Danny Amendola stepped up when the Patriots needed him, plus 6 other things we loved from Championship Sunday

Danny Amendola was the hero the Patriots needed on Sunday.

Rob Gronkowski went down with a concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit in the first half. Playing without Gronk is something that the Patriots are used to. But of course, you’d want arguably the best tight end to ever play football on the field for you in the AFC Championship.

But Amendola did a little bit of everything for the Patriots and turned into the target that the Patriots thought he would be when they first brought him in for the 2013 season. He had seven receptions on nine targets for 84 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a better quarterback rating than Tom Brady with his one 20-yard pass to Dion Lewis.

Amendola’s second score of the night was the one that won the Patriots the game. He was able to fully extend and keep his feet in bounds against the NFL’s best secondary:

After the game, Lewis spit some truth on Amendola’s performance. “Amendola’s fucking animal. A fucking animal.”

He was indeed, a fucking animal. And this is why the Patriots have been able to maintain dynasty status. They get performances out of seemingly random players when they need them in these moments. Remember when Chris Hogan had his last year?

Now the Patriots will play in yet another Super Bowl, looking for their sixth title of the Brady-Belichick era.

Here’s what else we loved on Championship Sunday.

Patrick Robinson’s pick-six was the main highlight of this play — as it should be. He cut back across the field for one of the longest 50-yard touchdowns you’ll ever see:

But hold on, let’s appreciate how Ronald Darby thought he was going to put a block on Jerick McKinnon.

McKinnon blew up his spot. It was a force similar to that of Bo Jackson on the Boz many years ago. McKinnon barely even lost momentum:

That was just vicious. Robinson is lucky that McKinnon didn’t get to him; he would have been next.

But to be fair to Darby, he did enough to get the job done, so there’s that.

We had no idea in the moment that the Vikings would have nothing else to celebrate for the rest of the NFL season after Kyle Rudolph’s opening drive touchdown reception. Yet here we are.

They made the most of it, with a curling celebration with Stefon Diggs and Latavius Murray doing the sweeping:

Now that the Vikings are out, they can prepare for the Winter Olympics.

For real though:

It’s unfortunate the Vikings had to go out the way that they did, but we’ll always have the Minneapolis Miracle.

Unless something wild happens in the Super Bowl, that’s going to be the moment of this postseason.

Football players are incredible athletes, and often times it shows up in the biggest moments of games.

For Stephon Gilmore, that was the case on Sunday. The Jaguars needed a first down on a fourth-and-14 from the Patriots’ 43-yard line. Gilmore leaped, and with one arm fully extended, perfectly deflected Blake Bortles’ attempt at heroics:

The Patriots picked up Gilmore during the offseason in free agency from Buffalo. We’re used to seeing the Patriots take players from other teams and have them show up in big moments for them.

We hadn’t really seen that this season out of Gilmore, but when his number was called he came through in the biggest moment of their season.

Myles Jack’s NFL story has been an interesting one and an inspiring one. He fell into the second round of the 2016 draft because of a knee injury that cut his college career short. Then he admitted his knee had degenerative aspects that could require future surgery.

But he’s made an impact with the Jaguars, and he made a huge play when they needed one after chasing down Lewis to force this fumble:

Unfortunately for the Jaguars, the play was blown dead, seemingly prematurely, which would have likely given them a game-clinching touchdown had it not occurred.

It was tough to see the Jaguars go out the way that they did. But they’re a young team that could get even better on defense, which is scary to even think about.

It’s all about solving the quarterback situation. Then there’d be no stopping the Jaguars.

The best meme from Sunday’s action came when a referee was seen smiling with a group of Patriots after a James White touchdown late in the first half:

I mean, a referee with a joyous smile like that with a bunch of players from the NFL’s greatest dynasty, down in a game to one of the NFL’s dumpster teams in the AFC Championship game is hilarious if you assume the worst.

*I* am not saying that the referees had it in for the Jaguars. I am simply a huge fan of good internet memes, and that’s all this is.

So please spare me the grumpy emails, Patriots fans. It’s OK when people joke about your team. We all go through it, trust me. At least your team is winning while it happens, right?

Look at this happy fella:

Maybe he’s not a complete robot after all!

Vikings fans did the “Skol” chant on the Rocky steps.

Brady and Jalen Ramsey had words.

Leonard Fournette is mean.

Eagles fans were lit pregame.

Amendola’s second half was all the fire emojis.

How the Patriots beat the Jags.

James Harrison helped the Patriots get to the Super Bowl.

Mike Trout had on a dog mask.

Brady and the Patriots are used to the comeback thing.

FLEA FLICKERZZZZ.

The cheerleaders aren’t worried about your fake fight.

[SKOL voice] “FOLES!”.

The Eagles rolled over the Vikings.

The loudest “Fly, Eagles, Fly” singing you’ve ever heard.

Tony Romo sent us out right.

Patriots 24, Jaguars 20

Eagles 38, Vikings 7