Patriots. Going. To. The. Super. Bowl.
Remarkable turnaround
Good morning, all! For football fans in New England, the world is correctly on its axis. The Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl!
Tell the truth. Not one of you. Not the most optimistic Patriots fan. Not owner Robert Kraft. Not the Boston media. Especially not a certain football coach in North Carolina, thought the New England Patriots would be back in the Super Bowl this season.
After back-to-back 4-13 seasons, not a Patriots fan this side of the earth’s green grass, thought the Patriots would be playing an important football game on Feb. 8. Sure, they believed - and rightly so - the Patriots would be a better team this season under Mike Vrabel, the former Patriots linebacker who turned into a helluva coach with the Tennessee Titans. But the Super Bowl? This season? You’re lying if you thought the turnaround would be this fast.
But here we are. The Patriots are going to their 11th Super Bowl, vying for a record seven Super Bowl titles. They are currently tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Were the gods shining on New England?
It was almost as if the gods were shining on New England. All week long, as the forecasters kept predicting heavy snowfall for the east, we kept hearing, “Could you imagine what would happen, if the Patriots had been the home team for Sunday’s AFC championship game?”
We found out, as someone flicked a switch in Denver and the weather went from sunny and cold in the first half to a blizzard in the second half. No question the weather impacted the game.
We also heard that despite the Patriots success this season, star sensation Drake Maye would have his troubles at loud Empower Field. The second-year QB, we were reminded, had been sacked and fumbled a lot in two postseason games. Despite an MVP-like sophomore season, we were reminded Maye was wet behind the ears in big moments. Well, Maye did spend some time on his backside Sunday, but when the Patriots needed him most, he delivered big time, running a boot leg on third-and-eight - good call OC Josh McDaniels - keeping the ball out of the Broncos hands and sealing the deal, as the game clock wound down.
So, yes, we found out what the game would have been like had it been played in New England, and the Patriots were more than ready. And now - sorry Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fans - New England’s favorite major league professional sports team is returning to the Super Bowl. And, repeat, no one, absolutely no one, thought it would happen this soon.
That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Enjoy your Monday!
DAN