Boston Sports Then and Now

Tom Brady sits on the ground following the interception that sealed the AFC Championship game win for the Ravens.

Remember when Tom Brady in the postseason was as sure as death or taxes? His 9-0 start to his postseason career had people all over New England thinking that this late-round diamond in the rough could never do any wrong. Three championships in his first four seasons.

None in his last eight.

Maybe it was payback. Maybe it was destiny. Whatever it was, Joe Flacco outplayed Brady, the Ravens defense outplayed that of the Patriots and as banged up as Baltimore  had been this year, it was the home team and favorite that felt the blows when it mattered most. Oh, and Ray Lewis, with the help if his good friend, God, has lived to play another day – and for the Super Bowl.

From the moment the coin hit the ground in favor of the Ravens and they deferred to the second half – stealing the Patriots’ bread and butter on their home field – it just seemed like it wasn’t meant to be. They committed fewer penalties, made less mistakes and completed a higher percentage of their passes. Most importantly, their zero turnovers, compared to three from the Patriots, were nothing less than huge. They were the team that executed better on Sunday.

Like it did towards the end if the regular season, the Patriots offense struggled to capitalize when their defense set them up with good field position and scored just 13 points – their lowest total of 2012. As the league’s No. 1 offense, the fewest points they had scored this year before yesterday were 18 in the Week 2 loss to the Cardinals.

The windy conditions at Gillette Stadium forced both teams to play conservatively and cost the Pats a couple chances at field goals they would normally attempt.

Their opening drive looked promising, but Wes Welker couldn’t haul in a deep pass from Brady when he had his defender beat by a couple if steps. They then almost caught the Baltimore special teams off guard, however, as Ryan Mallett snuck into the punt formation and forced the Ravens to burn a timeout.

A quick three-and-out by Baltimore gave New England the ball back, but only after a holding penalty called on Aqib Talib backed them up to their own 21. They had to settle for a 31-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski and took a 3-0 lead on their 32nd straight red zone possession that resulted in points.

The next Baltimore drive ended quickly as well, but came at a cost as Talib hurt his thigh while breaking up a pass on third and long. Some production from last week’s star Shane Vereen on the ensuing drive and a 15-yard personal foul penalty called on Lewis were for not as Brandon Lloyd ended up dropping a tough catch on third down.

Flacco then missed an open Dennis Pitta down the field and New England couldn’t convert following a 28-yard punt return from Welker as Paul Kruger influenced the Brady pass. The Pats D allowed just one completion in the first quarter and the Ravens went 0-for-3 on third down. New England led the Ravens 3-0 after one quarter of the AFC Championship game for the second consecutive year.

As the second quarter began, Flacco would lead a 90-yard drive in his first Title Game win to put the Ravens on the board with a two-yard run by Ray Rice. Jerod Mayo and Dont’a Hightower both missed tackles on the back as he then walked into the endzone on second down. Pitta had an 18-yard reception on third and four and Flacco took advantage of Talib’s absence, hitting Torrey Smith on a 25-yard pass to the New England 15.

Brady would answer right away, however, aided by another personal foul penalty, this time on Dannell Ellerbe. A 24-yard pass to Welker set the Pats up in good position and Brady found him again from a yard out to make it 10-7 Patriots with 4:18 left in the opening half.

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Tom Brady will cut Lewis’ last shot of another ring short on Sunday – 6:30 – CBS

The stage is set for a repeat of last year’s AFC Championship game at Gillette Stadium. This is the first time two teams have met in a conference championship game in consecutive seasons since 1994 (DAL & SF). The past three of four games between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens have been decided on the final play. This tidbit is a testament to how intense the battle will be come Sunday night at 6:30. Add in the fact that this is the “last” chance for Ray Lewis; spectators can count on his aggressive play all game.

After losing their most dominant force on offense last week, Rob Gronkowski, spirits remain high in the Patriots locker room. The team has been here before and knows how to execute without one of if not the best tight end in the NFL. While Danny Woodhead is not Gronk, he too was lost early on against the Texans but it did not matter. Shane Vereen was the standout player last week, filling in for Woody, totaling three touchdowns and 124 all-purpose yards.

It has become evident year after year that on both sides of the ball, Belichick implements a system that utilizes each cog to the best of their abilities. Bill will not put a player in a position to fail by deciphering the strengths of each individual. Whether it’s putting Hernandez in open space or Welker underneath, Belichick’s 37 years in the NFL has reined superior with the Patriots. After passing Montana for the most postseason victories (17) as a quarterback, Brady is looking to reach his sixth Super Bowl in his thirteen-year career. Let’s take a look at three keys to victory against some feisty road warriors, the Baltimore Ravens.

