Five things to know about the Patriots
January 22, 2018 at 1:39AM
1. The Super Bowl is old hat. The Patriots are making their NFL-best 10th Super Bowl appearance and are 5-2 in Super Bowls under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
2. Brady is a 40-year-old marvel. Brady turned 40 in August but is showing no signs of slowing down. Sunday's comeback marked the fourth time in a playoff game that he has led the Patriots to victory when trailing by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter.
3. Rob Gronkowski is the X-factor. At 6-6, 265 pounds with freakish athletic ability, tight end Gronkowski is a matchup nightmare. He left Sunday's game because of a head injury, so that will be something to monitor.
4. Dion Lewis is an unexpected force. Lewis is a 5-8, 195-pound running back who was hardly a household name when the season began. But he led the Patriots with 896 rushing yards this season and scored 10 touchdowns.
5. Their defense is vastly improved. Since Week 4, New England has led the NFL in points allowed at 14.0, with the Vikings second at 14.7. That's one reason the Patriots overcame a 2-2 start.
Joe Christensen
about the writer
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
