There were still 20 minutes of football to be played at Gillette Stadium on Sunday when the game ended. Exploding fireworks, euphoria in the stands, all zeros on the clock – the confirmation of it all would come soon enough, and indeed it did.
But only after a sense of finality engulfed the crowd, only after a defender made one of the most critical catches of the night for the Patriots: a leaping interception by Rob Ninkovich, their nimble defensive end.
It thwarted a promising Houston drive. It resulted, six plays later, in a New England touchdown. That score turned an 11-point lead that was in jeopardy into an 18-point advantage that soon ballooned to 25.
A fourth-quarter surge by the Texans obscured the comprehensive nature of New England’s 41-28 divisional-round victory, which set up a rematch of last year’s AFC championship game.
On Sunday, New England will host the Baltimore Ravens, who came within a shanked field goal of winning here last year, and who spoiled what would have been a captivating match-up of quarterback superstars – Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning – with an exhilarating victory on Saturday in Denver.
Fantastic finishes
Baltimore’s double-overtime victory triggered a weekend of fantastic finishes and electrifying performances, a prelude to the reliable numbing dominance of the Patriots.
They rushed for 122 yards. Their running backs, Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley, combined for four touchdowns. Brady completed 25 of 40 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns, all without Danny Woodhead (thumb) and Rob Gronkowski (left forearm), who were injured early in the first quarter and did not return.
Gronkowski is expected to miss the rest of the play-offs. “It’s hard to replace a player like him; he’s a freak of nature,” his fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez said.
The Texans tried so hard. They vowed not to be humiliated again. Returning to the same stadium where New England humbled them by 28 points on December 10th, the Texans escaped embarrassment for only so long.
Houston scored 10 points in the final 75 seconds before half-time to draw within 17-13. After Brady directed a 69-yard scoring drive to open the third quarter, capped by an eight-yard run by Ridley, the Texans were in position to slice into the Patriots’ lead after marching from their five to the New England 37. Then Ninkovich jumped, and down went the Texans.
“I guess I’m just blessed,” Ninkovich said, adding, “Right place, right time.”
Defence dissected
As he had in their previous meeting, Brady dissected the Texans’ secondary, fulfilling a modest prediction issued earlier in the week by his coach, Bill Belichick: “You don’t win a war by digging a foxhole and sitting in it. You’ve got to go out there and attack.”
So Brady and the Patriots did. Over the middle, in the flat, down the sideline. Hernandez, Vereen, Wes Welker. Definitely Welker.
Brady threw 10 of his 24 first-half passes toward Welker, who caught six, for 120 yards, including 47 on a brilliant grab along the New England sideline. On the next play, Brady connected with Vereen for an eight-yard touchdown, extending the Patriots’ lead to 17-3.
New York Times Service
Conference finals
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Baltimore Ravens (10-6) at New England Patriots (12-4)
11pm, Sunday, Sky Sports 2
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
San Francisco 49ers (11-4-1) at Atlanta Falcons (13-3)
7.30pm, Sunday, Sky Sports 2
