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INDIANAPOLIS -- Veteran defensive end Shaun Ellis spent 11 strong seasons with the New York Jets, registering 72.5 sacks in that span. That is why Ellis was surprised when the Jets basically let him walk last offseason and eventually sign with the New England Patriots.

Ellis was an unrestricted free agent but expected the Jets to make a strong push to bring him back. Instead, New York spent a first-round pick on rookie defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, which signaled the end for Ellis.

The veteran went on to join New York's biggest rival: New England. Now, Ellis has a chance to win his first ring Sunday when the Patriots play the New York Giants in Super XLVI.

Ellis said this week that everything worked out and he no longer holds any grudges against the Jets.

"No, I'm over it," Ellis said. "When things first started happening and they weren't going to bring me back and how that went, it was disappointing. With an organization that you spent so long with and you put all your heart into it to get to this point that I am at now. For them to basically close the door, it was tough, but I forgave them.

"I have put it behind me. I understand that it is a business. I had to go out and find the best situation for me and I found it here as a New England Patriot, and I’m in the Super Bowl."

This will be Ellis' first chance at the Super Bowl. He spent the past two years losing in the AFC Championship Game with the Jets.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The big injury news during Super Bowl week is the left ankle of New England Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The extent of the injury hasn't been revealed by the Patriots, who would only say Gronkowski is day-to-day. But Gronkowski's father, Gordy Gronkowski, said his son has a high ankle sprain, which is one of the worst forms to the ankle joint.

Assuming Rob Gronkowski's dad is accurate, the AFC East blog caught up with ESPN injury expert Stephania Bell to examine the issues of the injury. Bell provided insight into the challenges Rob Gronkowski potentially faces.

Stephania, besides the location, what are some differences with a regular ankle sprain and a high ankle sprain?

Stephania Bell: Standard ankle sprains tend to be what we call lateral ankle sprains. Many people refer to them as basketball sprains, because it's what you see a lot in basketball when a guy goes up for a shot and maybe lands on another player's foot. His ankle rolls and turns in, which sprains and injures the ligaments on the front and lateral side of the ankle. In a high ankle sprain, the injury is usually a little bit different. The foot is typically pointed outward and is a rotational injury most of the time. If you go back and look at the view of when Gronkowski sprained his ankle, you can actually see some of that when he got caught from behind. It kind of forced his foot to twist so his toes were pointing outward. So that rotational component injures the ligament that basically attaches to the top of the ankle, which is called the "high ankle." It attaches the two lower leg bones where the roof of the ankle is formed.

Players often complain that the injury is very painful. Where does the pain come from?

SB: What makes it difficult functionally is every time you step on your foot, it creates a force that wants to spread those two lower leg bones apart. Every time you take a normal step and your shin bone, if you will, advances over your ankle, which is what normally happens when you step forward, those ligaments are under stress. They are attached there to help prevent those two bones from spreading. When there's injury there, because of the stress on those ligaments, that's why it's so painful. That's why when you saw Ben Roethlisberger's high ankle sprain, he couldn't step into his throws. Why couldn't he step into them? He couldn't put that full weight over the ankle because he couldn't advance the leg bone over the ankle joint without recreating that severe pain. And [Steelers center] Maurkice Pouncey, the reason he couldn't play in the Super Bowl with it is because of the stance he has to get in. That really stresses full weight bearing over that ankle joint.

You mentioned Roethlisberger and Pouncey, who play quarterback and center, respectively. Does Rob Gronkowski have any advantage or disadvantage over those two playing tight end?

SB: I think it's tough for him. Every time he takes a step it's hard to have your normal mechanics. Part of what Gronkowski does is he moves down the field. So everything mobility wise will be compromised. It's going to be harder for him to run. I'm not saying he won't be able to. One thing that's important to emphasize is we don't know the degree of his injury. So it's hard to know what kind of problem it will be. But the bonus the Patriots have is two weeks. Last week I wasn't surprised at all that he didn't practice. The idea is to keep him non-weight bearing, keep him in a boot, protect that area and accomplish as much healing in that area as you can. Really the key is to ensure he has as much maneuverability as possible by the time he gets to the game.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- One of the biggest heroes in the New England Patriots' locker room following their 23-20 victory against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game was backup cornerback Sterling Moore.

