After running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored the New England Patriots’ first touchdown in the American Football Conference championship game on Sunday, during his celebration he pointed to the black patch, which all his teammates have worn the whole season: “MHK.” The late Myra Kraft, the beloved wife of Pats owner Bob Kraft who died shortly before the season (and whom contributing editor Joan Nathan fondly remembered on The Scroll), has turned into something like a patron saint for a franchise that, despite the 13-3 record and top seed, made its way to its fifth Super Bowl in 11 seasons only after being served the Denver Broncos on a platter last weekend and, yesterday, barely making their way past the Baltimore Ravens, who, offensively challenged as they are, failed to push the game at New England’s home field into overtime only after their kicker missed a 31-yard chip shot at the end of regulation for the 23-20 loss.

The second game, for the National Football Conference championship, was even better and made you feel even worse: better, because it was a true defensive battle, in the rain, at historic Candlestick Park; worse, because the San Francisco 49ers, last year a 6-10 team, had made for a wonderful story by building themselves up to 13-3 and a first-round bye with defensive grit, stellar special teams, and only 10 turnovers in 16 games, only to lose this game because of … two turnovers in the kicking game (committed, incidentally, by the same player, a young wide receiver filling in for normal return man Ted Ginn, who was out with an injury). Just a heartbreaking loss. And the New York Giants’ 20-17 overtime victory means that, for the second year in a row, the NFC will be represented in the big game by its 9-7 sixth seed who got hot.

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