Surgery for Gronk

Pollard is notorious for injuring Patriot
players, doing the same to Gronkowski.

Rob Gronkowski's ankle may have it's own Twitter account (@GronksAnkle) with 349 followers, but it had much more important things to worry about on Friday.

The New England Patriot tight end underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his injured left ankle and is expected to make a full recovery within 10 weeks. Despite Gronkowski saying he was "100 percent" following this team's Super Bowl XLVI lost to the New York Giants, it was clear that was not the case.

Gronkowski only caught two passes from quarterback Tom Brady for 26 yards. But it was the play that the second-year tight end couldn't make that really swung the momentum on Super Sunday.

Clinging to a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter, New England was in the middle of a four-play, 23-yard drive before, on the fifth play of the drive, Brady pulled a Houdini-like escape from the vaunted New York pass rush and heaved the ball down the field to Gronkowski.

The pass was under thrown and intercepted by linebacker Chase Blackburn. Gronkowski did is best to make a play on the ball -- a play he normally makes if healthy. It was the only turnover of the game.

Gronkowski, along with teammate Matt Light, were under heavy scrutiny earlier in the week after a video was released of the two partying and dancing after the loss. And while Gronkowski looked limited on the gridiron just hours earlier, it didn't seem that way on the dance floor.

All in all, it was a great season for the Patriots and Gronkowski.

The 22-year-old emerged as the most dominate tight end the NFL this season, setting records in the process. Gronkowski finished the regular season with 17 receiving touchdowns and 1,327 yards -- both single-season records for a tight end.

'Gronk', as his teammates call him, added three more touchdowns to his total in the postseason before suffering his high-ankle sprain in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, beginning the talk of the most famous ankle in sports history.

Oddly enough Gronkowski injured his ankle on a tackle by safety Bernard Pollard. It's not the first time Pollard has injured a significant member of the New England franchise. In Week 1 of the 2008-09 season, Pollard, then a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, was responsible for the low hit on Brady's left leg that torn his ACL and had him miss the entire season.

The following year, in Week 17 against the Houston Texans, with a healthy Brady and the Patriots primed for another deep playoff, wideout Wes Welker caught a first quarter pass and ran for 13 yards before trying to make a move on Pollard, to avoid a tackle. In the process, Welker also torn his ACL and was lost for the rest of the season.

Not any one player can win a team a Super Bowl, but Brady, Welker and Gronkowski were all key components to making their respective teams go, leaving the Patriots to wonder, what could have been.

Pollard is a free agent after the 2012-13 season -- a free agent the Patriots should look into, living by the old cliche, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Championship Sunday Preview: Fun In Foxborough

Are you ready for some football?

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots:
It was just two years ago that the stingy Baltimore Raven defense invaded Foxborough, handing Tom Brady his first career postseason loss at home.

In their wild-card matchup on Jan. 10, 2010, Baltimore's Ray Rice took the first play from scrimmage 83 yards for a touchdown, giving his team a lead they would never requlish. At the time it was the longest rushing play of Rice's young career and the second longest rush in NFL postseason history.

Rice hopes to have a repeat performance of
his first postseason trip to New England.

Baltimore held a 24-0 after the first quarter and despite quarterback Joe Flacco only completing four passes for 34 yards, the Ravens went on to win the game, 33-14.

Most of their production came from the ground game, with Rice rushing for 159 of the team's 234 total rushing yards. The Ravens hope for much of the same against the 17th-ranked rush defense. This season, Rice completed his third straight season with at least 1,200 rushing yards, setting a career-high with 1,364. He also set career-highs in attempts (291) and touchdowns (12), but it might be his all-around game that makes him one of the most dynamic and dangerous backs in the game today.

The 24-year-old running back caught 76 passes out of the backfield this season for 704 yards, averaging just under 10 yards per completion at 9.3.

And while the New England defense will be saddled with the assignment of stopping Rice, Baltimore's D will need to shutdown the prolific and efficient Patriots' offense. Led by their veteran core group of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs, whose 14 sacks were good enough for the team lead, they know it would be their final shot to retaste Super Bowl glory.

