Patriots took care of the Raiders earlier in the season in week 3.
Patriots took care of the Raiders earlier in the season in week 3.

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The New England Patriots are back in the AFC Championship for the first time since season 2. Thanks to their record of 13-3 they earned a first round bye and came away with a narrow 1 point lead, in large part thanks to the gamble that failed the Miami Dolphins. The win came at a high price though, as star QB Tom Brady suffered a Pectoral Strain and will miss at least 2 weeks and MLB Jarod Mayo is out the remainder of the playoffs with a shoulder strain.

The Oakland Raiders finally got over the divisional hump by knocking out the AFC North champions Pittsburgh Steelers. The game was close until the 4th quarter when the Raiders scored 10 points and won by a final of 24-10.