Patriots Look to Advance to Eighth Super Bowl

The New England Patriots are playing in their ninth AFC Championship Game on Sunday. They are 7-1 all time in AFC Championship games. That is third all time behind the Pittsburgh Steelers 15 and the Oakland Raiders 11. The Pats have by far by best win percentage of those three teams and will tie the Steelers with an eighth Super Bowl appearance with a win on Sunday.

The Patriots have been to the AFC Championship Game seven times in the last 12 years. In their five previous Super Bowl trips out of the six AFC Championship games already played this century, they won three. The Patriots have never lost an AFC Championship Game at home either, going 5-0. Last year, the Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20. Baltimore is this year’s opponent as well. Quarterback Tom Brady had led the Patriots in all seven of those previous AFC Championship games since 2000. He is already a lock for the Hall of Fame. Should New England go on to win the Super Bowl again this year, he will be tied with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana with four Super Bowl wins as a starting quarterback. Those are the facts, and they are why the New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl.

Oddsmakers love the Pats. They have installed them an 8 to 8.5 point favorite over the Ravens.

The San Francisco 49ers have five Super Bowl wins in their storied history. But none with anyone currently associated with the team. That Atlanta Falcons have never won a Super Bowl, having only played in one back in 1999. The Baltimore Ravens have won one Super Bowl, back in 2001, before the patriots went on this incredible run under Brady and coach Bill Belichick. This will give the Patriots a huge advantage. For them, this is old hat. They have been here many times before. The lights will be bright for the other three. No them. Brady is going to be cool under the pressure and that is why they will win

Prediction: Patriots 35 Baltimore 31