10th Anniversary of Cundiff's 'Wide Left' AFCCG vs Ravens

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Sterling Moore's deflection and Billy Cundiff's
wide left give the Pats a 23-20 AFCCG victory​

Add this game to the ever-growing list of games that the Ravens lost and John Harbaugh whined about some phantom alleged injustice. For a team that attempts to portray themselves as such macho tough guys, they sure do act like a spoiled four year old crybaby.


Sunday January 22, 2012 at 3:00
2011 AFC Championship Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 23, Baltimore Ravens 20
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, John Harbaugh
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Joe Flacco
Odds: Patriots favored by 7
Pats improve to 15-3; advance to Super Bowl 46
Ravens finish 13-5

Final: A.F.C. Championship, Patriots 23, Ravens 20

Times reporters and editors are providing live coverage and analysis of Sunday’s Ravens-Patriots A.F.C. Championship game. Read on to follow the game as it happens

fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com

In a back-and-forth battle that ended in heartbreak for the Baltimore Ravens and kicker Billy Cundiff, the New England Patriots advanced to Super Bowl XLVI with a 23-20 victory on Sunday.​

​

Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal in the final seconds that would have sent the game into overtime, hooking it wide left. Two plays prior, Ravens receiver Lee Evans failed to hold onto the ball in the end zone. A catch would have given Baltimore the lead and a likely victory. . . .​

​

The victory gives Brady his 16th career postseason victory, tying him with Joe Montana for the most in NFL history.​

There is also a good full-game recap from the AP here:

Patriots Beat Ravens 23-20, Head To Super Bowl

Tom Brady waited out the final tense minutes on the sideline and somehow his fourth-quarter leap into the end zone held up, sending the New England Patriots back to the Super Bowl.

www.wbur.org

The Patriots won their tenth game in a row to win their seventh AFC title. The New England defense had been highly criticized by sports media throughout the year, with the phrase '31st ranked defense' becoming the season's most overused statistic. Patriot defenders pointed out that games were won and lost based on points rather than yardage, and in that category the Pats ranked 15th.​

​

Ray Rice had set the tone on the very first play from scrimmage when these two teams met in the 2009 wild card game, running for an 83 yard touchdown. Much of the pre-game talk leading up to this rematch centered on how the much maligned Patriot defense would fare against Rice, who led the NFL in 2011 with 2,068 yards from scrimmage.​

​

Baltimore tried running the ball on first down on each of their first three series. The result was zero yards, loss of one and loss of five, with each of those possessions turning into a three and out. Rice averaged just 3.2 yards per carry on the day, rushing for 67 yards.​

​

After the first drive of the second half the Patriots led 16-10. The Pats seemed to be controlling the game, but the inability to finish was bothersome: the offense scored only one touchdown on four trips to the red zone, settling for three field goals.​

​

Baltimore scored on a 29 yard pass from Joe Flacco to Torrey Smith on the next drive, and then Danny Woodhead fumbled the ensuing kickoff return. James Ihedigbo sacked Flacco for a loss of 12 on third down at the nine to force a field goal, but the Ravens were up 20-16 with less than a minute to go in the third quarter.​

​

The Patriots regained the lead on an 11 play, 63 yard drive on their next possession, aided by a penalty on Terrell Suggs that negated an interception. Tom Brady dove in from one yard on fourth down. This came after replay overturned a prior run that had originally been called a touchdown.​

​

On the final drive Flacco completed four passes to Anquan Boldin to move the ball to the 14. On the final catch defensive back Julian Edelman forced a fumble but the ball rolled out of bounds, so Baltimore retained possession.​

​

On the next play Lee Evans appeared momentarily to catch a go-ahead touchdown, but Sterling Moore knocked the ball out of his hands at the last possible moment. Moore then knocked away another pass on the next play, this one intended for TE Dennis Pitta. Billy Cundiff then infamously shanked the 32 yard field goal attempt, and rather than overtime the game was over.​

​

The Patriots had won - with a patchwork secondary that included Edelman, Sterling Moore, Antwaun Molden, Nate Jones and James Ihedigbo.​

​

After the game Harbaugh first whined that the pass play to Evans should have been reviewed. Then there was more conspiracy theories floated when he implied that the Cundiff miss was due to his not knowing it was fourth down, implying that the Patriots had done that to throw the kicker and coaches off. (Note: NFL personnel run the scoreboard, not the home team). Here is the question though: since there was that much confusion Mr. Harbaugh, why not call a timeout - rather than send your kicker out late in a frantic, hurried and unprepared manner?​

Is ‘scoreboard’ excuse legit for Cundiff?

