New England Patriots Win, Will Face Giants in Super Bowl: A Fan’s Reaction

The New England Patriots are going to the Super Bowl!

The New England Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens by the score of 23-20 on Sunday, January 22. With the win, they will advance to Super Bowl XLVI to face the New York Giants on Sunday, February 5.

It will be another classic Boston/New York rivalry matchup, one the two cities know all too well across the board in professional sports.

Tom Brady, who did not play like his usual dominant self had a rare "off" game allowing two interceptions on the day. He completed 22 of 36 attempts for only 239 yards. Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis led the ground attack with 15 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown.

"Well, I sucked pretty bad today, but our defense saved us," Brady said "I'm going to try to go out and do a better job in a couple of weeks, but I'm proud of this team, my teammates."

For a defense that has faced tough criticism, they stepped up when it was most important; saving an offense that was held to just 330 yards on the day. With three turnovers on the day, the score could have easily been in favor of the Ravens when all was said and done.

For the defense, Brandon Spikes shined with five tackles, four assists, and a 19-yard interception. Jerod Mayo recorded five tackles, three assists, and a pass deflection, but Sterling Moore, and his two pass deflections mattered most late in the game to prevent Baltimore from reaching the end zone.

Perhaps the greatest contributor of all for New England was Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff. He missed a 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining in the game. If made, it would have tied the score with the decision likely to be decided in overtime.

An entire season riding on one kick, and a miss ended it all. Ravens' faces were shocked and New England players celebrated.

The Super Bowl will likely be touted as a rematch as the Giants stunned the 18-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl just four years ago. New England fans have not forgotten while New York fans will be all too happy to remind them of the history.

In any case, the Patriots should be ready for what will likely be a very exciting game.

More New England Patriots Commentary from this Contributor:

An open letter to Tim Tebow from a Patriots' fan: A fan's look

New England Patriots anxiously await their next opponent: A fan's take

Tim Tebow runs out of miracles, Patriots defeat Broncos 41-23: A fan's reaction

New England Patriots squeeze by Redskins on huge game from Gronkowski: A fan's reaction

Patriots end slump, defeat Jets: A fan's reaction

Sources:

All stats provided by NFL.com

Associated Press - Patriots in Super Bowl, beat Ravens 23-20

Paul Rados is an avid New England Patriots fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.