In playoff comeback for the ages, Patriots pass their toughest test yet.
FOXBORO, Mass. -- This was the one. The win the New England
Patriots so desperately needed and absolutely had to have. Yes, to advance. But not only to survive, but to prove something to themselves, too. This was the kind of test that tells the Patriots they’re ready to chase, and finally claim, that elusive fourth Super Bowl ring.
That’s how much this one meant, and even if it was only the NFL playoffs' divisional round, don’t sell it short. New England 35, Baltimore 31 was an instant classic of a game, a three-and-a-half-hour heavyweight title bout. And for the comeback-minded Patriots, it’s the outcome that makes the difference between believing they’re for real or destined for another January disappointment, the kind they’ve almost cornered the market on for most of the past decade.
I’m convinced. It took the Patriots (13-4) almost 55 minutes of game time to battle their way to their first lead Saturday at a frosty Gillette Stadium, but once they did, they crossed a threshold of legitimacy and credibility that only a win over Baltimore (11-7) would have provided. The
Ravens, their recent playoff nemesis, threw everything they had at New England, but the Patriots took it, counter-punched and found a way to win anyway, becoming the first team in NFL playoff history to advance by overcoming two different 14 point deficits -- one in each half.
And now, with their most challenging hurdle cleared, I won’t be surprised one bit if they roll in next Sunday’s AFC Championship Game back here at Gillette, no matter if their opponent is defending conference champion Denver or the No. 4-seeded Indianapolis
Colts -- both of whom the Patriots defeated soundly in the regular season.
If this season in New England has in store what I think it has in store, this will be the game that the Patriots look back on as the most crucial step they took toward a title. Their defining moment.
Saturday’s dramatic win proved Belichick’s team won’t play the patsy this January. The Patriots just passed their toughest test in memorable fashion, and the Ravens have been vanquished. In New England, another trip to the Super Bowl suddenly seems much, much closer, and well within reach.
