WEEI’s Jerry Thornton with the Divisional Round, Patriots VS. Ravens, recap:
Things to consider while basking in the afterglow of the best erotic thriller since “A Gronking to Remember”:
— Sometimes I just hate being right. A few weeks ago, when there were still eight or nine teams alive in the AFC playoff picture, I did the mental gymnastics and decided the one possible I wanted no part of was Baltimore. I couldn’t exactly tell you why. Whether it was because I don’t think the Patriots match up well against them or institution memory of the times they’ve played out of their minds in the postseason or just good old fashioned irrational paranoia, the Ravens have been the monster in my closet for the last month or so. And now I understand why I felt that way. Because I was right.
— The Ravens are Soviets in the 1940s. I hate the SOBs. They’re the products of a corrupt and evil system that belongs on the ash heap of history. But I can’t help but admire how tough they are. And the playoffs are their Stalingrad, where they’ll endure the elements, outfight superior opponents, sacrifice hundreds of lives to gain yards, and eat their own dead if that’s what it takes to survive. I despise them, but I can’t say I don’t respect the bastards.
— Without question, the key to winning this battle was the superweapon that is Tom Brady. You know all that talk about how the key to beating the Patriots is that, “€when you pressure Brady, he gets rattled.” Yeah, about that …