This was from USA Today

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Mainstays, tight ends help Patriots reach Super Bowl

 

 

Five reasons why the New England Patriots advanced to Super Bowl XLVI:

ustrong ownership: New England had never won a Super Bowl and had hosted one playoff game before Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. The three- time champion Patriots will be making their sixth Super Bowl appearance under Kraft, more than any other team since 1994. They have hosted 15 playoff games, rolling to a 13- 2 mark. Kraft’s hiring of Bill Belichick in 2000 after Belichick had produced one winning season in five years with the Cleveland Browns surpassed all expectations. He keeps ahead of the salary cap by stripping emotion from decisions.

ubrilliant coaching: Belichick’s record says it all. He ranks ninth all time in victories with a 191- 103 mark and has led New England to 11 consecutive winning seasons. The hard- charging man beneath the hoodie is the only coach to win three Super Bowls in a four- year span and the first coach to produce 13 or more wins in five seasons. His 17- 6 postseason record trails only Vince Lombardi ( 9- 1) in winning percentage.

 

utom terrific: Tom Brady is one Super Bowl win away from equaling Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for the most among quarterbacks with four. His 16- 5 postseason mark equals Montana for most playoff wins. With unflappable, demanding Brady at the controls, New England amassed a franchise- record 6,848 yards during the regular season.

udouble trouble: When New England selected tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in the second and fourth rounds in the 2010 draft, it created matchup nightmares. Gronkowski, who is 6- 6, 265 pounds, set NFL records this season for receiving yards ( 1,327) and touchdowns ( 18) by a tight end. Hernandez closed with 79 catches for 910 yards and seven scores.

uall about turnovers: Every coach preaches the need to win the turnover battle. New England makes it happen. The Patriots finished third with a plus 17 turnover ratio during the regular season to trail only the San Francisco 49ers ( plus 28) and Green Bay Packers ( plus 24). New England’s maligned defense produced 34 takeaways, including 23 interceptions by a shuffled secondary.

 

 

This is what the Ravens need to start doing.

[SpearSrai]

Tl;dr, but is "because Lee Evans learned to catch in Buffalo" on the list?

[thesteelhurtin]

Yeah the steelers are going to have to do that this year. 25 mil over hurts.

[OutsideRzAcE]

The Ravens don't have Tom Brady and Bill Bellichek papa. If you have Tom Brady you can stay competitve with a bunch of role players.

[vmax]

The Ravens winning record is damn good....one of the best in the past decade so they know how to run an NFL franchise.

 

They cut Heap, Gregg, Mason, McGahee and McClain last year despite emotions. There's more heading out of town this year.

They cut Billick and his fat contract.If they had somebody to replace Ray and Ed we'd see them. They are not on the roster at this time so you go with your best. Instead of replacing Ray and Ed they got other stars like Suggs, Ngata, Rice, Flacco, Webb, maybe soon to be Jimmy Smith, Torry Smith.

Getting emotional is not the problem.

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It isn't just hat moves are made. They will be made one day no matter what. If you make them at the right time you can maximize a return of talent for them.

[Dunno]

One thing I think NE does better than almost any other team is trading, whether it is picks for picks in the future or non-core players for picks.

 

I really wish Ozzie would start copying that.

[SpearSrai]

One thing I think NE does better than almost any other team is trading, whether it is picks for picks in the future or non-core players for picks.

 

I really wish Ozzie would start copying that.

 

Ozzie is among the top 5 pick-traders in the league.

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He trades picks for picks. He rarely trades a player for picks.

[SpearSrai]

He trades picks for picks. He rarely trades a player for picks.

 

He does, however, trade picks for players.

[ForceEight]

We aren't (and haven't really been) a depth team like New England, for example. It wouldn't be worth his time to try trading players for picks.

[cravnravn]

Where is, "The Officials should have reviewed the Lee Evans catch and drop"

[cravnravn]

One thing I think NE does better than almost any other team is trading, whether it is picks for picks in the future or non-core players for picks.

 

I really wish Ozzie would start copying that.

 

I cant agree, if he was so good how come his D sucked?

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There is a reason why NE has been in 5 of 11 SB's since they turned it around. They treat picks like gold. They get them as often as possible. It is something that should be copied.

[Dunno]

When talking about trading picks with regards to NE, one must also factor in that they trade picks for higher picks in the future.

 

Ozzie has done it, Jamal Lewis for example, he just doesn't do it enough. Yes, the first year you do it, it does hurt you, but every year afterwards (if you continue the practice) you keep picking a round or more higher than you would have otherwise. To me, the long term benefit seems clear.

 

Not that it easy to do, mind you, but I would love for the Ravens to start anually trading picks for higher picks in future years.

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Short term hardship for long term benefit.

[SpearSrai]

There is a reason why NE has been in 5 of 11 SB's since they turned it around. They treat picks like gold. They get them as often as possible. It is something that should be copied.

 

Because they hit on a hall of fame QB in the 6th round?

 

No matter how great the Pats drafts go the past 11 years, they probably don't make a single Supe Bowl without Brady.

 

That's really all that matters in this conversation.

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That is more than likely very true. But it has allowed them to move all over the board in other ways.

[SpearSrai]

That is more than likely very true. But it has allowed them to move all over the board in other ways.

 

Same thing with the Colts. While Peyton is the QB, Bill Polian is a GM-genius. When Peyton Manning goes down, they barely win two games and everyone - including the Polians- gets canned.

 

Giants with Eli, Jerry Reese is a genius. Until Roethlisberger, the Steelers couldn't make it to the Big Dance.

 

And everyone knows how much having solidity at QB has made our coaching staff look more competent than it probably is, whereas everyone we had before Flacco on offense was awful.

 

You could argue that we actually have had MORE success than New England, outside of the quarterback position, because we have consistently found stars at the top of the draft, while they keep trading down.

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Same thing with the Colts. While Peyton is the QB, Bill Polian is a GM-genius. When Peyton Manning goes down, they barely win two games and everyone - including the Polians- gets canned.

 

Giants with Eli, Jerry Reese is a genius. Until Roethlisberger, the Steelers couldn't make it to the Big Dance.

 

And everyone knows how much having solidity at QB has made our coaching staff look more competent than it probably is, whereas everyone we had before Flacco on offense was awful.

 

You could argue that we actually have had MORE success than New England, outside of the quarterback position, because we have consistently found stars at the top of the draft, while they keep trading down.

 

 

I have not really watched what the NFC GM's are doing so I can't make any comment there.

 

The Squealers also were helped having the new stadium built. It allowed them to sign guys and not lose everyone the second they were FA's. The made it to so many AFCC games during the 90's it is sick.