1)   Disrupt Joe Flacco: Why are the Ravens traveling to Foxboro on Sunday to compete for a Super Bowl birth? Because of the time Flacco had in the pocket and his strong arm. There is no denying that was some of the worst coverage by Denver’s defensive backs in that Hail Mary. Regardless, Flacco was able to stand tall and deliver long balls all day against the Broncos.

In the playoffs, Joe Flacco is 8/12 for 324 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on throws deeper than 20 yards downfield. During the regular season, Flacco completed 37% of those tosses with 7 TD. Furthermore, he had the most attempts without an interception (81) of any QB. What does this mean for the Patriots? It’s two-fold.

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For the second consecutive year, the Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship in Foxboro. Last year the Patriots barely got by the Ravens to advance to the Super Bowl, and although the Ravens don’t seem to be as good as they were last year, and the Patriots seem better than they do last year, I think this year’s AFC Championship game will be even tougher than last year’s.

Over the past week the term “Team of Destiny” has been used by many analysts and sports talk radio hosts regarding the Baltimore Ravens. The term makes most people feel nauseous, as it should, but if you think about it the Ravens really are playing like they are the team of destiny.

A win in Foxboro on Sunday would avenge the loss of year. Last year was no ordinary loss. The Ravens had a chance to win the game when Joe Flacco threw what would be a touchdown to Wide Receiver Lee Evans. That pass which was in Evans in hands was knocked out by Sterling Moore at the very last second. The Ravens as we all know then tried to tie the game with a 32 yard field goal. The easy field goal was missed by Kicker Billy Cundiff.

To lose a game like that is something teams don’t forget. Sure, this year is a different team for the Ravens, but those players who were on the field last year surely haven’t forgotten about this. Every player has been fighting all year to get back to where they got last year for a chance at redemption.

Along with the storyline for avenging last year’s loss, throw in Ray Lewis, who is playing in his final season. Every player on the field knows how important it is to show up and win for the team leader, to extend his career one more game. Although Ray Lewis is one of the best motivational speakers and teammates, you have to wonder when the “Lets win one for the Gipper” speech gets old and starts to fade for players. They won one for “the Gipper” (In the case Lewis) in the Wild Card round against the Bengals, and then they went out and won ANOTHER one for the Gipper against the Denver Broncos.

On Sunday the Ravens won’t be the only team trying to avenge a loss. The Patriots haven’t forgotten about losing to the Ravens in week 3 on primetime. That game was an even closer game than the AFC Championship game last year with the Ravens defeating the Patriots 31-30 by kicking a game winning field goal as time expired. In that game, the biggest story was the replacement officials.

Here’s a recap of that game: http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2012/09/24/patriots-vs-ravens-recap-five-reasons-the-patriots-lost-sunday-night/

Of course there’s a lot to play for in the AFC Championship. Most of the sports media will be hoping for a Ravens win to create better storylines, but the Patriots will try to stop that, and make things harder on the media by making them report on meaningful stories pertaining to football. With everything on the line on Sunday, and with the recent history between these two teams, this game will be no walk in the park for the Patriots.

(PHOTO: Twitter)

This Sunday is not only the AFC Championship between the Patriots and Ravens, but also the Ray Lewis retirement party. As you may have heard, this is Lewis’ last season (sure).

Clear Channel has added another CREATIVE and FUN  billboard to it’s  resume. They outdid their Let’s Go Bruins digital signage with this GEM. Now #52 and the Ravens have even more motivation to get past the Patriots to reach their first Super Bowl since 2000.

Let’s just hope when the Patriots win, they don’t buy Ray Lewis a white suit as a retirement gift!

Pot of Baked Beans Goes To Fenway Nation!

New England Patriots CB Sterling Moore takes time to answer questions with BST&N for an interview.

The New England Patriots were aided in their route to the Super Bowl this past year by an unlikely contributor. A rookie corner back, who did not join the organization until October, made a magical play on what would have been the game-winning touchdown for the Baltimore Ravens to send them to the Super Bowl.

This player is none other than Sterling Moore, who is looking to build on the momentum from that play and become a bigger contributor in 2012.

