FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - You again!
Ray versus Tom.
Tom versus Ray.
Oh yeah, the Ravens and Patriots, along for the ride. Ray Lewis' last ride, one Tom Brady hopes to cut short on Sunday in the AFC championship game.
A year after a brutal last-minute loss in Foxborough, Baltimore is back, looking for a reversal of fortune and a spot in the Super Bowl for the first time since winning it in 2001. If the Ravens fall again, Lewis' superb 17-year career as the NFL's best linebacker of his era will end as he retires.
Brady, the most successful quarterback of his time, has no thoughts of retirement - or of failing to make his sixth Super Bowl in the last dozen seasons.
That Lewis and Brady will bring a mutual admiration society to Gillette Stadium adds some flattery to what has become an intense rivalry.
"Both sides understand the game of football," Lewis said. "There have been some great, great rivalries and we have one of those going on with New England now."
Adds Brady: "It's really a pleasure to play against him. He's really been so consistent over the years and durable and tough. He's so instinctive."
At the forefront in this rematch, naturally, is Brady, who has won three NFL titles and would be only the second player to reach six Super Bowls by leading New England (13-4) past Baltimore (12-6). And there's Lewis, the most dominant inside linebacker the league has seen since the heyday of Mike Singletary.
Brady is all about composure, accuracy and even sophistication. Lewis brings aggression, ferocity and mayhem to the field.
An odd couple, indeed, but one that appreciates the attributes of the other.
"He doesn't give up hardly any plays, makes a ton of tackles," Brady said of the 37-year-old Lewis, who missed 10 games with a right triceps injury, but has been a tackling machine in the postseason.
No one can be more amped-up for this opportunity than Lewis. No one, of course, raises his teammates to a more fevered pitch than Lewis.
But what the Ravens need Sunday is discipline to go with the fervor. Otherwise, Brady will pick them apart.
For all the energy and clutch plays Baltimore's defense has made since Lewis returned, it remains vulnerable because its three biggest stars - Lewis, safety Ed Reed, outside LB Terrell Suggs - are aging and not nearly 100 percent healthy.
There's also the exhaustion factor: The Ravens have played one more postseason game than the Patriots, and went into the sixth period last week at Denver.
The leaders of those teams, Brady and Lewis, aren't exactly one-man bands. Indeed, Brady seems to make everyone into a star - witness third-string running back Shane Vereen's three touchdowns against Houston - and Lewis isn't the best Raven on defense right now, end Paul Kruger is.
Baltimore must deal with Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez, Brady's top targets - star tight end Rob Gronkowski is out with a broken left arm - and 1,000-yard rusher Stevan Ridley. The Ravens need to find a way to penetrate a line that yielded only 27 sacks, second in the AFC.
It also must be remembered that Ravens QB Joe Flacco outplayed Brady in the 23-20 AFC championship defeat last January. Flacco and receivers Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones have been particularly dangerous on deep balls in this postseason.Original Print Headline: Brady, Lewis meet again
AFC Championship Records
SCORING
Most points: 18, Larry Csonka, Miami vs. Oakland, 1973; Kenneth Davis, Buffalo vs. Los Angeles, 1990; Thurman Thomas, Buffalo vs. Kansas City, 1993.
Most touchdowns: 3, Larry Csonka, Miami vs. Oakland, 1973 and Kenneth Davis, Buffalo vs. Los Angeles, 1990; Thurman Thomas, Buffalo vs. Kansas City, 1993.
Most field goals: 5, Steve Christie, Buffalo vs. Miami, 1992; Adam Vinatieri, New England vs. Indianapolis, 2003.
Longest field goal: 51 yards, Pete Stoyanovich, Miami vs. Buffalo, 1992.
Most points after touchdown: 6, George Blair, San Diego vs. Boston, 1963; Uwe von Schamann, Miami vs. Pittsburgh, 1984; Scott Norwood, Buffalo vs. Los Angeles, 1990.
RUSHING
Most attempts: 33, Thurman Thomas, Buffalo vs. Kansas City, 1993.
Most yards gained: 206, Keith Lincoln, San Diego vs. Boston, 1963.
PASSING
Most attempts: 54, Neil O'Donnell, Pittsburgh vs. San Diego, 1994.
Most completions: 32, Neil O'Donnell, Pittsburgh vs. San Diego, 1994.
Most yards gained: 421, Dan Marino, Miami vs. Pittsburgh, 1984.
Most touchdowns: 4, Dan Marino, Miami vs. Pittsburgh, 1984.
RECEIVING
Most receptions: 11, Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis vs. New York, 2009.
Most yards: 190, Fred Biletnikoff, Oakland vs. New York, 1968.
Most touchdowns: 2, Don Maynard, New York vs. Oakland, 1968; Haven Moses, Denver vs. Oakland, 1977, Dave Casper, Oakland vs. Denver, 1977; Charlie Joiner, San Diego vs. Oakland, 1980; John Stallworth, Pittsburgh vs. Miami, 1984; Mark Duper, Miami vs. Pittsburgh, 1984; Brian Brennan, Cleveland vs. Denver, 1989; James Lofton, Buffalo vs. Los Angeles, 1990.
INTERCEPTIONS
Most interceptions: 3, A.J. Duhe, Miami vs. New York, 1982; Ty Law, New England vs. Indianapolis, 2003.
