FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots weren’t even done with their victory over the Houston Texans when Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo started firing barbs at the Pats in advance of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
“He wasted no time, huh?” Patriots tight end Michael Hoomanawanui said with a chuckle.
Nope. In a series of tweets Ayanbadejo questioned the fortitude of the Pats’ hurry-up offense, threw in a Spygate reference, mentioned the 18-1 record of the 2007 spoiled by a loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII and took a shot at the team for cutting wide receiver Tiquan Underwood on the eve of the Super Bowl last year.
AYANBADEJO: Ravens LB lets loose on Patriots[1]
KEY LOSS: Gronkowski out for playoffs after breaking forearm[2]
The Pats weren’t biting. But they also didn’t seem too affected by it.
“I can’t speak for everybody but me personally I’m not on the social network, Facebook, none of that,” cornerback Aqib Talib said. “So that’s in one ear and out the other.”
Said guard Logan Mankins, “It’s always settled on Sundays.”
Not on Twitter, huh?
“We’ve got other things to worry about, like who to block, how to run a route, what routes we’re running,” Hoomanawanui said, adding of Ayanbadejo’s shot at the hurry-up offense: “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. We’ll keep doing what’s working for us and what’s going to get us a victory.”
PATRIOTS: Offense adjusts on the fly[3]
This has turned into a nice little rivalry between these teams, dating back to a near-upset by the Ravens late in that 18-1 season Ayanbadejo referenced. A bad Ravens team lost on a late touchdown pass by Tom Brady to Jabar Gaffney, with then-Ravens linebacker Bart Scott getting called for a personal foul on the play. Scott got another one (and a $25,000 fine) when he picked up the flag and threw it into the stands.
Two years later, the Ravens knocked New England out of the playoffs with a 33-14 first-round upset keyed by an 83-yard touchdown by Ray Rice on the first play from scrimmage. In 2010, the Patriots knocked off the Ravens in overtime. Last year, the Ravens almost pulled off a last-minute victory in the AFC Championship game, but Lee Evans dropped what would’ve been the game-winning touchdown and Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal that would’ve tied it.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Full recaps, schedules and lookaheads[4]
And this past September, Patriots coach Bill Belichick chased down and bumped a replacement official that ruled Ravens kicker Justin Tucker had made a 27-yard field goal to win it when the ball sailed over the upright. Belichick was fined $50,000 for the incident.
Given the history, the stakes and Ayanbadejo’s stoking the fire early on this one, perhaps we should expect a …
“Bar fight?” said Hoomanawanui, who will see increased time with Rob Gronkowski out with a forearm he broke once again on Sunday.
Sounds about right.
“From what I saw in Week 3, what I was a part of, I don’t think the world would expect anything less,” Hoomanawanui said. “That’s what we’re going to get prepared for starting tomorrow.”
PHOTOS: PATRIOTS TOPPLE TEXANS
References
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/01/13/ravens-brendon-ayanbadejo-patriots-tweets/1831133/ (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/patriots/2013/01/13/rob-gronkowski-broken-forearm/1831147/ (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/01/13/patriots-bill-belichick-resourceful-ravens/1831729/ (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/12/10/nfl-playoff-picture-now/1758235/ (www.usatoday.com)
