FOXBORO, Mass. — Bill Belichick was a man of few words upon being handed the AFC championship trophy Sunday night. But his initial comment sure resonated with New England Patriots fans.
“Well, Jim, I only have one thing to say,” Belichick said after CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz handed him the hardware following the Patriots’ 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium. “We’re on to Seattle.”
The Patriots will face the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1 in Glendale, Ariz., as Seattle rallied to defeat the Green Bay Packers in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. New England can ride into the contest feeling good about its chances, but Belichick’s club certainly isn’t going to change its ways with one victory separating it from championship glory.
Belichick, of course, uttered the phrase “We’re on to Cincinnati” in response to five different questions following the Patriots’ 41-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4. The whole “We’re on to (team X)” concept since has taken on a life of its own, in many ways becoming a mantra for the 2014 Patriots.
If the Patriots can pull off one more victory in two weeks at The Big Toaster, Belichick will be able to lay the groundwork for an epic celebration by declaring, “We’re on to a parade.”
For now, the focus is on the Seahawks. Go figure.
Thumbnail photo via Matt Slocum/The Associated Press