With time running out in regulation, Moore made the biggest defensive play of the game when he stripped the ball out of Baltimore receiver Lee Evans' hands at the last second to negate a potential game-winning touchdown. The Ravens subsequently missed a 32-yard field goal that could have forced overtime.

"It was just a split-second decision and I'm glad it worked out," Moore said. "We do that drill everyday in practice, but it was the first time I had to use it in a game, and I just took what I learned from practice into the game."

Here is some reaction to Moore's ... ahem ... "sterling" play:

Patriots LB Brandon Spikes: "You have to play through the whole play. His technique was [good]. I’m not in the secondary, but throughout the whole week the coaches put a big emphasis on playing all the way through. [Evans] had the ball, but [Moore] knocked it out. That was big."

Patriots safety James Ihedigbo: "That is why you have to play through the whistle. Like I said, Sterling made an amazing play. He didn’t see the ball coming and his back was turned. And as the receiver caught it, and before he could put two feet down, he slapped it out of his hand. That‘s just a split second. That is just great thinking, an amazing play there."

Patriots coach Bill Belichick: "[Moore] made some plays. Not perfect out there, but he competes hard and he’s a tough kid. He’s got good ball skills. He gets around the ball."

The Patriots and Ravens were the two best teams in the AFC all season. There was a very thin line that separated them in the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots executed better than the Ravens in the final minute.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco played better than New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the AFC Championship Game, right? Flacco threw for more yards, more touchdowns and fewer interceptions.

But according to the Total Quarterback Rating, Brady (66.5) was better than Flacco (45.6). Here is the explanation from the ESPN Production Analytics Team:

In an unusual turn, Tom Brady's biggest play of the game came on a successful fourth-and-goal TD rush that put the Patriots ahead in the fourth quarter. This sent the Pats' win probability from 47.3 percent to 63.2 percent. Of Brady's 45 action plays, 24 increased the Patriots' chance of scoring and 21 decreased their chances of scoring.

Brady finished with 239 yards, one rushing touchdown and two interceptions in a 23-20 victory. Flacco played, in my opinion, the best playoff game of his career in a losing effort. He threw for 306 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Flacco was the much more volatile QB in this game. After dividing the appropriate amount of QB credit for each play in the game, Joe Flacco had five of the six worst QB plays in the game. However, he also had five of the six best QB plays. Overall 23 of Flacco’s 46 action plays increased Baltimore’s chances to score and 23 decreased its chances to score.

I think the QBR missed on this one. Whether it was statistics or simply the eye test from watching the game in person, Flacco outperformed Brady. Even Brady admitted that he “sucked” in the AFC Championship Game. But the Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl, and that's all they care about this time of year.

Three things to know about Super Bowl XLVI, which will be played Feb. 5 between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots in Indianapolis:

1. Giant rematch: New England's 2012 playoff revenge tour continues. The Patriots entered the playoffs 0-3 in their previous three postseason games. The Patriots exacted revenge against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday in the AFC Championship Game. Baltimore knocked the Patriots out the playoffs following the 2009 season. Now, New England gets another chance at the Giants, who beat the then-undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII with a late touchdown drive four years ago. That was the last time both teams reached the Super Bowl.

2. Brady chasing history: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is chasing history on several levels. Brady is 16-5 in the playoffs and can become the NFL all-time winningest postseason quarterback with a win over the Giants. Brady would surpass his childhood hero Joe Montana. Brady also can tie Montana and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw with four Super Bowl championships.

3. "Gronk" will be ready: Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski suffered a gruesome left ankle injury that knocked him out the third quarter of the AFC Championship Game. He eventually returned in the fourth quarter but played on adrenaline. Gronkowski said he will be ready. But the ankle will probably experience some swelling over the next couple days and this will be a big injury to watch. "Gronk" has been a major part of New England's offense. He caught five receptions for 87 yards in the AFC title game.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had never been in a game quite like this. It was evident when the 22-year-old Pro Bowler stood up to watch Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff line up for a 32-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining.

