It's 1,839 miles from Foxboro to Houston (yes I looked it up), but the Patriots can get on the plane and head there right now. That's a pretty arrogant statement, but it's as true as Adam Vinatieri's game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI to kick off the dynasty.
With Denver and Baltimore missing the playoffs, the Giants are the ONLY team in the playoffs to have beaten the Patriots in a postseason game since 2001. In postseason play, Tom Brady and company are a combined 5-0 against the 5 other AFC teams in this year's playoffs.
Furthermore, the Patriots are 3-0 this season against their potential opponents in the AFC Divisional round (2 wins against Miami & 1 against Houston). Did I mention the fact that they started THREE different quarterbacks in those games? Jimmy Garoppolo shredded Miami in Week 2 before getting hurt. On a short week Jacoby Brissett led New England to a 27-0 win over Houston. Remember, that was his first career start. And just last week Tom Brady squished the fish to clinch the #1 seed.
What makes life even better for the Patriots is that Kansas City and Pittsburgh will have to beat up each other just to reach the AFC Title Game (assuming a Steelers win on Sunday). Even though in the video above my sports anchor Raul Martinez predicts the Steelers will give New England the most issues, I just don't see it. Tom Brady has 26 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 11 career games against Pittsburgh, and HE hasn't lost at home against them in his entire career. If it ends up being the Chiefs, you know Andy Reid will mess it up somehow.
The bottom line is this. If the Patriots don't reach the Super Bowl, it will be their biggest underachievement since losing to the Jets in the 2010 AFC Divisional playoff. Everything's lined up their way, and there's no excuses for not representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.
All I ask is that somebody please beat the Giants in the NFC because I've seen that act twice before and I was sick for days.
Craig Kolodny is a Sports Producer at NBC Boston. Follow him on twitter @NBCBostonCraig
