Sunday 4 February 2018 21:41, UK
The New England Patriots are in another Super Bowl!
The dream head coach and quarterback combination of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are looking for a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy, and second straight following their thrilling comeback win over the the Atlanta Falcons last year.
But how does this season differ to their previous successes? Here's how New England made it to Minnesota…
As usual, most things. The Patriots have been predictably perfect for most of the season, securing a ninth straight AFC East title, an NFL-record eighth consecutive 12-or-more win season, the No 1 seed in the AFC, a seventh Conference Championship appearance in a row and an eighth trip to the Super Bowl in 16 years. Not bad.
Those eight Super Bowl appearances have all come under the stewardship of future Belichick and Brady - that's as many times as any other team, let along coach and QB combo, have been to the big game.
But, the team's success is not just down to those two. Rob Gronkowski was once again the league's leading tight end, with 1,084 yards, and was one of seven players on offense to score five touchdowns or more as the Patriots spread the wealth.
Also, the turnaround on defense was quite remarkable! Through the first four weeks, New England were giving up 32 points per game, compared to their league-leading 14.4 since. Yards per game allowed has also improved from 456.8 to 333.5, while the team was last in opposition passer rating through four weeks, but has had an NFL-best 45 quarterback sacks since.
A fair bit early on, but it does not matter as much when it comes in September. The Patriots lost star wide receiver Julian Edelman to a knee injury before the season even started, and then proceeded to lose two of their first four games, both at home in Foxborough - a 42-27 embarrassment to the Kansas City Chiefs on opening night, and a Week Four 33-30 defeat to Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers - thanks in large part to that leaky defense of their early doors.
After that, New England were back to their brilliant best, winning their next eight straight, though there have been signs that, despite such success, there may be trouble bubbling away under the surface - Brady even lost his cool on the sidelines in a Week 13 rant at offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels during a game against the Buffalo Bills.
On October 30, the team traded away back-up QB, and potential future face of the franchise, Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2018 second-round draft pick. Garoppolo would win all five of his starts for a 49ers team that had won just one game all season prior and the deal was highlighted in an ESPN article, released during the playoffs, that hinted at a rift between Belichick, Brady and owner Robert Kraft. Though emphatically denied by all parties, it does cast some doubt over the futures of the veteran coach and QB, in particular.
Not that it has mattered. New England are well versed in controversy and, as always, they've done their talking on the football field, winning both of their playoff games - convincingly beating the Tennessee Titans and then edging past the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Brady nursing an injured hand - to reach another Super Bowl.
In between their early-season hiccups against Kansas City and Carolina, the Patriots safely saw off the Saints in New Orleans, and earned a somewhat more nervy win over the Houston Texans at home, relying on a 25-yard game-winning TD strike from Brady to Brandin Cooks late on.
New England, as they tend to do, fixed their problems and went on a run, first edging out reasonably unconvincing road wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets, followed by a more emphatic Sunday night success against Atlanta, in their Super Bowl LI rematch. The Denver Broncos were then duly dispatched at Mile High stadium, before Brady became the first player to pass for 300-yards in three different countries - USA, UK and Mexico - as the Patriots beat the Oakland Raiders in Mexico City.
The winning streak was ended somewhat surprisingly by the Dolphins in Miami, but it lit a fire under the team and proved to be the perfect preparation for the team and their key Week-15 clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers, their main challengers for the No 1 seed.
New England won that battle thanks to a 27-24 triumph, clinched in controversial fashion after the Steelers had seemingly retaken the lead late on with a Jesse James TD, only for the call to be reversed with it said the catch hadn't been taken cleanly. Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception soon after and the Patriots won out the rest of the regular season to once again claim the AFC.
It has to be Brady. As mentioned, there have been numerous stars on offense for the Patriots this season. Dion Lewis, Cooks and Gronkowski all had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage this season - the first time in franchise history the team has had three players reach that mark - but Brady, at 40 years old, continues to put up staggering numbers.
The Patriots QB seems set to be named NFL MVP for a third time, having finished as the league's leading passer, with 4,577 yards to go with 32 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions - good for a passer rating of 102.8.
His AFC Championship win over the Jacksonville Jaguars made him the oldest ever QB to win a playoff game, passing Brett Favre's record. Now, can he create yet more history by winning a sixth Super Bowl and becoming the first 40-year-old to do so.
While the Jaguars have good reason to argue otherwise, this has been one of the Patriots' easier runs to the Super Bowl - no meeting with bogey team, the Baltimore Ravens, no clash with a fearsome Denver defense, no expected rematches with Kansas City or Pittsburgh.
The road, this year, has run through the AFC South and the Titans and Jags. Tennessee's challenge amounted to all of seven first-quarter points that briefly gave them hope and the lead before the Patriots ultimately cruised to a 35-14 win in the divisional round.
Jacksonville, however, did have New England rattled, silencing the home crowd as they broke out into a 14-3 lead in the first half and keeping hold of a 20-10 advantage through three quarters. But, as Atlanta can testify to, having let slip a 28-3 lead at a similar stage in last season's Super Bowl, it's never over till it's over with Brady leading the offense.
Two fourth-quarter touchdown strikes to Danny Amendola later, and New England are heading back to the Super Bowl!
The best. The Patriots have been to the Super Bowl 10 times, more than any other team, and are already being marked as five-point favourites for the big game.
Their Belichick and Brady-led dynasty started way back when in 2002, when they won the Super Bowl, beating 'Greatest Show on Turf' favourites the St. Louis Rams, on their third attempt - just like fellow third-timers, and underdogs, Philadelphia are hoping to do this year.
Further successes came against Carolina, and Philly, in back-to-back years in 2004 and 2005, a feat the Patriots are attempting to repeat in Minnesota with another win over the Eagles to follow on the back of their thrilling overtime success over the Falcons in last season's Super Bowl.
But, the Patriots are fallible, as following that 2005 triumph over Philadelphia came 10 barren years, with two heartbreaking defeats to the New York Giants in 2008 - preventing an undefeated season - and 2012. The drought, though, was ended with another incredible victory over the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 - rookie cornerback Malcolm Buttler intercepted Russell Wilson on the goal line in the dying seconds to clinch a famous victory.
Win or lose come February 4, the Patriots promise drama!
Watch Super Bowl LII between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles live on Sky Sports Action from 10pm on Sunday, February 4.
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