Leading by three points, Gronkowski followed his instincts and wanted to see Baltimore's triumph or train wreck. That's just the kind of guy "Gronk" is. Meanwhile, most of his Patriots teammates couldn't stomach the situation and looked the other way.

"I watched it, and I looked around I saw everybody not watching it," Gronkowski explained, somewhat surprised. "It's whatever way you want to take it. But I watched it, and I was glad watching it."

Cundiff shanked a chip shot wide left to give New England a 23-20 victory over Baltimore in the AFC Championship Game. The surprising finish helped the Patriots advance to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis to face the New York Giants on Feb. 5.

Many of Growkowski's teammates didn't realize they were going to the Super Bowl until the crowd at Gillette Stadium reacted. The response on the New England sideline was that of shock, disbelief and jubilation -- all wrapped into one moment.

In the end, the Patriots knew they were pushed to their limits -- and thrived. Yes, New England had three losses in the regular season. But the Patriots learned more about themselves in Sunday's heart-stopping, back-and-forth slugfest with Baltimore than all three losses combined.

New England entered this postseason going one-and-done in back-to-back seasons. This Patriots team won last week against the Denver Broncos with skill. But getting past Baltimore on Sunday took pure will.

"We are a pretty mentally tough team," Patriots receiver Wes Welker said. "We don’t even really get down or get too high or too low or anything like that. We just try to stay steady and understand that we need to make plays. No matter what the circumstances or what happens out there, we’re in it together and that’s how we’re going to win games."

How tough was this game for New England? The Patriots had to do something you didn't see from them all season: win with their 31st-ranked defense.

New England's much-maligned group held a three-point lead in the fourth quarter by stopping the Ravens on the final three possessions -- OK, maybe two? possessions -- to seal the game. New England's offense, which averaged 40.5 points in its previous four games, scored only 23 points and committed two turnovers.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was responsible for the offensive turnovers with two interceptions and admitted, "I sucked pretty bad today." New England had issues moving the ball for long stretches and also stalled in the red zone, where the Patriots were two of five.

New England's defense gave up 398 yards but stuffed the Ravens when it mattered.

"[The defense] is the real MVP of this game, without a shadow of a doubt," Patriots Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters said. "I'm sure there are some things they want to clean up. But more than anything, we put them in some bad situations and they kept us safe and clean and kept us in the game."

New England and Baltimore were unquestionably the two best teams in the AFC. The difference between them Sunday was only a missed field goal. The Patriots were just a little bit better.

There was talk of New England not beating anybody of substance all season. Before Sunday’s game, the Patriots hadn't defeated an opponent that finished with a winning record. The Denver Broncos (8-8) were the only playoff team the Patriots had beaten. New England swept Denver in two games -- once in the regular season and once in the divisional round of the playoffs.

When I mentioned this to Patriots veteran running back Kevin Faulk, he shrugged and indicated he didn't care. The Patriots have won 10 games in a row and are heading to the Super Bowl.

"We never put those teams on our schedule. The NFL schedules that," Faulk said. "So we just have to play the teams that they schedule for us. It doesn’t matter what their records are. They’re still a football team that’s in the NFL."

New England didn’t play its "A" game Sunday. The Ravens had a lot to do with it. But looking ahead, the Patriots will have to play a lot better to win their fourth Super Bowl of the Brady-Bill Belichick era.

Brady wasn’t happy with himself after the game but he did tie his childhood hero, Joe Montana, for the most playoff wins in NFL history. This was the first time in a long time Brady didn’t have much to do with New England’s postseason win. His defense was finally there to back him up after Brady carried the Patriots with an MVP-caliber season.

Despite Brady's performance, Patriots owner Robert Kraft entered the locker room Sunday night with a big smile and the AFC Championship trophy in hand. Kraft said he was comforted by something Brady told him after the game.

"Well, here's what he said to me: He said to me, 'I promise you I’m going to play a lot better in two weeks,’” Kraft said. "He's still pretty good in my book. I’ll take him over any quarterback."

The Patriots knew they were good. But it took the 18th game of the season for the Patriots to truly learn their level of toughness and resilience.

