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Sunday, January 22, 2012

NEW ENGLAND Patriots Beat Ravens 23-20 in AFC Championship Game

NOTE: Congratulations New England Patriots! What a game!  The family watched from the comfort of our living room and kept warmer than the fans who sat through a cold NE day at the Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts.  ....

Last-minute failures end Ravens season, 23-20

Published January 22, 2012
| Associated Press
FOX NEWS

A drop and a hook ended the Baltimore Ravens' shot at the Super Bowl.
Lee Evans was clutching Joe Flacco's pass and a victory in his hands in the right corner of the end zone. But Sterling Moore knocked the ball away with 22 seconds left.
Two plays later, Billy Cundiff pushed his potential tying 32-yard field goal attempt to the left with 11 seconds to go, and the New England Patriots escaped with a 23-20 win in the AFC championship game Sunday.
The Ravens' season ended despite one of the best games by the much-criticized Flacco.
He drove the Ravens from their 21-yard line to the Patriots 14. Then it all fell apart on the incompletion to Evans, another incompletion and Cundiff's miss.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/01/22/last-minute-failures-end-ravens-season-23-20/#ixzz1kEx0vZll

Patriots Beat Ravens 23-20 in AFC Championship Game

Published January 22, 2012
| Associated Press

ravens_patriots.jpg
Jan. 22, 2012: Baltimore Ravens tight end Kris Wilson (87) is defended by New England Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty (32) as he tries to make a catch during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass.


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. The New England Patriots beat the stunned Ravens 23-20 in the American Football Conference championship game Sunday after Baltimore's Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds remaining that would have leveled the score.

Brady scored the winning touchdown when he leaped over the vaunted Ravens defense in the fourth quarter.

On his 1-yard scoring dive with 11:29 left, Brady took a huge hit from Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis, then emphatically spiked the ball as he walked away. Earlier, Brady showed his fire by barking at Lewis following a hard tackle on a 4-yard run.

Next up as the Patriots chase their fourth Super Bowl trophy in Brady and coach Bill Belichick's tenure in New England is the winner of Sunday's National Football Conference final between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. The Super Bowl is Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.

In their last trip to the big game, the Patriots had an 18-0 record when they were stunned by the Giants four years ago.

Before Cundiff missed, the Ravens had a chance to go ahead two plays earlier, but wide receiver Lee Evans was stripped of the ball in the end zone by backup cornerback Sterling Moore, who earlier was victimized for a touchdown that gave Baltimore the lead 17-16.

Then Cundiff misfired, and the Patriots stormed off their sideline in celebration as the chilled crowd roared.
READ MORE ...

 

Super Bowl Bound: Tom Brady, Patriots Overcome Ravens, 23-20, In AFC Championship Game

Tom BradySuper Bowl bound! Tom Brady and the New England Patriots overcame their mistakes and defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, to win the 2012 AFC Championship Game on Sunday afternoon and advance to Super Bowl XLVI.

MAJOR STORY UPDATES

UPDATE

Super Bowl Bound: Patriots Overcome Ravens, 23-20, To Win AFC Title

The Patriots are headed back to the Super Bowl after a 23-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012 AFC Championship Game.
Winning the coin toss and choosing to defer, the Patriots did not get off to the same fast start that they had seen against Denver-at least not on offense. Defensively, however, it was the same story as last week. Practically living in the backfield early on, the Patriots stuffed Ray Rice and put heavy pressure on Flacco early, forcing a pair of three and outs to start the game.
While the Ravens defense was able to do the same to the Patriots on their first drive, they could not hold them for a second drive. BenJarvus Green-Ellis started strong, picking up a first down before Tom Brady took over, throwing to Deion Branch, Aaron Hernandez, and Julian Edelman for 23 yards. While things nearly went awry on the next play when Wes Welker tipped a pass into the air allowing Bernard Pollard to pick it off, an illegal contact call erased the interception, allowing the Patriots to salvage three points when the drive eventually fizzled out at the 11-yard line.

Patriots barely beat Ravens 23-20, make 5th Super Bowl with Brady, Belichick


Patriots clip Ravens to reach Super Bowl


New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (L) embraces quarterback Tom Brady after they defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL AFC Championship football game in Foxborough, Massachusetts, January 22, 2012. REUTERS-Mike Segar
1 of 6. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (L) embraces quarterback Tom Brady after they defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL AFC Championship football game in Foxborough, Massachusetts, January 22, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar

Tom Brady and team ... moving on over to the Super Bowl Game!