Slowing down the tight end tandem of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez should be the key to the Ravens' success.

As for the Patriots, Brady and Co. head into Sunday's AFC Championship game confident as ever after torching the Denver Broncos last week, 45-10 and winning their first playoff game since the 2007-08 season, where they beat the San Diego Chargers also in the AFC title game.

Brady, who is coming off a record-setting performance with six touchdowns passes, five coming in the first half, remembers this Baltimore defense far to well. In his first postseason loss at home, the former sixth-round pick was sacked three times, while also throwing three interceptions.

Brady has seen enough of the Raven D and is
seeking his revenge.

In that loss, he threw for just 154 yards and no matter what he says, it still stings today.

Brady is 4-1 in his career against the Ravens, including the playoffs. In those games, the three-time Super Bowl champion has throw six touchdowns, but six interceptions, three obviously coming in one game. And now with a 9-2 career record at home in the postseason, he will not let history repeat itself.

Even though Baltimore was undefeated at home this season, they posted a 4-4 record on the road and head into one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. Although, history tends to repeat itself.

Trying to make their fifth Super Bowl appearance in the last 11 years, New England will be out for revenge and ready to settle the score.

BAL X-Factor: Ray Rice


NE X-Factor: Tom Brady


New England, 27-21

Tommy Boy

Saturday night, Brady looked as sharp as
ever and forced people to talk about
  him even when they still wanted
to discuss Tim Tebow.

Not use to playing second fiddle to anyone, much less a second-year quarterback, New England Patriots' Tom Brady made sure that didn't happen Saturday.

In their highly anticipated rematch with the Denver Broncos, New England's offense came out firing on all cylinders. Brady threw two first quarter touchdowns, which was significant given the fact he had only throw one first quarter touchdown in his last 11 postseason first quarters.

It was the beginning of a record-setting night for a determined Brady-led offense.

Loser of three consecutive playoff games, including the last two coming in Gillette Stadium, and many saying the two-time league MVP's postseason mystic had faded, Brady threw a NFL postseason record five touchdowns in the first half, giving New England a commanding 35-7 lead at the half.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Brady is the last quarterback to throw five first half touchdowns
in any game, regular season or postseason. That game coming in Week 6 of the 2009-10 season in a 59-0 pounding of then-winless Tennessee Titans.

Finishing the game with a record-tying 6 TD passes and 363 yards, Brady continues to cement his legacy as one of the greatest field generals in NFL history. His 36 career postseason TD passes are third most all-time, trailing only Joe Montana (45) and Brett Favre (44) and the most by a quarterback in franchise history. Brady's 363 passing yards are also a franchise record for the most in a single playoff game.

The former sixth-round pick now has throw a touchdown pass in 18 consecutive postseason games, second only to Brett Favre's 20.

Three of Brady's six touchdowns came with tight end Rob Gronkowski at the receiving end, tying a postseason record for the most receiving touchdowns in a postseason game.

Gronkowski, who caught a record and league leading 17 TDs this season, was one of three tight ends on the day to total 100-plus receiving yards and catch two touchdown passes, but the only one to catch three TDs. There has been only one other tight end to accomplish these feats in the last 25 years.

Miami's Keith Jackson was the last to do so, catching 8 passes from Hall of Famer Dan Marino for 109 yards and two scores in their 22-21 Divisional Round loss to the San Diego Chargers in January of 1995.

If that weren't enough, Brady and head coach Bill Belichick surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Chuck Noll for the most postseason wins for a quarterback-head coach tandem with 15.

Earlier this year Brady and Belichick eclipsed Marino and Don Shula for the most wins (124) for a quarterback-head coach duo in NFL history.

It was the second time Belichick got the best of Denver's John Fox in the postseason. The first was in Super Bowl XXXVIII, when Fox was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

While New England's historic season will continue, the Broncos and Tim Tebow's magical, improbable and unconventional run will not. Never holding a lead in their eventual 45-10 loss, Denver looked outmatched from the get-go on the Patriots' opening 5-play, 80-yard, touchdown drive.

