FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Gillette Stadium soundtrack during TV timeouts is ripped from a 1980s middle school dance, but somehow it fits. As The Outfield wails that they don't wanna lose your love tonight, Rick Astley swears he's never gonna give you up and The Knack thumps out an ode to their Sharona, it can feel as if the New England Patriots have been playing the same playoff game here for 30 or 40 years.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have beaten nine different teams in the divisional round of the playoffs, and Saturday night's 34-16 victory delivered them to a sixth straight AFC Championship Game.