1. The NFC Championship was the real Super Bowl
While the Patriots are a perpetually elite team, the AFC has still not done anything to prove that they are a better conference than the NFC. The Patriots had previously lost to the Packers in the regular season, and the Packers were able to keep up with the Seahawks despite playing on the road and with an injured quarterback against the No. 1 defense in the league while going 12-4 in the regular season. It will be nearly impossible to ever have a game as exciting as the NFC Championship was.
Like the Packers, the Patriots have not been as strong of a team on the road as they were at home. They have not yet faced a defense as strong as the Seahawks, and they were held to 21 points by the Packers and 17 by the New York Jets in Week 16. Each of these games were away from Gillette Stadium. Plus, the Seahawks pass defense is exponentially tougher than the Baltimore Ravens and Colts. This does not bode well for the Patriots, but Brady and Belichick will do everything they can to turn the tide for the AFC’s credibility.
COMMENTS