It was the Broncos' inability to matchup and tackle tight ends Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. In the teams two meetings this season both of New England's tight ends combined for 443 total yards and 5 TDs.

Meeting with Coach Belichick postgame, it was
a long night for Tebow and Co.

One wrinkle the Patriots incorporated in their offense Saturday was offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, who recently accepted the head coaching job at Penn State, lined Hernandez up in the back field, having him carry the ball five times, including a 43-yard carry that step up Brady's first touchdown pass.

New England's defense also decided to show up, recording 14 plays for negative yardage. That is most in a playoff game since 2007, when the Pittsburgh Steelers also had 14 plays dip into the red in their wild card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Overall, for a player that experienced so much criticism before starting an NFL game, the 2011-12 season was a success for Tebow.

Tebow took over a 1-4 Bronco team, lead to a six-game-winning streak, five fourth quarter comebacks, including three overtime victories, an AFC West title and unbelievably dramatic overtime win on Wild Card Weekend against the defending AFC Champion Steelers.

Whatever the future holds for Tebow, he has proven one thing already, he can win in the NFL. And in the end that's all that matters.

Just ask Tom Brady.

Divisional Round Preview: Saturday

As the NFL enters the Elite Eight, many teams take the field for the first time this postseason, looking to leave their footprints on the game while ending the hopes of others doing the same.

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers:
Winners of nine games in-a-row, including the postseason, the Drew Brees-led New Orleans Saints head to the City by the Bay to engage in what should be a hard fought battle for a ticket to the NFC Championship game.

After getting on to a slow start last week and overcoming two early turnovers against the Detroit Lions, Brees and Co. exploded much like that have all season long with arguably the greatest offense in league history. Brees continued his record-setting season, throwing for 466 yards that included 3 touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Colston had a monster game to open the
postseason and could be prime for
another in San Francisco.

Wide receiver Marques Colston caught seven of Brees' thirty-three completions for 120 yards, averaging 17.1 yards per catch. He could be Brees' main target once again against San Francisco.

Most of New Orleans' success in recent years has come at home, something they continued this season. The Saints posted an 8-0 home record during the regular season and averaged 41.1 points per game. However, they will be a long way from home Saturday and need to show many they can play on the road if they want to capture another Super Bowl title.

All three of the Saints' losses this season came on the road, where their offense is not at potent. Sean Payton's offense averaged just 21.5 point per game away from the Superdome and in the franchise history, the Saints have never won a road playoff game, going 0-4.

If that weren't enough, New Orleans is taking on one of the stingiest defenses in the league.

Ranked as the top rushing defense in the NFL, the 49ers will need to improve their pass defense to stop the high powered Saints air attack. New Orleans was the top passing offensive in the league this year, averaging 334.2 yards per game, while the San Francisco secondary wasn't that good.

A Jim Harbaugh-led defense ranked 16th in pass defense, but flourished in a number of other major defensive categories. The Niners' 38 takeaways (23 interceptions, 15 fumbles) were a NFL-best, tying them with the Green Bay Packers. They were also in the top five in opponents rushing yards per game (1st), opponents points per game (2nd) and opponents yards per game (4th).

With Willis healthy, the Niners are
hungry in their first playoff
appearance since 2002.

A healthy Patrick Willis should also add energy and leadership to an already dangerous defense.

On offense, San Francisco is led by former first-overall pick Alex Smith, but rely on a heavy dose of running back Frank Gore to keep the chains moving. Gore played in all 16 games this season and rushed for over a 1,000 yards for the sixth time in his career. The Niners will need him to pound the rock and control the clock if they are to have any chance of ending Bree's magical season.

One thing to watch for his the play-calling of Saint's defensive coordinator Greg Williams. It is no secret that Williams has made New Orleans the most blitz-happy defense in the NFL, but he might refrain from doing that too much against Smith and Co. Why?

Smith was the fourth-best quarterback in the league this season when facing the blitz. Showing his poise in the pocket with the extra rusher, Smith had a 96.0 passer rating against the blitz, while throwing 8 TDs compared to only 1 interception.