Kicker has just one job Craig Davis Sun Sentinel The scoreboard-made-me-miss explanation points to the fragility of the psyche of the NFL kicker. But Ravens coach John Harbaugh should be kicking hi…

www.baltimoresun.com

Harbaugh boots response to joke

www.capitalgazette.com

Sound FX - 2nd Half:



Final Play:
​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Chris Hogan's 180 yard AFC Championship Game​

Sunday January 22, 2017 at 6:40
2016 AFC Championship Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 36, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger
Odds: Patriots favored by 5½
Pats improve to 16-2; advance to Super Bowl 51 vs Atlanta
Steelers finish 13-6

The Patriots entered this game without Rob Gronkowski and with a defense that had been derided in the media for playing against what was considered by some to be soft competition and inferior quarterbacks. Chris Hogan had nine catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns to lead the offense, with the Pats scoring on all three of their third quarter possessions. The second half drives for Pittsburgh consisted of a punt, another punt, fumble on the first play, turnover on downs, and an interception on the first play. The Steelers finally found the end zone late to make the final score more respectable, but only after they were down by 27 points.

No Gronk? No problem: Chris "7-11" Hogan was open all night against the Steelers​

A good recap of the game an be found below:

Tom Brady and Patriots Overwhelm Steelers and Advance to Super Bowl LI (Published 2017)

Brady threw for 384 yards and three touchdowns to vanquish visiting Pittsburgh and lead New England to the Super Bowl for the seventh time.

www.nytimes.com

​

The blemish on a defensive résumé that included the N.F.L.’s fewest points allowed was that New England had conquered quarterbacks of meager stock — Bryce Petty, Brock Osweiler, Jared Goff. Here late in the second quarter, though, was Roethlisberger, who assumed that he had drawn Pittsburgh tighter — New England led by 17-6 at the time — with a touchdown to Jesse James that would be overruled by video review.​

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Still, first-and-goal at the New England 1.​

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“That yard is so small,” Harmon said. “You would think the Pittsburgh Steelers would be able to get that yard.”​

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Stuffed for a loss on first down, DeAngelo Williams — playing in place of the star running back Le’Veon Bell, who sustained an early groin injury — took the handoff again on second. Before he could even take a step, a 320-pound rookie defensive lineman named Vincent Valentine yanked Williams to the ground for a 3-yard loss.​

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The stop, which preceded a Roethlisberger incompletion, asserted the Patriots’ primacy. It pushed Pittsburgh into a passing situation. It forced a field goal — the Steelers’ final points until scoring a touchdown with 3 minutes 36 seconds left. They trailed by 36-17.​

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“At some point,” cornerback Logan Ryan said, “we just want to try to earn the respect when it’s not given.”​

To this day Steeler fans will insist they were robbed of a touchdown on this play, but let's get real: would it have really made a difference?


The game is also notable for this amazing run by LeGarrette Blount:
​

Questions raised about Blount orchestrating his return to Patriots

Questions have been raised this week in Phoenix about whether Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount purposely got himself cut by the Steelers with the knowledge that if he left Pittsburgh, he could return to New England.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

36 thoughts on the Patriots' AFC Championship Game victory over the Steelers

COMMENTARY1. Let’s start not just with an appreciation of the accomplishment. Let’s also marvel at the ridiculous familiarity of the accomplishment. With a 36-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers — […]

www.boston.com

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36. Vengeance is near, Patriots fans. Vengeance is near. I cannot wait to see how Roger Goodell justifies going to Atlanta again in two weeks.​

Steelers vs Patriots AFCCG Highlights [9:17]
​

 

[VectorPrime]

Was at the game. I had absolutely no idea what happened in real time but the stadium erupted so I went along with it.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Wasn't this the game the stadium clock operator "forgot" to change the scoreboard to say "4th down?"

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Birthdays and other Events​

January 22, 2014:
Dante Scarnecchia retires as assistant head coach and offensive line coach after 30 years with the Patriots. New England native Dave DeGuglielmo is hired as the offensive line coach; he lasted two brutal seasons before Scar was lured back out of retirement. Since then DeGuglielmo worked as an OL coach for the Chargers, Dolphins, Colts and Giants; he is currently the offensive line coach for Louisiana Tech.



In memory of Bob Reynolds, who would have been 83 today (1939-1996)
Born January 22, 1939 in Nashville
Patriot OT, 1972-1973; uniform #74
Pats 4th round (30th overall) selection of the 1963 draft, from Bowling Green
Claimed off waivers on Sept 15, 1972

The Patriots drafted Bob Reynolds on December 1, 1962, and two days later he was also selected in the NFL draft, by St. Louis. Two weeks later he signed with the Cardinals; he went on to play for nine seasons with them, appearing in 121 of a possible 126 games, and was named to three Pro Bowls.

