Tom Brady looked more like the rattled unproven quarterback Sunday against the Ravens, but in the end, one of the league's worst defenses did just enough to hold on to a 23-20 victory in a back-and-forth AFC Championship game. Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal with 15 seconds to go that would've tied the score at 23-23. Instead, The Patriots are headed to their fifth Super Bowl this century, although it's their first postseason victory since 2007.
The Patriots struggled to move the ball all day on the Ravens' defense, generally considered one of the NFL's best. Brady looked uncomfortable in the pocket, which would explain the uncharacteristic wildness. He ended the day 22 of 36 with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Brady did score a rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak near the goal line, but it was still one of his worst performances in recent history.
Still, the defense did just enough to keep the Patriots' season alive. Brandon Spikes recorded a second-half interception that preserved New England's three-point lead (a play later, Brady threw his second pick giving Baltimore renewed life), and on that last fateful drive, cornerback Sterling Moore, who began the season on the Raiders' practice squad, made back-to-back plays -- one saving a touchdown and the other breaking up a pass to bring up fourth down.
Moore had missed a critical tackle earlier in the half that led to a Torrey Smith touchdown and he more than made up for it in the end.
No one saw this headline -- Brady Struggles, Defense Saves Him -- but that's exactly what happened in Foxboro Sunday evening. Now Bill Belichick has two weeks to prepare his team for another Super Bowl.