After being pushed to the limit by Baltimore, the Patriots will go to Indianapolis confidently knowing their team is championship material.

Here are the most interesting stories Sunday morning in the AFC East:

• The time for talk is over. The New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens look to seize this opportunity to go to the Super Bowl.

Morning take: Both teams have been respectful and cordial all week in the media. But expect championship-level play and intensity in what should be a competitive AFC title game.

• New Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin will have full control over his coaching staff.

Morning take: This is often the case and good for Philbin. I sense there will be a clear delineation in Miami of who coaches (Philbin) and who picks the players (Jeff Ireland). Early hints are there won't be a lot of overlap.

• Former New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will take the same post with the St. Louis Rams.

Morning take: Schottenheimer failed to develop Mark Sanchez in New York. Can he develop another young quarterback -- Sam Bradford -- in St. Louis?

• Buffalo Bills rookie cornerback Aaron Williams grows into his role on the defense.

Morning take: I liked Williams coming out of the draft and he proved me correct by showing flashes as a rookie. Williams, a second-round pick, could be a starter at some point next season.

Here is scary news for the rest of the NFL: Tom Brady wants to play quarterback for the New England Patriots until he's 40 years old.

That means, theoretically, Brady and coach Bill Belichick plan to dominate the AFC East and keep New England in title contention until 2017. Brady will turn 35 next August.

But five more years? That is an eternity in the NFL, where the average career span is approximately 3-4 seasons. Does Brady have enough in the tank to play 17 years at such a demanding position?

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only four quarterbacks in NFL history have started on opening day past the age of 40. Warren Moon (41) was the oldest, followed by Brett Favre (40), Vinny Testaverde (40) and Johnny Unitas (40). Brady wants to become the fifth player to accomplish that feat.

Former quarterback and ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer played 14 seasons in the NFL and believes Brady will reach that goal. According to Dilfer, the key to quarterback durability is the lower body, not the upper body.

"What goes first with quarterbacks is their legs. Once you lose your legs, you kind of lose everything else," Dilfer explained. "I remember Kurt Warner talking about that late in his career, and obviously I experienced it. Every quarterback experiences it. I think Tom works hard enough to maintain the leg strength he needs to be as precise as he is, and I think he's a competitor that if he puts something in his mind that he's going to do something, he's a guy that goes out and does it.

"There's very few people in sports like that, talk about the Kobe Bryants and the greats in all sports. I think Tom is right up there. When he puts his mind to something, he's going to do it. So I fully expect him to be playing at 40 if he says he's going to."

It's hard to say when that window will close for Brady, who will lead the Patriots (14-3) in Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens (13-4). He's proved over the past dozen years that, as long as he's healthy, he's an elite player. Brady is an MVP candidate this season and, by far the best remaining quarterback in the playoffs.

A case can made that Brady's three best statistical seasons occurred after the age of 30 -- in 2007, 2010 and 2011. He also is coming off a record-tying, six-touchdown performance in a 45-10 playoff victory over the Denver Broncos. It was one of his top single-game performances.

Brady projects to be an elite player for at least the next two or three seasons. Injuries are probably the only thing that can derail him at this stage of his career.

Brady had reconstructive knee surgery and missed 15 games in 2008. Otherwise, he has had a clean bill of health. Outside of 2008, he has missed just one start since taking over the job in 2001.

"If anybody can pull it off, it's Brady, but like we saw with Peyton Manning, he could break down easier [with age] too," Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said. "Manning may never be the same. He may never play at that same high level. Who knows? If Brady hits one stumbling block like Peyton did, all of a sudden 40 is a long way away for him. But nobody is playing better than Brady right now."

Brady has been fortunate with pass protection throughout his career. He has been sacked 26 times or fewer in six of the past seven seasons.

Former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi was a longtime teammate of Brady's and knows firsthand the importance of protecting the veteran quarterback. Brady is a classic pocket passer who moves well in the pocket. But he doesn't have the ability to run away from defenders.

"As players progress up into the years, the more shots you take, the shorter the second half of your career will be," Bruschi said. "And I think Tom Brady will play as well as his offensive line, his protection, allows him. I think he's shown over the course of the last few years that there are the usual (ailments), they're becoming normal now. Late in the season where he had a rib or a shoulder or various injuries like that over the course of a season.