NO X-Factor: Gregg Williams


SF X-Factor: Patrick Willis


New Orleans, 31-24


Denver Broncos at New England Patriots:
The magical story that is the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow continues Saturday in Foxborough. There they take on the highly regarded New England Patriots in a rematch of their Week 15 meeting in Denver. A game that ended Denver's impressive six-game winning streak and sent them on a three-game tail spin.

That was until last week, when Tebow and Co. shocked many by upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers and their No. 1 ranked defense in overtime, 29-23. Now they are faced with task of handing Tom Brady his third straight home postseason loss.

Von Miller has been a defensive force in
his rookie campaign

Tebow will be without leading receiver Eric Decker, who injured his knee last week in the win over the Steelers. However, in their 41-23 loss to New England on Dec. 18, the Broncos ran for 252 yards, which could be a major factor given the playing conditions.

While many discuss Tebow as the main ingredient for success in New England, it will need to be the young Bronco defense that hold the key to their success and needs to contain Brady. A defense that still looks like it will be without the 16-year veteran presence of safety Brian Dawkins.

Linebacker Von Miller, along with another rookie, safety Quinton Carter, will need to help veteran Champ Bailey command a defense up against some of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the game.

As for the Patriots, Brady is not use to sharing the limelight, but that is exactly what he's done this week with Tebow coming to town.

While many are concerned about how the Patroit defense will handle Tebow a second time around, Brady is worried solely on how to beat a franchise that he hasn't had much success against in his career. Brady is 2-6 in his career against the Broncos, one of those wins coming this year.

To make matters worse, head coach Bill Belichick's is only 4-10 all-time against the Broncos and is 4-6 since becoming the head coach of the Patriots.

Gronkowski could follow in Aaron Hernandez's
footsteps and have a big game against
Denver.

In the Patriots' win over Denver earlier this year Tebow's former teammate at Florida and tight end, Aaron Hernandez, torched the Broncos secondary for 126 yards and a TD. With Denver sure to not let that happen again, look Rob Gronkowski to continue his record-setting season and be one of Brady's main targets like he has been all season long.

New England, who had won ten straight playoff games with Brady under center until they lost to Denver in 2005 division-round, has lost three straight postseason games, including two straight at home.

All that talk can come to an end if Brady and Belichick end Tebow's improbable run.

DEN X-Factor: Von Miller


NE X-Factor: Rob Gronkowski


Denver, 24-21

Grab-kowski

Gronkowski has enjoyed the best season by a
tight end in NFL history.

In what has been a record-breaking season for New England Patriots' tight end Rob Gronkowski, the 6-foot-6 second-year player can add to his already impressive resume.

Less than an hour after New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, who is also in his second year in the NFL, broke Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow's 1980 single-season mark of 1,290 receiving yards for a tight end and increasing his total to 1,310, Gronkowski answered the bell.

With 1:30 remaining in the Patriots' final game of the regular season and it well in hand, Bill Belichick and Co. decided against taking a knee and give the 22-year-old a chance at history. Gronkowski was on the receiving end of a 22-yard pass play from second-string quarterback Brian Hoyer, pushing the former Arizona Wildcat's total to 1,327 on the year, ending Graham's brief reign at the top.

Gronkowski finished the game with 8 catches, two of those coming in the end zone and 108 yards. As for Graham, he also caught 8 passes, but just fell short of the century mark with 97 yards receiving.

Earlier this season, Gronkowski broke the NFL record for most receiving touchdowns in a single-season by a tight end. He finishes this season with 17 receiving touchdowns and 18 total TDs. The mark had been previously held by San Diego's Antonio Gates, who caught 13 TD passes in 2004, and was later tied by San Francisco's Vernon Davis in 2009.

It was just a week ago that Gronkowski surpassed Ben Coates (1,174) for the most yards by tight end in the franchise's history. Coates set his mark back in 1994 with Bill Parcells at the helm and Drew Bledsoe under center.

Gronkowski is only the seventh tight end in history to surpass 1,200 yards in a season and now has 27 TDs in 33 career games, including the postseason. He caught 21 TDs in his first 27 games in the NFL. That is the fewest games ever needed by tight end to reach that mark.

