New England Patriots Are AFC Favorites For Super Bowl
By Shane Phillips
@ShaneRantSports
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Going into the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, there was still no clear front-runner or Super Bowl favorite. The one team that had grabbed the most attention, however, had been the Baltimore Ravens.
After their handling of the Pittsburgh Steelers with a stellar defensive performance and some help from Joe Flacco, Baltimore looked like the team that won a championship not too many seasons ago. It seemed that the Ravens would ride the Wild Card train to glory, but the New England Patriots wouldn’t have it — not in Foxboro.
Once again, the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady duo put together a spectacular postseason performance and ousted the Ravens, 35-31. Flacco almost walked away the hero, but two late-game interceptions, including one to stifle the go-ahead drive, ended Baltimore’s season and propelled New England to the status of new Super Bowl favorites.
As much as it pains me to say this, yes, the Patriots are now Super Bowl favorites.
As I wince through the pain to continue on with this article, I will explain how I came to this conclusion. Baltimore came out of the toughest conference in football this season, one that put three teams in the playoffs. Then they walked into Heinz Field and downed the Steelers in the Wild Card. Everyone was on board the Flacco bus to Arizona.
The Ravens were good, but the Patriots are better. If that is not a good enough reason as to why New England is now the favorite, here is one more. All good things must come to an end, and it is evident that the Belichick/Brady era is coming to an end. How many more seasons do they have? No ones knows, but it is on the lower end.
There is no better way for this duo to go out than how they came in: winning Super Bowls. It seems as if they are on their way to yet another.
Shane Phillips is an NFL Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Shane on Twitter @ShaneRantSports, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network Google. You can also email Shane at [email protected].
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