America's Worst Nightmare is BACK: The Patriots are Going to the AFC Championship.

I hope everyone in 45 1/2 United States (bite me, Western Connecticut) enjoyed your six year break from the reality of the New England Patriots crashing your Conference Championship Sunday. From 2011 through 2018, there was no getting away from them. And now, after brief break, they're back. A different coach. A different MVP-caliber quarterback. But ready to haunt your dreams just like before. Second verse, same as the first. Meet your new boss, same as the old boss. 

I'll obviously have 2,500 words on this game in the morning. But just know this. What everyone predicted, that there was an elite, shutdown defense taking the field that was going to make like a living hell all game did, in fact, come true. You just had the wrong defense. It was the Patriots D who pounded CJ Stroud into submission and decimated Houston. Stroud completed just 42% of his passes, threw 1 touchdowns and an astounding 4 interceptions, with a passer rating of just 28.0

Drake Maye? He became the only quarterback in 2025 to throw 3 TDs, against 1 INT, and a passer rating of 100.7. While predictably under duress all night. Yes, with 4 fumbles and 2 lost. But in the long run, no one will every remember. They'll just know that he's won the first two postseason games of his career. And his defense and special teams did everything they needed to to put a very good, well-coached Houston team in their place. 

So much for the talk about how the Patriots haven't beaten anyone. 

And now? This is the guy standing between the Pats and their chance to ruin everyone's Super Bowl Sunday:

Congratulations, Pats fans. Our long, regional nightmare is over. The rest of the football world's is just beginning. All over again.