The Cardinals waived Reynolds just before the start of the 1972 season, and the 33 year old tackle was claimed by the Patriots. The Pats activated Reynolds two weeks later and he played in 12 games with 11 starts in the final season with John Mazur as head coach, and then in seven games with four starts for Chuck Fairbanks in '73. Reynolds was placed on injured reserve in late October, by that time replaced in the starting lineup by Sam Adams; Reynolds was waived on November 29. He played in 141 games with 120 starts between the Cardinals and Patriots from 1963 to 1973.

Late in his NFL career Reynolds went back to school in the offseason, earning a Master's degree in Urban Affairs. He spent much of his time helping children and the less fortunate. Reynolds would volunteer two days a week to spend time with kids in detention homes. He retired from pro football in 1974 and would work 20 years for Anheuser Busch. Reynolds moved to the Chicago area and served as a deacon for a church and an outreach ministry until his death in 1996 at the too young age of 57.

Forgotten Big Red Star: Bob Reynolds

Posted by Bob Underwood While the Big Red offensive line of the 1970s gets all the glory, the front five of the 1960s Cardinals was just as good and may have been better. Bob DeMarco, Irv Goode, Ke…

thebigredzone.com

Three other pro football players born on this date with a New England connection:

James Dearth, 46 (1976)
On April 17, 1999 the Patriots traded up three spots in the draft to select Damien Woody with the 17th overall pick. In exchange Seattle received the 20th overall pick (traded to Dallas, DE Ebenezer Ekuban), a third round pick and a sixth (Dearth). Ekuban was a decent player, but the Patriots got the better side of that trade.


Joe Dudek, 58 (1964)
Born in Boston, grew up in Quincy; North Quincy High School; Plymouth State College

​

The Bonus: The Longest of Heisman longshots

Twenty five years ago, Sports Illustrated editor Mark Mulvoy and first-year writer Rick Reilly made a pitch for an unknown kid from Division III Plymouth State

www.si.com

What The Heck, Why Not Dudek?

This week's college football stumper is: Does the Downtown Athletic Club have to award a Heisman Trophy every year? Couldn't the DAC just melt this year's

www.si.com

Dudek has broken every touchdown record known to man in his four years at Plymouth State in Plymouth, N.H. His 79 career touchdowns broke the NCAA record of 66 that Payton set at Jackson State, and the NAIA mark of 77 that Wilbert Montgomery established at Abilene Christian from 1973 to '76. Dudek has rushed for a Division III (yes, III) record 5,570 yards at Plymouth, which has gone 37-6 since he arrived. Many NFL teams have sent scouts to see him play. Somebody must think he's good.​

​

What the heck? Take a breath of fresh air. Plymouth has no training table, no athletic dorm, no redshirts and no slush funds. There, players shake a man's hand without expecting to find a $20 bill for their trouble. Dudek has taken out a $2,500 student loan all four years and admits he's "loaned out." To make ends meet, he often takes odd jobs, including cleaning up the stadium on Sundays after cleaning up on the field on Saturdays. "It doesn't pay much," says Dudek. "Minimum wage."​

Bennie LaPresta (1909-1975)
In the thirties Bennie was a back for the St. Louis Gunners and Boston Redskins.

 

[jmt57]

Wasn't this the game the stadium clock operator "forgot" to change the scoreboard to say "4th down?"

That was something that Harbaugh was whining about, and people were implying that the Patriots 'cheated'.

The problem with that theory is that the clock operators are hired by the NFL, not the home team. Besides, how does a coach, his assistants and all the special team players not know what down it is in that situation?

 

[TheRainMaker]

While Baltimore was clearly an inferior team in 2011, the Pats lucked out a WR allowed a DB to swipe his hand to cause a drop after a routine catch. I’m sure this still haunts Lee Evans letting his team down.

The 2012 Ravens were even worse in compared to the 2012 Pats and beat them down.

 

[captain stone]

Today in Patriots History
Sterling Moore's deflection and Billy Cundiff's
wide left give the Pats a 23-20 AFCCG victory​

Add this game to the ever-growing list of games that the Ravens lost and John Harbaugh whined about some phantom alleged injustice. For a team that attempts to portray themselves as such macho tough guys, they sure do act like a spoiled four year old crybaby.


