennis Pitta.
Yes, Cundiff missed a field goal he normally would make, but the Patriots worked to overcome their flaws in other parts of their game that they normally don’t shine at.
The Patriots, finishing the season ranked 31st, are not known for their defense but this past month has been different. New England’s defense has picked it up a notch. When the Ravens were threatening in the final minutes, New England stood strong–twice. Maybe that’s the rare reason why we saw Belichick smile.
Two Sundays from now the Giants will meet the Patriots again, this time in Super Bowl XLVI. A game that is sure to go down to the wire will test two great quarterbacks, but that is another topic of discussion.
