Watch Patriots Celebrate, Bill Belichick Address Team After AFC Championship Victory
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Super Bowl is still over a week-and-a-half away, so it's OK to soak in the Patriots' thrilling AFC Championship victory for a little while longer. And thanks to a video posted on the team's website, we're getting an inside look at how the Pats celebrated after yet another epic postseason win.
We already got a look at just how emotional the Patriots were after their overtime win, especially quarterback Tom Brady. But head coach Bill Belichick remained calm throughout it all, keeping his usual stone-faced demeanor as he talked with reporters after the game.
Belichick was much more animated and excited inside the New England locker room.
The video starts with center David Andrews sitting at his locker completely out of breath, showing just how exhausting the overtime triumph (and subsequent celebration) were for the team. Then we get a look at an extremely happy Belichick hugging each of his players as they make their way into the New England locker room. He even has a smile on his face.
Players share hugs, Robert Kraft gives out some smooches and the word "unreal" is uttered roughly 3,000 times in the 2:25 video. Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer was really fired up as he and Andrews chat with special teams captain Matthew Slater about winning the overtime coin toss.
That's when Belichick takes over and congratulates his team on their hard-fought victory.
"Congratulations men. Congratulations. This is everything we talked about," he starts. "Competing on the road against another good football team at this time of the year. You guys just kept battling and competing. They made their plays, but we made a few more. You guys did a great job and that's what it's going to be like -- this next game is going to be tougher than this one. But that's the way it's supposed to be when you're going all the way through.
"Enjoy this one; you've earned it and you deserve it," continued Belichick. "Give these guys credit, they're a good football team. Obviously, so are the Rams. You guys played your ass off and you deserve to be champions. Congratulations men. Congratulations."
And a Patriots celebration video wouldn't be complete without Slater delivering one final message: "Heart fellas, that's what we got!"
The Patriots are now heading to their third straight Super Bowl and fourth in the last five years. They'll take on the Los Angeles Rams on Feb. 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. on WBZ-TV/CBS.
