Dan Shaughnessy

Patriots showing they may be best in NFL

It’s been popular to question the Patriots. But maybe it’s time to start thinking they are the best team in the NFL. The 45-10 win was pretty darned impressive.

slider -- AFC PLAYOFF Patriots/Jets 01/14/2012 Patriots QB Tom Brady throws a pass in the 1st quarter. The New England Patriots play the Denver Broncos in the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, MA, Sunday, January 16, 2011. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff Photo)

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Tom Brady tied the record for touchdowns in a playoff game with six against the Broncos, as the Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship game.

slider -- AFC PLAYOFF Patriots/Jets 01/14/2012 Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski #87 spikes the ball after scoring his 3rd touchdown in the closing seconds of the first half in the 2nd quarter. The New England Patriots play the Denver Broncos in the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, MA, Sunday, January 16, 2011. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Photo)

matthew j. lee/globe staff

Tight end Rob Gronkowski spiked the ball after scoring his third touchdown of the night against the Broncos.

slider -- AFC PLAYOFF Patriots/Jets 01/14/2012 Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski #87 celebrates his 3rd touchdown with WR Wes Welker #83 and WR Tiquan Underwood #10 in the closing seconds of the first half in the 2nd quarter. The New England Patriots play the Denver Broncos in the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, MA, Sunday, January 16, 2011. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Photo)

Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

Wes Welker and Tiquan Underwood (#10) joined the celebration.

slider -- AFC PLAYOFF Patriots/Jets 01/14/2012 Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski #87 scores New England's 2nd touchdown in the 1st quarter trailed by the Broncos' CB Andre Goodman #21. The New England Patriots play the Denver Broncos in the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, MA, Sunday, January 16, 2011. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff Photo)

barry chin/globe staff

Rob Gronkowski caught a 10-yard pass from Tom Brady as the Patriots took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Patriots fans held signs spelling

The Boston Globe

Patriots fans held signs spelling "Gronk" for star tight end Rob Gronkowski.

slider -- 1-14-12: Foxborough, MA: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (right) celebrates with wide reciever Deion Branch after Branch's second quarter tocuhdown pass reception. The New England Patriots hosted the Denver Broncos in an NFL AFC Divisional Playoff game at Gillette Stadium. (Globe Staff Photo/Jim Davis) section:sports topic:Patriots-Broncos

jim davis/globe staff

Tom Brady celebrated with Deion Branch after his 61-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

slider -- AFC PLAYOFF Patriots/Jets 01/14/2012 The Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas #88 is unable to complete a pass from QB Tim Tebow as he is brought down by the Patriots DB Sterling Moore #29. The New England Patriots play the Denver Broncos in the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, MA, Sunday, January 16, 2011. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff Photo)

jim davis/globe staff

Sterling Moore tackled Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to cause an incompletion.

slider -- AFC PLAYOFF Patriots/Jets 01/14/2012 Patriots DL Gerard Warren #98 celebrates sacking Broncos QB Tim Tebow #15 6 yards on 2nd down. The New England Patriots play the Denver Broncos in the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, MA, Sunday, January 16, 2011. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Photo)

Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

Patriots defensive lineman Gerard Warren sacked Tim Tebow in the first half.

slider -- 1-14-12: Foxborough, MA: Patriots DL Gerard Warren celebrates after he sacked Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) in the first half. The New England Patriots hosted the Denver Broncos in an NFL AFC Divisional Playoff game at Gillette Stadium. (Globe Staff Photo/Jim Davis) section:sports topic:Patriots-Broncos

Jim Davis/globe staff

The Patriots' sustained their defensive pressure throughout the game.

slider -- AFC PLAYOFF Patriots/Jets 01/14/2012 Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez #81 is brought down by Broncos S David Bruton #30 in the 1st quarter. The New England Patriots play the Denver Broncos in the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, MA, Sunday, January 16, 2011. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff Photo)

barry chin/globe staff

Tight end Aaron Hernandez was brought down by Broncos safety David Bruton in the first quarter.

slider -- AFC PLAYOFF Patriots/Jets 01/14/2012 A Patriots fan holds a sign making fun of Broncos QB Tim Tebow's last name. slider The New England Patriots play the Denver Broncos in the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, MA, Sunday, January 16, 2011. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff Photo)

jim davis/globe staff

These fans at Gillette Stadium were looking for the Patriots to put an end to Tim Tebow's hot streak, and they did.

slider --1-14-12: Foxborough, MA: Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is all smiles as he gets a hand from members of the end zone militia as he leaves the field following New England's victory. The New England Patriots hosted the Denver Broncos in an NFL AFC Divisional Playoff game at Gillette Stadium. (Globe Staff Photo/Jim Davis) section:sports topic:Patriots-Broncos

jim davis/globe staff

It was another big night for Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots as they advanced to next Sunday's AFC title game.

Gerard Warren (98) — with Mark Anderson (95) and Jerod Mayo — led the defensive charge against Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, who was flattened for a sack, one of five by the Patriots.

Bob Ryan

Hard to judge Patriots’ defense vs. inept Broncos

Let’s table the defense concerns for another week, OK? Beating up on Denver’s offense clearly doesn’t count.

Special Section: the Gardner Grows

Mystery achievement

By changing with the times, will the Gardner lose some of its poetry?

Clash hastened Opera Boston’s demise

Nobody knows what Opera Boston general director Lesley Koenig did to upset millionaire opera aficionado Randolph Fuller, but his lack of financial support helped doom the company.

2 more bodies found on Italian cruise ship

Coast guard divers searching the submerged part of the Costa Concordia today found the bodies of two elderly people, raising the death toll to five.

Evangelical divide lifts Mitt Romney in S.C.

Unlike Iowa, where evangelical Christians coalesced around Rick Santorum, South Carolina’s religious right remains divided as the Jan. 21 primary nears.

Absenteeism rife at Boston high schools

More than a third of the students in the city's public high schools were chronically absent last year, even as the city undertook additional efforts to lure students to school.

Backyard skating enthusiasts bemoan warm winter

Rink builders are powerless without winter, and even with occasional stabs of cold like this weekend’s, the parade of balmy days has meant one disaster after another.

“You have to create a climate for kids so they want to go to school. Chronic absenteeism is a leading indicator of whether a school is on track.’’

Hedy Chang,  director of Attendance Works

Special section

The Gardner Grows

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum looks to the future with its new wing. A special section gives you the complete tour, with interactive graphics, 360 degree panoramas, videos, galleries, and more.

Metro

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Braintree siblings escape Italian cruise disaster

Three Braintree siblings were among the roughly 4,200 people aboard the Costa Concordia, a cruise ship that ran aground and nearly capsized off the Tuscan coast.

Business

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Galleon Group cofounder Raj Rajaratnam was convicted of insider trading.

Expert networks give investors an edge

For years, these networks operated — legally — in the shadows of the financial industry, but have recently been thrust into the spotlight by a series of insider trading scandals.

Sports

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Hurricanes 4, Bruins 2

Jy Harrison, Tim Brent, and Justin Faulk of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrated Harrison's game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins.

Hurricanes take down the Bruins

With 1:30 remaining in regulation, Jay Harrison snuck the game-winner past Tim Thomas on a shot from the point as Carolina rallied to beat the Bruins, 4-2.

Travel

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Australia

Ambition and the arts grow due south

MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, helped transform Hobart, Australia. These days, the country’s poorest state prompts fewer jokes and more envious glances among mainland Australians.