The New England Patriots were the best offensive team in the NFL this season, but as the AFC Championship game moved along, it was clear that the Ravens were not going to breakdown.
Tom Brady had a solid game for New England, passing for 320 yards and a touchdown in the 28-13 loss, but he also had two interceptions and missed out on a crucial fourth down conversion late in the game that could have turned things around for the Patriots. The team also suffered a tough injury when running back Stevan Ridley was hit by safety Bernard Pollard and left with a head issue.
Ridley remained on the field after getting hit, but was able to walk off under his own power. He went to the locker room and did not return to the game after the hit. Video replay showed that Pollard made helmet-to-helmet contact with Ridley, causing him to fumble when he hit the ground.
The play was a huge turning point in the game, as the Patriots were driving down the field on the Ravens. The Patriots dealt with a number of injuries, including to cornerback Aqib Talib and defensive tackle Kyle Love, but it was the Ridley injury that was most devastating.
New England had an advantage in the running game over the season, outgaining Baltimore in with 136 yards per game compared to 118, but in the AFC Championship, it was the Ravens who had more rushing yards, with Ray Rice gaining 48 and Bernard Pierce gaining 52. Ridley had 70 yards before leaving, while Shane Vereen had 16 yards on four carries and also had a crucial dropped pass late in the game.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco outplayed Brady, throwing for 240 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers while completing 21-of-36 passes. So far this postseason, Flacco has thrown for eight touchdown passes and no interceptions.
"It was pretty awesome," said Flacco to the Associated Press. "We were here last year and thought we had it, but came up a little short. Guys came out in the second half and made plays. ... We put pressure on them like that, and it worked pretty well."
Head coach John Harbaugh will now face off against his brother Jim, who is the coach of the San Francisco 49ers, in the Super Bowl in New Orleans in two weeks.
"We've always believed in Joe," Harbaugh said. "And for Joe to come out and to have this kind of a game and this kind of a stage three weeks in a row ..."
New Engladn hasn't lost a home AFC championship in five games and left Brady and coach Bill Belichick still looking for their sixth Super Bowl appearance. The duo started out 3-0 in Super Bowls, but has lost the past two tries against the New York Giants.
The game could have been the final contest for Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, but instead it will be the biggest game of the year and give him a chance to end his career on a positive note. Lewis has been to 12 Pro Bowls over his 17-year career and won the AP Defensive Player of the Year award twice. He also led the Ravens to the Super Bowl in 2000 and won the game's MVP award.
"All these men out there, there might just be only five of us up here, but every man out there sacrificed this year for each other," Lewis said during the trophy ceremony. "And man, we did it and we're on our way to the Super Bowl. That's awesome."
The Ridley fumble was devastating to the Patriots, as the Ravens were able to take the ball back and score a touchdown, pushing the lead too far out of reach. The injury weakened the Patriots' rushing game and allowed the Ravens to take more time off the clock.
"I'd probably say we came up a little short in every area," Belichick said.
The Patriots took a 13-7 lead into halftime, but it could have been bigger had Brady called a timeout quicker at the end of the second quarter. New England opted for a field goal and made it, but they could have taken a couple shots at the endzone if there was more time on the clock.
New England was the number one scoring team in the NFL this season, but were shut out by the Ravens in the second half.
"There are a lot of plays in the game; there's a lot of things we could have done better -- all of us," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "It really wasn't good enough. It wasn't as good as the Ravens tonight. That's why they're moving on and we're not. They were just better than we were in really everything."
The Patriots might be a bit weaker on offense next season, as wide receiver Wes Welker will be set to sign a new contract-if the team wants him. For the second year in a row, the leading receiver for the Patriots made a crucial drop that could have changed the course of the game.
Last season he made a drop that could have helped seal the Super Bowl against the Giants and this year, on a third-and-8 with New England leading 13-7, Welker was wide open in Ravens territory, but dropped what would have been a first down conversion. Instead the Patriots punted the ball back to Baltimore.
"I'm really not worried about it at all," Welker said of his contract status. "This is a tough loss and I'm just trying to get over it at the moment. Like I said, I'm not worried about any of it."
Ridley was the leading rusher for the Patriots this season, gaining 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns. Making the injury sting even more for the Patriots, Pollard was the same player who injured Brady's knee a few years ago while with the Chiefs, forcing him to miss the entire season. He was the man who tackled Wes Welker when he blew out his knee the following year and last season he was the player who originally injured Rob Gronkowski's ankle, which was hampered in the Super Bowl against the Giants.