It's not the first time a receiver has flourished under the dynamic duo of Belichick and Tom Brady.

Recently retired wideout Randy Moss caught a record 23 TD passes in his first season (2007) with the Pats, while Brady threw for a NFL record 50 TDs that same season.

Speaking of Brady, just a week after Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke Hall of Famer Dan Marino's  27-year single-season passing yardage record, Brady followed suit. Needing just 188 yards entering Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills to accumulate the second most passing yards in NFL history, Brady passed for 338, bringing his total to 5,235.

At the time, Brady became only the third quarterback in league history to pass for over 5,000 yards in a single season.

Detriot's Matthew Stafford also decided to crash the party, becoming the fourth in history to join the elusive club, passing for 520 yards in his team's 45-41 loss to the Green Bay Packers and finishing the year with 5,038. Marino and Brees are obviously the other two, but Brees is the only quarterback to do so twice. In 2008, the future Super Bowl MVP also tossed for 5,000 yards, passing for 5,069.

As for the team, New England turned the tables on Buffalo and overcame a 21-point first half deficit, scoring 49 unanswered points. It was in Week 3 that the Patriots held a 21-0 lead only to have the Bills come all the way back and hand them there first loss of the season, 34-31.

The win captures the No. 1 seed in the AFC for New England and home-field advantage throughout the postseason, ensuring the road to Super Bowl XLVI goes through Foxobrough.

Giants Bigger Than Brady

Manning celebrates following his
fourth quarter touchdown pass.

Eli Manning one-upped New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady once again.

In their first regular-season meeting since Super Bowl XLII, where Manning handed Brady and Co. their first loss of the 2007-'08 football season, scoring in the final minute to seal an improbable Super Bowl win, the New York Giants did more of the same Sunday in New England.

After the first scoreless game at the half so far this year in the NFL and New England being shutout for the first two quarters for the first time in 74 games, the scoring picked up and the Patriots found themselves down 17-13 in the fourth quarter.

Despite the Giants' defensive line dictating much of the game, Brady orchestrated his 35th comeback in the game's final period or overtime with a 14-yard strike to tight end Rob Gronkowski on fourth and eight with 1:36 to play in regulation.

It looked like Brady, who mounted a fourth quarter come from behind win against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, was going to add to his legend, instead it was Manning furthering his legacy as the last-minute magician against the Pats. The eight-year veteran out of Ole Miss conducted an 8-play, 80-yard drive, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard, who hauled in a 28-yard pass from Manning earlier in the drive that helped set up his third touchdown reception of the season.

The drive also included a season long 12-yard first down run from Manning.

New York's touchdown was the fourth and final lead change of the quarter, as Brady was unable to do much with the generous 15 seconds Manning left him.

When referring to himself as an elite quarterback at the beginning of the season, many shook their head in disagreement, but Manning has done his best to prove the doubters wrong.

Manning tossed 2 touchdown passes in the game's final three minutes and three seconds, giving him 15 on the season, compared to his 6 interceptions. He has racked up 2,377 yards and a career-high 98.8 quarterback rating through his team's his eight games. The Giants are now 6-2 on the year, tying themselves with the Detroit Lions for the second-best record in the NFC.

Also representing their conference proudly, New York becomes the first NFC since 2002 to win game in Gillette Stadium, ending an 18-game losing streak.

As for New England, the loss snaps at 20-game regular season home winning streaking, dating back to November of 2008 when then-quarterback Matt Cassel, who was filling in for the injured Brady, lost in Foxborough to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 33-10.

It also ends the longest home winning streak by a quarterback in NFL history. Prior to Sunday, Brady had won 31 consecutive regular season games in Foxborough. However, Brady has lost each of his last two postseason games at home.

Much like in Super Bowl XLII, Brady found
himself pressured and on his back Sunday.

The loss drops New England to 5-3 at the half way point in the season, putting them in three-way tie atop the AFC East, joining the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, who host Bill Belichick and Co. next week on Sunday Night Football.

History repeated itself Sunday like it almost always tends to do, while Manning proved once again he is an elite quarterback in the NFL.