No Super Bowl winner has won less than 10 regular season games (Giants).
The Patriots won 13 regular season games, none against a team with a winning record. New England had second easiest schedule in NFL.
Tom Brady is 9-2 at home in the playoffs in his career.
Baltimore is 9-0 this year when Ray Rice gets 20 or more carries.
Baltimore has covered 5 of last 6 games this year against teams with a winning record.
New England has gone over the total in 8 of the last 9 games.
New England has won 9 games in a row. Baltimore has won 8 of last 10.
New England is first in total offense in the AFC. Baltimore is 3rd in total defense in the AFC.
Although Tom Brady is 4-1 in AFC Championship games, Brady has only a 83.7 passer rating in these games on 91 of 143 for 1000 yards with 6 tds and 5 picks.
Since getting blown out by the Saints on the road, the Giants have beaten the Cowboys, Jets and Packers on the road.
The Patriots are 15-4 all-time against the AFC North in the regular season since the division was formed in 2002.
The only AFC North losses for New England are against the Steelers (three) and Browns (one). New England is 1-1 against the AFC North in the postseason with a 2004 AFC Championship Game win at Pittsburgh and a 2009 loss at home to Baltimore.
The majority of TV experts are predicting a Patriots/Giants Super Bowl.
A LOOK AROUND THE WEB ON RAVENS AT PATRIOTS
Andy Benoit says the Patriots’ offense is the best the Ravens have seen all season, but Ray Lewis’ defense is the best the Patriots have seen as well.
Harbaugh is 5-3 in the playoffs, with each of his losses to the AFC’s Super Bowl representative that season. That’s not bad. But it’s not his goal or the goal of his football team. Making it to the Super Bowl is, and last time I checked, Harbaugh was waiting on his first trip there with the Ravens.
Pete Prisco says Ray Rice might be key for the Ravens, but they have to make some plays down the field, and Joe Flacco will – it just won’t be enough.
Mike Freeman says the Patriots have the easiest rode to the Super Bowl in the Bill Belichick era, maybe the easiest road of any potential Super Bowl champion in years.
Ryan Wilson says in order for the Ravens to get to the Super Bowl, the defense will have to have its best game against Brady. Offensively, Joe Flacco will need to step up and avoid silly mistakes.
Will Brinson says the Patriots are a shockingly high favorite in this game and are the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick believes S Ed Reed is one of the best safeties to ever play. The feelings are mutual from Reed to New England’s offense. “You have to keep your eyes on all of them,” Reed said. “They’ve got a bunch of weapons and we know that.”
OC Cam Cameron doesn’t believe the notion that QB Joe Flacco needs to match Tom Brady throw for throw in Sunday’s AFC Championship. “We’re not going out there trying to outperform the other QB,” Cameron said. “We’re trying to play to the way the defense is playing us.”
The Patriots know they have to do a better job against Ravens DT Haloti Ngata, who had two sacks in the 2010 regular-season matchup between the two teams.
For the second consecutive day, S Ed Reed (ankle) is the only player listed on the injury report. Reed was limited in Thursday’s practice. Reed is expected to play after rolling his ankle at the end of Baltimore’s 20-13 divisional round win over Houston.
“I just missed practice, that’s all,” Brady said. “Not much more than that, really. We’re facing a great team, great challenges — certainly the best team we’ve faced all year. Everyone needs to be at full strength, though. It’s going to be a very physical, tough, hard-nosed game. We need everyone at full strength.”
John Clayton says, For the Ravens to win, they must clean up several things. If not, the Patriots will be heading to their fifth Super Bowl with Tom Brady at quarterback.
Jamison Hensley: As we’ve seen so far in the playoffs, home field has really been an advantage. Only one home team (Green Bay) has lost so far this postseason.
A LOOK AROUND ON THE WEB ON GIANTS AT 49ERS
“We are not going to be denied,” safety Antrel Rolle said. “We are not going to be denied at this point. We understand what we have as a team. It’s not all talent, it’s about chemistry and we are jelling at this point. Coaches and players being on the same page at the same time. We have one mind, to win a championship.”
Andy Benoit says the 49ers may have made believers out of some with their old school style back in Week 10, but the Giants hadn’t gelled on the O-line and were without Ahmad Bradshaw.
Pete Prisco says Frank Gore will have to get the running game going for the 49ers, but the Giants are following the same formula they did when they won it all in 2007.
Ryan Wilson says it took almost seven years, but Alex Smith is finally playing like a first-round draft pick and needs to sustain his success.
New York isn’t playing like the 2007 version of themselves; they’re playing like last season’s Super Bowl champs.
The Giants and 49ers met six times in the playoffs from the 1981 to 1993 seasons. Four times the victor won the Super Bowl.
Is Las Vegas hoping for a 49ers win?
The Giants are the best team remaining, with a high-powered offense to go with a staunch defense.
