CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY RECAP

We hate to say “We Told You So” but…

In the NFC Championship, the Falcons went out to a 17-0 lead only to see it slip away just like last week against Seattle. This time “Matty Ice” and the Falcons weren’t so lucky. The ‘Niners had some early jitters but once they shook them off, there was no stopping Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore. As the clock wound down, it was clear that Atlanta was completely overmatched. The saddest moment came about when the ‘Niners scored the go-ahead touchdown, and the camera focused on (Falcons’ owner) Mr. Blank, whose head dropped like a rock. Another great season for the Falcons went down the drain. But the 49’ers were predicted to represent the NFC in the Big Dance all along. The decision to replace Alex Smith with Kaepernick mid-season was a stroke of genius. Seriously, is there any doubt who will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in two weeks?

To put a wrap on the Patriots’ performance in the AFC Championship, truth be told it was a lousy game. All that anticipation and the Pats came out and laid a big fat egg. The pundits will re-hash the game but it’s quickly like beating a dead horse. In the final analysis, it wasn’t as much a case that the Ravens beat them but that the Patriots beat themselves. There were a number of inexplicable moments on offense, especially on third and short when Brady elected to throw the ball. The game plan didn’t seem to make sense. They had the ball in the Ravens’ side of the field nine separate times and were only able to score one touchdown. The absence of Gronk was definitely much bigger than expected as Hernandez had six catches in the first half but only one in the second. And Tommy Boy simply did not have a good game. His passes weren’t crisp and at one moment in the fourth quarter, he had a chance to rush ahead for a first down but pulled up short at the last second. Aqib Talib made a couple of nice plays in the first quarter but was injured while breaking up a pass. After that, Flacco took advantage of his absence in a big way. After the final gun sounded, the Coach behaved like a complete boor (no surprise there).  The Ravens were boastful in victory when they should’ve been humble. Who cares, to the winners go the spoils. They will be flattened by the 49’ers in two weeks anyway, so let them have their laughs now. For the next two weeks, there will be wall-to-wall coverage focused on Ray Lewis and Les Freres Harbaugh. Thank goodness it’s now hockey season…

Now, it’s time for the Patriots to prepare for April’s draft. This year, they won’t be picking in Rounds 4-6 (as those picks have been traded away). So, the front office needs to prepare extra hard to make their few selections stick as impact players. It’s a daunting challenge.

…We would be remiss if we failed to mention that yesterday’s game marked the final broadcast of the Great Gil Santos, who retired after 36 (non-consecutive) seasons as the Voice of the Patriots. Gil goes back to the AFL days, was around during the lean years and also broadcast several trips to the Super Bowl and three World Championships. He was truly one of a kind and his voice will be missed on Sunday afternoons in the fall. We wish him a long, happy and healthy retirement.

Time to turn the page on the Patriots.