"You end up accumulating some damage, especially as a quarterback, because you're the most sought-after hit in terms of the defensive perspective. So if he can be protected, I think that goal is possible. He can play as long as he wants to."

Brady currently is playing with a left-shoulder (non-throwing) injury that has to be managed during the playoffs. This week Brady sat out of Wednesday's practice to rehab and watched extra film of Baltimore's defense.

An under-the-radar aspect of Brady's longevity could be the development of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Both have been tremendous weapons and security blankets for Brady in their second season together.

Throwing in the middle of the field is the quickest and easiest completion for quarterbacks. It also keeps the pass rush at bay.

"They're obviously a huge part of what we do," Brady said of his tight ends this week. "They are on the field quite a bit and they’ve been healthy so it’s been good to have them both out there. ... They're pretty good with the ball in their hands and break a lot of tackles so that’s definitely a plus for us also. We have a lot of yards after catch this year, and those two guys certainly do a great job with the ball in their hands."

Patriots owner Robert Kraft still remembers when the late-round draft pick came to Foxborough as a long shot in 2000. Kraft shared a great story about his first encounter with Brady this week.

"I still have the image of Tom Brady coming down the old Foxboro Stadium steps with that pizza box under his arm, the skinny beanpole," Kraft said. "When he introduced himself to me and he said, ‘Hi, Mr. Kraft’ and he was about to say who he was and [I said] ‘I know who you are, you’re Tom Brady, you’re our sixth-round draft choice.’ He looked me in the eye and said, ‘I’m the best decision this organization has ever made.' It looks like he could be right, although hiring Bill Belichick, I think, also has been a pretty good decision."

Brady's Hall of Fame legacy is secure. If he retired today, Brady already would be among the top quarterbacks ever to play the position. He has three Super Bowl rings and could tie his childhood hero -- Joe Montana -- for the most playoff victories (16) with a win over Baltimore Sunday.

But the difference between being a top-five quarterback and the greatest ever could come down to these next five years. Brady can tie Montana (four) and Terry Bradshaw (four) for the most titles in these playoffs. But if Brady plays through age 40, he has a legitimate shot at being the winningest quarterback in NFL history.

"I'm really happy that we have him as our quarterback," Kraft said. "I hope we have the best quarterback and coach in the history of the game. I guess to prove that, we have a little more execution that we have to do over the next few years. I certainly hope we do it."

» Conference Championship Final Word: Ravens-Patriots | Giants-49ers

Three nuggets of knowledge about Sunday's Ravens-Patriots AFC Championship Game:

Protecting Brady: One of the most underrated aspects of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's record-tying performance last week was his stellar pass protection. Brady was barely touched in a divisional-round win over the Denver Broncos. He threw for 363 yards and six touchdowns with zero sacks. Brady was hit only twice in 34 pass attempts. Pass protection once again will be key against an aggressive Ravens’ defense. Baltimore didn’t register a sack last week but traditionally has success getting to Brady, particularly with outside linebacker/defensive end Terrell Suggs.

Forgetting Wes: Much of the Patriots talk this week has focused on their talented tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. (We now call them the “Boston TE Party.”) The pair combined for 261 total yards and four touchdowns in the divisional round. But are people forgetting about Wes Welker? He led the NFL in receptions (122) by a wide margin this season and also led the Patriots in receiving yards (1,569). Welker quietly had six catches for 55 yards and a touchdown against Denver. The Ravens will be doing all they can to slow New England’s tight ends. That could create a lot of opportunities for Welker. He could see a lot of Ravens corner Lardarius Webb, who had two big interceptions last week against the Houston Texans.

The Ninkovich factor: One of the surprise stars in New England's win over Denver was linebacker Rob Ninkovich. The sixth-year player recorded five tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. But when you go deeper into the statistics, you discover Ninkovich is one of the tone-setters for the Patriots’ defense. Including the postseason, Ninkovich has all eight sacks in New England victories. In three Patriots’ losses, Ninkovich was a non-factor with 13 tackles and zero sacks.

