Yes, the moment of truth has arrived.

The question is simple: Are these New England Patriots good enough to be considered a Super Bowl team?

We’re not talking about winning it, but just getting there.

The answer through much of the season is likely no.

Has it changed since?

The best answer is maybe.

After the two straight losses at Miami and Pittsburgh, it certainly didn’t look that way. The Patriots seemed destined to have to go the long way, via the Wild Card round, and win two playoff games just to get to today’s AFC Championship Game.

But you could argue the most important play of their season came in Philadelphia when old friend/foe Nick Foles put the Eagles in position for a game-winning kick against Houston, eventually giving the Patriots the No. 2 seed.

Thus they are still playing today. All the off-season soap operas, the in-season fears, they’re all kicked to the side.

It’s funny. Years ago, after a big high school football game, former Londonderry coach Tom Sawyer would always explain why his team won or lost with a simple phrase. “No matter what,” Sawyer would say, “football always comes down to blocking and tackling.”

Think that way about today. For the Patriots to be successful, their offensive line needs to play well. Remember the last road AFC title game they played in, at Denver three years ago? The Patriots line didn’t, and they lost. It’s not easy to do on the road.

“Just take it one play at a time,” Patriots lineman Shaq Mason said. “Communicate well and go about business the way that we plan on it.

“It is loud. Communication is going to be tough, but it just goes to us being a solid unt and relaying back to tall of the things that we worked on this week.”

Remember, Justin Houston (set to go), Chris Jones, and Dee Ford are no joke when it comes to getting after the quarterback.

“You can’t play these guys from third-and-long, play them from behind and and behind the sticks and let them tee up their pass rush,” Patriots center David Andrews said. “They’re very good and they can get home. … It’s going to be a big challenge. We’re going to have to go in there, stay ahead on down and distance and play the game how we want to.”

That’s how offensive lines like it. They don’t like to be back on their heels, especially on the road, where it’s loud, there are silent counts, blah, blah.

We won’t bore you with all that. Block. The Patriots had a great blocking game last week agains the Chargers, so much so that tight end Rob Gronkowski got well-deserved kudos for doing that part of his job.

Now, how about the tackling? The Patriots have lost games in which they haven’t tackled well. See: Miami Miracle. Their defense has always been much maligned the last few years, and it’s really under the gun in this one against a quarterback, Pat Mahomes, who has shredded the opposition week after week. Mahomes gets it to his receivers every which-way.

“It’s amazing,” Patriots corner Jason McCourty said. “You think it’s a one-time occurance, and you watch another game, and he’s doing the same thing, and you watch another game, and he’s doing the same thing.”

And, as McCourty said, “They don’t put a receiver on the field that runs slower than a 4.3.”

Does seeing a Tyreek Hill once already makes it easier to play him a second time?

“Unless you’ve gotten faster since Week Six,” McCourty said, “I don’t know.”

Everyone talks intangibles. Everyone talks trends. Everyone talks atmosphere, karma, respect, disrespect, and mental approach.

“I felt like as soon as our regular season ended, coming in, it was just a little bit different,” McCourty said. “A little more juice.

You’re playing for work tomorrow. … If you don’t win the game, you’re not coming in to view the film. I think that changes the preparation and the mindset.”

But what changes the outcome?

“It’s all about just being ready to go out there,” Jason’s brother, safety Devin McCourty, said, “and try to win a football game.”

To do that, the Patriots will have to be adept at two things: blocking and tackling.

If they aren’t, the soap opera of the last off-season will resume.

Tom King may be reached at 594-1251,tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or@Telegraph _TomK.

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