Dan Shaughnessy

Patriots earn Super Bowl rematch with the Giants

Making their own breaks, the Patriots beat the Ravens in the AFC title game to set up a clash with the NFC champion New York Giants, a team that defeated them in Super Bowl XLII.

slider -- FOXBOROUGH, MA JANUARY 22, 2012 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS New England Patriots' Tom Brady #12 scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game New England Patriots against Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. (Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff Photo)

Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff

Tom Brady dove in for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter that turned out to be the game-winner.

slider -- 1-22-12: Foxborough, MA: The Patriots Brandon Deaderick (71) and Shaun Ellis (94) celebrate after Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff (7,far right) missed the potential game tying field goal. The New England Patriots hosted the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium. (Globe Staff Photo/Jim Davis) section:sports topic:Patriots-Ravens

jim davis/globe staff

Brandon Deaderick (71) and Shaun Ellis (94) celebrated after Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff (7, far right) missed a game-tying field goal.

Patriots players celebrated after a botched Ravens field goal with 11 seconds left secured their win.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

The Patriots will have a chance for revenge against the New York Giants, who defeated them in Super Bowl XLII.

Former Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe, left, handed out the AFC champions trophy and congratulated Tom Brady.

Elsa/Getty Images

Ex-Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe, left, handed out the AFC championship trophy and congratulated Tom Brady.

slider -- FOXBOROUGH, MA JANUARY 22, 2012 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS Baltimore Ravens' Torrey Smith #82 avoids New England Patriots' Devin McCourty #32 to get a touchdown in the third quarter to of the game New England Patriots against Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. (Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff Photo)

stan grossfeld/globe staff

The Ravens' Torrey Smith got away from the Patriots' Devin McCourty as he ran in for a touchdown in the third quarter.

The Ravens came up with a Danny Woodhead fumble in the third quarter.

Al Bello/Getty Images

The Ravens came up with a Danny Woodhead fumble in the third quarter.

slider -- FOXBOROUGH, MA JANUARY 22, 2012 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS New England Patriots' Wes Welker #83 misses a pass in the second quarter of the game against Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff Photo)

jim davis/globe staff

Patriots receiver Wes Welker could not reach this Tom Brady pass in the second quarter.

slider -- FOXBOROUGH, MA JANUARY 22, 2012 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS New England Patriots' BenJarvus Green-Ellis #42 scores a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff Photo)

Jim Davis/Globe Staff Photo

BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored a touchdown in the second quarter.

slider -- 1/22/12 Foxborough, MA New England Patriots Vince Wilfork sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flaco during 1st quarter action in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on Sunday January 22, 2011. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe staff) slug: 23patriots section: sports Reporter:

Matthew J. Lee/Globe staff

Vince Wilfork sacked Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco in the first quarter.

slider -- 1/22/12 Foxborough, MA New England Patriots fans scream for their team before playing the Baltimore Ravens during the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on Sunday January 22, 2011. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe staff) slug: 23patriots section: sports Reporter:

matthew j. lee/globe staff

New England fans now await the winner of the NFC title game between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.

Patriots 23, Ravens 20

Patriots win Super Bowl berth on missed field goal

The Patriots won the AFC Championship after an edge-of-your-seat game which was only sealed after Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff pulled a tying 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds left.

Bob Ryan

Patriots toughed it out against Ravens

It was an old-fashioned football game, not one of your modern NFL track meets, and the Patriots won it. That’s their story, and I can assure you they will be sticking to it.

Charles Dharapak/Associated Press

Mitt Romney laboring to regain advantage

Romney began recalibrating his campaign yesterday with sharper attacks on Newt Gingrich and a pledge to quickly release some tax returns.

Military shift may shield N.E. jobs

A new emphasis on air and naval power that President Obama is expected to advocate in his State of the Union could soften the blow of defense cuts on New England companies and labs.

Mass. firms see riches, jobs in charting oceans of data

There is big business in making sense of the information generated on the Web, and the state is becoming a hub for what is deemed the next big trend in technology: analyzing data.

Black community aims to block 3-strikes bill

Black leaders fear the Mass. bill could mean that people, a disproportionate number of them African-Americans, could spend a lifetime in jail for offenses that don’t warrant such punishment.

“It’s a kick I’ve probably kicked a thousand times in my career. I just went out there and didn’t convert. That’s the way things go.”

Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff,  on his missed field goal, which sealed the Patriots’ AFC title win

Metro

Tags in this section:

Linda and John Sohus, in a 1985 photo, described Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter as ‘‘creepy.’’

‘Rockefeller’ defense focuses on Calif. couple

The relationship between John and Linda Sohus has become central to the hearing that will determine whether the man known as Clark Rockefeller will stand trial in John’s death.

Nation & World

Tags in this section:

More may have been aboard ship

Unregistered passengers might have been aboard the stricken cruise liner that capsized off the coast of Italy and are feared among the missing, a top rescue official said.

Business

Tags in this section:

High-tech firms find fertile turf in South Boston

A vibrant scene is taking hold in the Innovation District on the South Boston Waterfront as technology companies move in and amenities follow.

Sports

Tags in this section:

Celtics 100, Wizards 94

Roger Mason (right) and the rest of the Wizards were no match for Paul Pierce, who had a season-high 34 points and 10 assists.

Paul Pierce leads Celtics to victory over Wizards

Paul Pierce scored a season-high 34 points with 10 assists, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals as the Celtics led most of the way in a 100-94 win.

Health and wellness

G Force

Professor Gary Marcus with members of the band Rush Hour, all 11 years old at the time (from left), Sarah, Riley, and Ryan. Marcus says he would encourage a child to study music. ‘‘And I would try to make it fun. And not be so results oriented.’’

Studying music and the brain

A few years ago, Gary Marcus, a psychology professor at New York University, decided to learn how to play the guitar while also studying how the brain learns music.