Patriots find different ways to win
One thing I've said a lot this season is that I don't feel like this year's Patriots are that much better than the teams in 2003 and 2004. That's hardly a slight, just a recognition that those teams were great and that this one was fallible. The bonkers scores of the first half of the year were nice, but they couldn't last, and the defense had more weaknesses than usual.
The AFC Championship, perhaps their "ugliest" offensive game yet, was a good example of why they still get the nod as the best Patriots team ever - if they can beat the Giants.
The Patriots' greatness throughout the Belichick run hasn't been about blowouts. It's been about situational football, and making the big plays when they absolutely needed it.
The Chargers outplayed the Patriots in the first half, and had a chance to take the lead before Junior Seau shot the gap and stuffed Michael Turner short of a first down near the goal line in the third quarter. The Patriots dominated from that point forward.
The Patriots won because their much-maligned running game carried the offense. They put three tight ends in at a time and played smashmouth football. They won because their defensive line, oddly quiet for much of the year, started to dominate San Diego's offensive line down the stretch. Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Tom Brady made the headlines all year, but the Patriots won the AFC Championship in the trenches.
"These are the games we are used to," Tedy Bruschi said.
It wasn't a particularly pretty win, but it had a distinctly Patriot feel. (Kevin Faulk starring helps). They have showed they can win in a few different ways down the stretch of this season. It won't be easy, but they only have to figure out how to win more. As Junior Seau would say, then they are "part of ever."
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