2019 -- H 5155

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LC000898

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS ON THEIR SPECTACULAR WIN

AT THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

     Introduced By: Representatives Marshall, Mattiello, Shekarchi, Kennedy, and Filippi

     Date Introduced: January 22, 2019

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, The New England Patriots hadn’t won an AFC Championship Game on the

road since the 2004 season, but on Sunday, January 20th, 2019, they broke that barrier when they

won a thrilling 37 to 31 overtime victory over the Chiefs in Kansas City; and

     WHEREAS, The Patriots, played in their eighth straight championship game, the most in

the NFL Super Bowl era. In the last eighteen years, Quarterback Tom Brady and Coach Bill

Belichick made it to nine Super Bowls, winning five thus far. Together, they have also made the

NFL playoffs sixteen times in the last eighteen years and have finished in first place, (outright or

tied) in the AFC East for seventeen of the last eighteen years; and

     WHEREAS, After thrashing the Los Angeles Chargers at home in the first round of the

playoffs, the Patriots entered the championship game as the underdogs against an explosive

Chiefs team led by their phenom quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, it was the Patriots who

took control of the game early as they dominated the first half and finished it with a 14 to 0 lead

thanks to a strong running game that consistently gashed the Chiefs front wall, the accurate

passing of Tom Brady, the sterling play of the Patriots offensive line and a Patriots defense that

smothered Mahomes and shut down their vaunted passing attack in the first half; and

     WHEREAS, In the second half, the Chiefs showed why they had arguably been the best

NFL team for most of the regular season as they stormed back to take the lead in the fourth

quarter. From there the game became a nail-biting see-saw affair with both offenses looking

unstoppable. The Patriots took back the lead and later regained the lead thanks to the tough

running provided by Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead, and the key catches made by Rob

Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, James White and Chris Hogan. When the Chiefs tied the game with

a field goal with eight seconds left, one of the greatest championship games in NFL history was

heading to overtime; and

     WHEREAS, In overtime, on the road and in a very difficult environment, once again

Tom Brady showed why he is inarguably the greatest NFL quarterback of all time as he marched

the Patriots down the field from their own twenty-five yard line to victory and another appearance

in the Super Bowl. Brady got the Patriots to the Chiefs' ten yard line thanks to an array of

accurate passes all over the field to Hogan, Edelman and Gronkowski, and they let bruising

running back Rex Burkhead put the game away with three straight handoffs; and

     WHEREAS, The New England Patriots, thanks to the great coaching provided by Head

Coach Bill Belichick, and the incomparable quarterbacking provided by the ageless wonder,

Tom Brady, have added another chapter to their legacy as the greatest dynasty in NFL history

with their incredible win in the Championship game over the Kansas City Chiefs. They now head

to Atlanta to play in Super Bowl LIII (53) against the Los Angeles Rams on February 3, 2019.

Hopefully, the Patriots will be adding their sixth Super Bowl Victory to their trophy case; now,

therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby congratulates New England's beloved Patriots on their outstanding

season and spectacular win in the AFC Championship game and wishes them victory in the

upcoming Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and New England

Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

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