Last year, our New England Patriots emerged from the postseason as the most unlikely of champions, a team that seemed destined for the basement after ditching our franchise quarterback to begin a new era. But in a shocking twist, just as it has so many times before, destiny came knocking for the Patriots one more time, and our men answered the call, winning the franchise's seventh ring, yet again proving the doubters wrong. Now, that title must be retained, and along the way, hope remains high for the dream Super Bowl matchup, where New England could face Tom Brady and his Detroit Lions. Will fate beckon us once more?
Wild Card Round
Hosting the Denver Broncos in the opening round of the playoffs, we looked to be in genuine trouble in the first half, as young quarterback Drew Lock was going wild, rushing for 63 yards and adding on 77 more in the air. But Denver's hopes of an upset came crashing down after a hellacious hit by Dont'a Hightower on Lock, which caused a significant abdominal injury that ended Lock's day. Veteran Joe Flacco was solid in relief, but couldn't make the big plays to keep the Broncos in it, as Sony Michel (22 carries, 114 yards, 3 touchdowns) took over in the second half to slam the door closed. We advanced to a showdown in Kansas City by a final score of 27-15.
Meanwhile in the NFC, Tom Brady (27-36, 300 yards, 3 touchdowns) looked like his old self, as Detroit rolled over the Panthers in a game that was never close, and ended 38-0. Just like us, Brady is on the road next week, destined for a trip to "Jerry's World" in Dallas for a meeting with the Cowboys.
Divisional Round
The Chiefs handed us a comprehensive defeat during the regular season, which we looked to avenge here, and this one prove to be a nailbiter. Our defense held Kansas City in check early, and Jacoby Brissett delivered two touchdowns to N'Keal Harry and Matt LaCosse, as we opened up a 24-6 lead. But Brissett's second interception and methodical passing from Patrick Mahomes got the Chiefs 13 unaswered points, and we looked in trouble, with Sony Michel suffering a devastating leg injury, as we had to rely on Trey Edmunds to try and finish off the game. But there was no reason to fear, as Edmunds (10 carries, 44 yards) clutched it out, picking up two essential first downs to enable us to run out the clock on a 24-19 win.
Over in Dallas, Tom Brady wasn't as fortunate. He had a solid day through the air, throwing for 210 yards, but the run game rushed for a measly 5 yards, and Detroit got stomped by Dallas, losing 24-3. The Cowboys, at 14-2, are the big Super Bowl threat this year, and there was certainly no shame in losing to this incredible unit, though it would've been nice to see the Brady vs New England matchup.
AFC Championship
The AFC title game ran through Cleveland this year, as we faced off with a Browns team that had beaten us all the way back in Week 1. This was to be a war of attrition, with Cleveland coming in without running back Nick Chubb, while we were missing Sony Michel, Phillip Dorsett, and lost N'Keal Harry early in the first quarter. The first half was a stalemate, ending 7-7, and the two teams then traded until late in the fourth. There, Odell Beckham (8 catches, 114 yards) continued an incredible second half, and Rashard Higgins hauled in a touchdown throw from Baker Mayfield to give the Browns a seemingly insurmountable 3 point lead with under 30 seconds to play. I say insurmountable here because our receiving corps looked dreadfully outmatched, having been bullied around by the far superior Browns secondary, leading to multiple Jacoby Brissett interceptions throughout the day on jump balls. All hope appeared to be lost when Myles Garrett collected his third sack, leaving us backed up. In desperation, Brissett threw up a prayer to Cameron Meredith, who, along with Josh Reynolds, was the only receiver with significant NFL experience left on the roster (the other two healthy receivers were rookies, our fourth round pick and star returner Jermaine Bryson, and the undrafted Peyton Hyde). Meredith lost his man on a wheel route, hauled in the pass, then broke a tackle and was off on a miraculous 82 yard touchdown, leaving just six seconds on the clock. We knocked down Baker's Hail Mary, and somehow punched our ticket to yet another Super Bowl. All hail Cam, baby.
Out in the NFC, the 8-8 Seattle Seahawks pulled off a miracle of their own, unseating the juggernaut Dallas Cowboys with a big 4th quarter comeback, setting up a Super Bowl 49 rematch.
Super Bowl 55
Russell Wilson lost said Super Bowl in infamous fashion, throwing a pick at the goal line to Malcolm Butler, and he was determined not to miss his chance at vengeance six years later. Wilson (33-41, 450 yards) was damn near unstoppable, slicing our defense apart with clinical precision, while Chris Carson (20 carries, 78 yards, 2 touchdowns) pounded away at shorter yardage. We did stay in it for a little while, as Jonathan Jones blocked an extra point, and Patrick Chung returned it for a two-point conversion, but Seattle had opened up a 22-9 lead by halftime, and we just couldn't compete. Not having Sony Michel and N'Keal Harry in this game meant we were severely underpowered on offense, and while Trey Edmunds (7 carries, 50 yards, 1 touchdown) and the returning Phillip Dorsett (6 catches, 67 yards) did their best to try and fill the void, we just didn't have enough in the tank. An errant throw by Jacoby Brisett in the fourth quarter was taken away by Bobby Wagner, and that sealed it, as Seattle drove down for one more touchdown, winning 36-19. The revenge had to feel great for them, and while I would've loved to bring home another title, these setbacks are just the nature of football. You can't win them all.
Next time on The Patriot Way, we head to the offseason, where we could see several veterans depart the team, and I get another opportunity to add new talent via the draft.
- Henry
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