Amendola Peaking at the Right Time With the Patriots

Danny Amendola came into New England with the expectations of being the play-maker in the Patriots offense, but it's safe to say that things didn't quite work out the way that he may have hoped.

His first season had their share of ups and downs. It started with the toughness he battled with in the Patriots week one win over the Bills where he caught 10 passes for 104 yards, but he also re-aggravated a groin injury that cost him the next three games and allowed more playing time for Julian Edelman. Edelman took advantage of the opportunity and from there Amendola never looked the same despite playing in 11 of the team's final 12 games.

In the end it was Edelman who emerged as the Patriots top receiver, and it left Amendola in an odd situation where New England suddenly had two players with similar skillsets. It also didn't help Amendola that the chemistry between Tom Brady and Edelman became apparent, with the two putting together two straight thousand yard seasons (or close enough, as Edelman finished with 972 yards in 2014 and only missed it because he sat out the final game while recovering from a concussion) for the former Kent State quarterback.

Amendola scored two touchdowns Saturday night against the Ravens. (USA TODAY Images)

That left Amendola as the odd man out in an offense that this season also added Brandon LaFell, who has been a terrific possession receiver and actually accounts for three of the team's 10 longest pass plays of the regular season.

On Saturday, LaFell had a touchdown against Baltimore, hauling in a critical 23-yard scoring strike from Brady in the fourth quarter that ended up being the game-winner, and was also the 46th postseason touchdown for Brady, which was the most in NFL history.

But before LaFell's game-clinching catch, Amendola caught two of his own, including one from Edelman in the third quarter on a double-pass play that saw Brady throw a backwards pass to Edelman out wide on the left, who threw a beautiful pass to Amendola as he was streaking up the field and hit him in stride, which saw him easily scamper into the end zone for a 51-yard touchdown.

"It's a play we've been working on all year," Amendola told reporters after their win over the Ravens. "Testament to Julian [Edelman]; has a great arm and [is] a great athlete. He put it on the money, that's for sure. It was a good throw."

One of the most enjoyable moments of the night was seeing Amendola make a play early in the game where he caught a 4-yard pass and then willed his way the remaining 11-yards before diving in for the score. He's worked hard since he started taking on added responsibilities returning kicks, and his value has grown over the past few weeks and it was great to finally see him have an opportunity to contribute.

"He played great today," said Belichick following the win. "He's a guy that's been a real good player for us all year; really competitive. Nobody works harder in practice. He's made some huge plays for us.

"The touchdowns today, [he] made a great play there on third down to fight for the yardage and get the first down. He's given us plays in the return game. Yeah, can't say enough about Danny. [He] works hard, really works hard, tough. He's had some big plays for us this year. He had some big ones today."

It's great to see in an offense that now has a healthy group that includes tight end Rob Gronkowski, whose presence on the field saw seven different receivers catch passes during Saturday's game. But Amendola is a player with plenty of athleticism and a history of making explosive plays, and the playoffs are as good a time as any to remind fans why the Patriots saw so much in him to give him a five year, $31 million contract in March of 2013.

This is a team that needs everyone clicking offensively and if ever there was a time for guys to step up, this is the time of year you hope to see it. The Patriots are fortunate that Amendola has picked the playoffs to start peaking and hopefully that continues next week.