One of the most interesting wrinkles New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick added following the team's bye week was an increased workload for tight end Aaron Hernandez at running back.

Hernandez carried the ball sparingly before. He had five carries for 45 yards this past season. His 9.0-yard average helped New England’s coaching staff further explore running the ball more with Hernandez in the playoffs.

The backup tight end led the Patriots in rushing with 61 yards on five carries (12.2 average) against the Denver Broncos. He ran for 43 yards on his first carry and showed good vision and athleticism.

It turns out Hernandez played a lot of running back in high school. Denver's defense was caught by surprise.

Will Hernandez get more carries against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game? It remains to be seen. But his performance against Denver certainly gives the Ravens something to think about.

With that said, New England already gained an edge here even if Hernandez isn't used as a running back this weekend. Baltimore has to spend time preparing for it either way.

The good news for the New England Patriots is offensive assistant Josh McDaniels recently drew up a game plan this season against the Baltimore Ravens. McDaniels is the only coach in the building who faced the Ravens this season as offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams.

The bad news for New England is McDaniels' game plan didn't work. The Ravens crushed the Rams, 37-7, in Week 3. St. Louis' offense only registered 244 yards of total offense.

With that said, can McDaniels make an impact in the AFC Championship Game? The former Denver Broncos head coach was a big story in the divisional round. McDaniels received credit for providing valuable intel on his former team. New England played a near-perfect game against the Broncos.

The Patriots last played the Ravens in 2010. Where McDaniels can really help New England is with input on defensive changes under first-year Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. In that way, McDaniels will have some input. But don't expect the same impact as last week.

Home teams are an astounding 7-1 in the NFL playoffs. Is this great news for the New England Patriots?

The Patriots, winners of nine straight, will host the Baltimore Ravens Sunday in the AFC Championship Game. This year is proving to be extremely difficult to win on the road in the postseason. Only the New York Giants upset the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field.

As usual, New England has been dominant at Gillette Stadium. Including playoffs, the Patriots are 8-1 at home. Their only home loss was to the Giants.

The Ravens are familiar with Gillette Stadium and will not be intimidated. Baltimore made three trips to Gillette Stadium since 2009 and played well in all three meetings. New England won two of three, but the Ravens beat the Patriots in the playoffs following the 2009 season.

But this year the Ravens have been inconsistent away from home. They defeated playoff teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) and Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) on the road. But Baltimore also lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) and Seattle Seahawks (7-9) away from M&T Bank Stadium.

What does a record-tying, six-touchdown performance get you in the playoffs?

For New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, it got him a near-perfect Total Quarterback Rating.

Brady recorded a 95.1 of a possible 100 QBR in a 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos. The ball barely touched the ground for Brady. He was 26-for-34 passing for 363 yards, six touchdowns and one interception.

Brady averaged 10.68 yards per attempt and did pretty much anything he wanted against Denver's defense. His QBR is the highest of any quarterback of the postseason.

Patriots fans have to feel confident in the way Brady is playing. He had another stellar season, but Brady saved his best performance for the playoffs in a must-win game. He is peaking at the right time.

Expect the Brady factor to be huge this week in the AFC Championship Game against a very good defense of the Baltimore Ravens.

Three things to know about Sunday's AFC Championship Game between the Baltimore Ravens (13-4) and New England Patriots (14-3):

It's only fitting: The Ravens and Patriots have been the best teams in the AFC all season, so it's only right that they settle it on the field to see who represents the conference in the Super Bowl. Baltimore and New England did not meet during the regular season. The teams last met in 2010 when New England won in overtime. The Patriots and Ravens also split two meetings in 2009, with New England winning in the regular season and Baltimore winning in the playoffs.

Quarterback disparity: New England's biggest advantage will be at the most important position: quarterback. The Patriots have Tom Brady, who is coming off an NFL-playoff record six touchdown passes and 363 yards passing against the Denver Broncos. Brady is peaking at the right time. Meanwhile, Baltimore counterpart Joe Flacco is inconsistent. Flacco had another shaky postseason outing against the Houston Texans on Sunday, completing 14 of 27 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Clearly, Flacco must play better at New England.

