Brady to play 7th AFC Championship in 11th year as starter

The NFL's winningest postseason quarterback is right where he belongs; on the verge of leading his team to yet another Super Bowl appearance. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has made it to the AFC Championship almost twice the amount of times that he hasn't. Seven times in his 11 years as a starter (not counting 2008 when he was injured). This is an astounding accomplishment. Regardless of the amount of doubt that the Patriots face throughout the regular season, they manage to keep level heads then
make their way to the conference championship. Here's
a list of season results since Brady
became starter in 2001.

2001 - Super Bowl Champions
2002 - Missed Playoffs
2003 - Super Bowl Champions
2004 - Super Bowl Champions
2005 - Lost in Divisional Round (to Broncos)
2006 - Lost in AFC Championship (to Colts)
2007 - AFC Champions, lost in Super Bowl (to Giants)
2008** - Missed Playoffs (invalid because Brady was injured)
2009 - Lost in Wild Card round (to Ravens)
2010 - Lost in Divisional Round (to Jets)
2011 - AFC Champions, lost in Super Bowl (to Giants)

With a 6-1 record in the conference championship game since Brady became a starter, the Pats still have much to prove. Anything short of a Super Bowl victory is considered a disappointment. The franchise demands excellence. Belichick and Brady supply it. Still though, the Patriots haven't reach their ultimate goal since the 2004 season. We'll see if they can pull it off this year.