Boston Sports Then and Now was lucky enough to speak with Sterling for an exclusive interview:

BST&N: Explain the play with Lee Evans in the AFC Championship game. What led up to your clutch play?

Sterling Moore: The play call came in late from the sideline, but I knew I had to play man-on-man. They hadn’t thrown to  him (Lee Evans) all drive, but I had to be ready. He ran a front route and made a good effort on the ball, but I just didn’t give up on the play.

BST&N: Explain the ensuing two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, you were everywhere (ESPN, Sports Illustrated)!

SM: It was a crazy time, but it was one play. We were a split second from losing the game. I was on the upside of the play, but could have just as easily been on the downside of it. I don’t want this to be the pinnacle of a short career.

BST&N: Can you take away momentum from this play? Do you believe in that?

SM: Yes, I believe I can take momentum. It proves I can make plays in a big game with it on the line and lets me know I can play on this level and that I deserve to be here.

BST&N: Can you describe the roller coaster last season? You were released four different times and signed to the 53 man roster three times.

The play in the AFC Championship game that sent the Patriots to the Super Bowl.

SM: It was a roller coaster. When I had to change to safety immediately after being signed right before the Jets game in October my head was spinning. I had to start that game and play every snap – then I was released; it was crazy. Later in the season when I was resigned I was definitely more at home. In the end though, I just want an opportunity to make plays.

BST&N: Heading into training camp it looks like Devin McCourty, Kyle Arrington, Ras-I Dowling, Will Allen and others are up there on the depth chart, how do you make your mark heading into the 2012 season?

SM: It’s a competition and I need to make my repetitions count and not complain. I need to continue to try and force takeaways.

BST&N: What is your mentality out there when trying to force turnovers from the corner back position?

SM: I need to get my hands on the ball anyway possible. It’s me versus the wide receiver. It’s all about will power and not letting the wide receiver embarrass me because at the end of the day I need to put food on my table.

BST&N: You’re from California, you played college ball in Texas, tell us what you think about Foxboro.

SM: It’s small, I’m used to big cities. I have to get in my car and drive to go eat, I can’t just walk around the corner. I love it though, you need different experiences in life, so I am adapting.

BST&N: Talk about your time at Southern Methodist University in Texas.

SM: I was a two star recruit, so when I showed up, they were like ‘who are you?’ I had to climb to the top – to the field. Very similar to my time with the Patriots thus far, so I have definitely kept that mentality.

BST&N: How about SMU’s hire of legendary coach Larry Brown?

SM: I am pumped. I hope he can bring intensity and legitimacy as we head to the Big East!

Many thanks to Sterling Moore and to Willis & Woy Media Group for making this interview possible. Best of luck to Sterling and BST&N hopes to touch base with him again soon!

Patriots celebrating after Billy Cundiff missed a last minute field goal during the AFC Championship game.

So who’s to blame for this one?

Is it Lee Evans for not hanging onto the ball? Is it Joe Flacco for overthrowing a wide open Torrey Smith a couple of times? How about the kicker? Let’s blame the kicker! All he does is kick field goals so he shouldn’t miss a 32 yarder when the game is on the line, right?

Wrong.

Don’t count out any possibilities if your kicker goes by the name of Billy Cundiff.

With a chance to send the AFC Championship game to overtime, Cundiff shanked – what should have been – an easy field goal which led to the Patriots 23-20 victory over the Ravens.

In his defense, he wasn’t solely the reason Baltimore lost. However, his explanation for choking was pretty interesting. Cundiff and the Ravens claimed that the scoreboard at Gillette Stadium was displaying inaccurate information, therefore “confusing” the players and not letting them focus on what was happening on the field. According to an interview with Deadspin, the Ravens kicker wasn’t fully prepared, as he stated,  ”Instead of taking a deep breath and collecting myself, everything just kept speeding up, speeding up. The mechanics of the operation were just off a little bit.”

Besides the kick, what was also a little bit off was that explanation. I’m aware of the scoreboard malfunction, yet that should be the lesser of a teams’ worries in the final minutes of an AFC Championship game. Not only is that a poor excuse, but Baltimore still had a timeout left to use. If Cundiff or any of the Ravens coaching staff felt like the play was rushed, wouldn’t they have just used their final timeout? Or is that considered icing your own kicker?

If that is the case, don’t blame Billy for your loss, blame Jason Garrett for ruining that whole scenario of calling – or not calling – a timeout before your kicker attempts to put one between the uprights (his only responsibility).

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