Patriots' D needs to keep momentum: Was it New England's defense, or was it the opponent? The Patriots played their best defensive game of the season, holding the Broncos to just 10 points and 252 yards. New England baffled Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, holding him to 136 yards passing and sacking him five times. New England will be tough to beat if its defense maintains this level of play. Of course, the Ravens have more dynamic weapons on offense and present a stiffer challenge than the Broncos.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- These are not your 2009-10 New England Patriots.

These Patriots didn't go one-and-done. These Patriots crushed the myth of Tim Tebow with a convincing 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.

These Patriots have a killer instinct in the postseason. These Patriots aren't playing around.

Want proof?

New England led by as many as 35 points in the second half -- and starting quarterback Tom Brady played every snap. He threw for 363 yards and tied an NFL playoff record with six touchdown passes.

These Patriots are scary. They saved their most complete game of the season -- on both sides of the football -- for the playoffs.

These Patriots are dangerous. They won an NFL-high ninth game in a row.

These Patriots even brought a few smiles to coach Bill Belichick's face after the game. Everyone knows that's no small feat.

"I'm really happy for the players; I'm really excited for them," Belichick said. "They worked hard, and they put up with me. So they deserve this."

These Patriots have tight end Rob Gronkowski. And Aaron Hernandez. There is no better tight end duo in the NFL.

Gronk tied an NFL record with three first-half touchdowns. He finished with 10 receptions and 145 yards. The 22-year-old could be on his way to a Hall of Fame career.

Hernandez caught four passes for 55 yards. To everyone's surprise, he also is a pretty good running back. Belichick had two weeks to prepare for Denver and added another wrinkle by giving Hernandez five carries for 61 yards. New England's versatile backup tight end, who played some running back in high school, led the team in rushing.

"Everybody makes plays on this team, and that is why our offense is so dangerous," Hernandez said. "It is hard [for the defense] because they don’t know who to cover."

Patriots Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters played most of his career with another great tight end in Kansas City: Tony Gonzalez. But Waters said he's never had two tight ends on the same team who were this talented.

"I mean, what do you do?" Waters asked. "The fact that Gronk is able to block as well as he does and the fact that he can be a mismatch problem anywhere on the football field is a great thing. But his ability to block allows us the ability to do some things with Aaron that a lot of teams can't do."

These Patriots don't have a great defense. But that's OK. At least it played lights-out for one postseason game.

These Patriots held the Broncos to 252 total yards and made Tebow look like a Division II quarterback. He was baffled and battered. He was 9-for-26 for 136 yards and a fumble. He also was sacked five times.

Can these Patriots keep up this level of defense the entire playoffs? Who knows? But New England's defense looked great for one night.

"Really, this was our first four-quarter game," Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich (1.5 sacks) said of the defense. "This is a one-game season now. So coming into this game, we knew the loser is going home and they’re not playing again. So we put in a lot of work."

Enough about the defense. Because New England's offense is averaging 40.5 points in its past four games. These Patriots are extremely hard to beat with that kind of production. On Saturday, these Patriots had 42 points with 11:53 left in the third quarter. How scary is that?

Most importantly, these Patriots have Brady. He looks as sharp and focused as ever. Brady, 34, knows his title window won't stay open forever. He sliced the Broncos with precision and completed 26 of 34 passes.

These Patriots have a chance as long as Brady is at the top of his game. With Drew Brees eliminated Saturday, Aaron Rodgers is the only playoff quarterback remaining on Brady's level. But Brady won't have to see Rodgers unless they meet in Indianapolis.

Speaking of the Super Bowl, these Patriots have an intense sense of urgency to get there. In large part, it comes from Brady, who is already looking beyond Saturday's record-setting performance.

"I think we have eight days until the biggest game of the year," Brady said. "From this point on, everyone will be focused on what we need to do to be better next week and hopefully come out and play for another championship."

These Patriots (14-3) will host the AFC Championship Game next week at Gillette Stadium against the Houston Texans or Baltimore Ravens. These Patriots will be favored at home against either team, especially after a 35-point drubbing of Denver.

This AFC East blogger predicted these Patriots would represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

These Patriots are one step away from getting the job done.