Sunday January 22, 2012 at 3:00
2011 AFC Championship Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 23, Baltimore Ravens 20
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, John Harbaugh
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Joe Flacco
Odds: Patriots favored by 7
Pats improve to 15-3; advance to Super Bowl 46
Ravens finish 13-5

Final: A.F.C. Championship, Patriots 23, Ravens 20

Times reporters and editors are providing live coverage and analysis of Sunday’s Ravens-Patriots A.F.C. Championship game. Read on to follow the game as it happens

fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com

In a back-and-forth battle that ended in heartbreak for the Baltimore Ravens and kicker Billy Cundiff, the New England Patriots advanced to Super Bowl XLVI with a 23-20 victory on Sunday.​

​

Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal in the final seconds that would have sent the game into overtime, hooking it wide left. Two plays prior, Ravens receiver Lee Evans failed to hold onto the ball in the end zone. A catch would have given Baltimore the lead and a likely victory. . . .​

​

The victory gives Brady his 16th career postseason victory, tying him with Joe Montana for the most in NFL history.​

There is also a good full-game recap from the AP here:

Patriots Beat Ravens 23-20, Head To Super Bowl

Tom Brady waited out the final tense minutes on the sideline and somehow his fourth-quarter leap into the end zone held up, sending the New England Patriots back to the Super Bowl.

www.wbur.org

The Patriots won their tenth game in a row to win their seventh AFC title. The New England defense had been highly criticized by sports media throughout the year, with the phrase '31st ranked defense' becoming the season's most overused statistic. Patriot defenders pointed out that games were won and lost based on points rather than yardage, and in that category the Pats ranked 15th.​

​

Ray Rice had set the tone on the very first play from scrimmage when these two teams met in the 2009 wild card game, running for an 83 yard touchdown. Much of the pre-game talk leading up to this rematch centered on how the much maligned Patriot defense would fare against Rice, who led the NFL in 2011 with 2,068 yards from scrimmage.​

​

Baltimore tried running the ball on first down on each of their first three series. The result was zero yards, loss of one and loss of five, with each of those possessions turning into a three and out. Rice averaged just 3.2 yards per carry on the day, rushing for 67 yards.​

​

After the first drive of the second half the Patriots led 16-10. The Pats seemed to be controlling the game, but the inability to finish was bothersome: the offense scored only one touchdown on four trips to the red zone, settling for three field goals.​

​

Baltimore scored on a 29 yard pass from Joe Flacco to Torrey Smith on the next drive, and then Danny Woodhead fumbled the ensuing kickoff return. James Ihedigbo sacked Flacco for a loss of 12 on third down at the nine to force a field goal, but the Ravens were up 20-16 with less than a minute to go in the third quarter.​

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The Patriots regained the lead on an 11 play, 63 yard drive on their next possession, aided by a penalty on Terrell Suggs that negated an interception. Tom Brady dove in from one yard on fourth down. This came after replay overturned a prior run that had originally been called a touchdown.​

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On the final drive Flacco completed four passes to Anquan Boldin to move the ball to the 14. On the final catch defensive back Julian Edelman forced a fumble but the ball rolled out of bounds, so Baltimore retained possession.​

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On the next play Lee Evans appeared momentarily to catch a go-ahead touchdown, but Sterling Moore knocked the ball out of his hands at the last possible moment. Moore then knocked away another pass on the next play, this one intended for TE Dennis Pitta. Billy Cundiff then infamously shanked the 32 yard field goal attempt, and rather than overtime the game was over.​

​

The Patriots had won - with a patchwork secondary that included Edelman, Sterling Moore, Antwaun Molden, Nate Jones and James Ihedigbo.​

​

After the game Harbaugh first whined that the pass play to Evans should have been reviewed. Then there was more conspiracy theories floated when he implied that the Cundiff miss was due to his not knowing it was fourth down, implying that the Patriots had done that to throw the kicker and coaches off. (Note: NFL personnel run the scoreboard, not the home team). Here is the question though: since there was that much confusion Mr. Harbaugh, why not call a timeout - rather than send your kicker out late in a frantic, hurried and unprepared manner?​

Is ‘scoreboard’ excuse legit for Cundiff?

Kicker has just one job Craig Davis Sun Sentinel The scoreboard-made-me-miss explanation points to the fragility of the psyche of the NFL kicker. But Ravens coach John Harbaugh should be kicking hi…

www.baltimoresun.com

Harbaugh boots response to joke

www.capitalgazette.com

Sound FX - 2nd Half:



Final Play:
​

Never should've been that close... 30-13 before the Murderers' final drive... No joke...

 

[1960Pats]

Was at the game. I had absolutely no idea what happened in real time but the stadium erupted so I went along with it.

I was at that game with our youngest son, who isn't a sports fan but likes Brady. The flea-flicker to Hogan came right towards us and I saw it perfectly the whole way.

 

[Loving_life35]

F*** ****diff

 

[FCB02062]

I have to say that was the one Super Bowl where the Pats really didn't deserve to be there. Baltimore was the better team that day. Flacco outplayed Brady, the Pats turned it over a ton to Baltimore's one giveaway. Frankly, Brady was terrible - 2 picks, no tds, but he found a way. Even though the Pats were the #1 seed it kind of felt like their "lucky" to be there super bowl, given it took a great play by Moore (really should have been caught) and a missed chip shot fg to send them to their demise vs the NYG....

 

[Steve102]

@FCB02062 Easily the weakest of the Pats Super bowl teams.

 

[jmt57]

I have to say that was the one Super Bowl where the Pats really didn't deserve to be there. Baltimore was the better team that day. Flacco outplayed Brady, the Pats turned it over a ton to Baltimore's one giveaway. Frankly, Brady was terrible - 2 picks, no tds, but he found a way. Even though the Pats were the #1 seed it kind of felt like their "lucky" to be there super bowl, given it took a great play by Moore (really should have been caught) and a missed chip shot fg to send them to their demise vs the NYG....

@FCB02062 Easily the weakest of the Pats Super bowl teams.

Yeah, at the time I felt that Patriot team way overachieved to make it to the Super Bowl, and still feel that way today. Going into the season I was looking at that as a reloading year, if not rebuilding year, with an eye on the following season.

 

[1960Pats]

Yeah, at the time I felt that Patriot team way overachieved to make it to the Super Bowl, and still feel that way today. Going into the season I was looking at that as a reloading year, if not rebuilding year, with an eye on the following season.

I feel like 2007-2008 was the last of that great Pats defensive team. It's too bad that Tom missed 2008 or they could have been special one last time.

 

[sb1]

 

[sb1]

Unbelievable how close this was. This wasn't a drop at all this was 100% a play by Moore.
If that left foot touches, TD. I wonder if this would count today.

 

[sb1]

I have to say that was the one Super Bowl where the Pats really didn't deserve to be there. Baltimore was the better team that day. Flacco outplayed Brady, the Pats turned it over a ton to Baltimore's one giveaway. Frankly, Brady was terrible - 2 picks, no tds, but he found a way. Even though the Pats were the #1 seed it kind of felt like their "lucky" to be there super bowl, given it took a great play by Moore (really should have been caught) and a missed chip shot fg to send them to their demise vs the NYG....

When Tebow is playing in the divisional round you know the AFC was weak.

The Giants loss was bad. One of the worst SB winners of all time.

 

[XLIX]

Wasn't this the game the stadium clock operator "forgot" to change the scoreboard to say "4th down?"

That was something that Harbaugh was whining about, and people were implying that the Patriots 'cheated'.

The problem with that theory is that the clock operators are hired by the NFL, not the home team. Besides, how does a coach, his assistants and all the special team players not know what down it is in that situation?

If memory serves, it was a fairly reasonable mistake. The Ravens had first down and gained 9+ yards - not to mention fumbled the ball forward out of bounds - so it was very close to a first down. The sideline sticks shifted to 2nd-and-1 but the scoreboard went to 1st-and-10. Two incomplete passes later, it is 4th-and-1 but the scoreboard says 3rd-and-10.

It was the kicker, not the coaches, who didn't know the actual down because he was warming up on the sidelines and watching the scoreboard, not the sticks. IMHO that's kind of a reasonable thing for a kicker to do. As such, he was extremely late getting on the field for the FG attempt, running into position at the last moment.

HAVING SAID THAT.....

The Ravens blunder in that sequence was in not calling a timeout. They still had one, but instead of using it, they pressed forward with the cluster**** of a FG setup where the kicker barely got into position in time and the snap was barely made before the delay of game. Ironically, even the delay-of-game would have been a better option. They were so close that the 5 yards wouldn't really have mattered.

They were so afraid of "icing the kicker" with a timeout that they pressed forward with a cluster**** FG attempt that they just weren't set up for properly.

 

[Marko]

Funny story- I was at a charity function and was introduced to Moore and I just said “nice to meet you, great play” he smiled and said thanks, but there was never any question about what play I was referring to.

 

[captain stone]

Funny story- I was at a charity function and was introduced to Moore and I just said “nice to meet you, great play” he smiled and said thanks, but there was never any question about what play I was referring to.

We also could've used him here the following two seasons, until the 2014 reinforcements arrived...