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Ups & downs

A look at who's up and who's down from the Patriots' 38-34 loss to the Colts in the AFC Championship game

Up
Stephen Gostkowski -- Rookie kicker did his part, with some booming kickoffs (2 touchbacks) and two field goals.

Ellis Hobbs -- Cornerback had an 80-yard kickoff return in the second half and was strong in coverage.

Offensive line -- Led by left tackle Matt Light, who had a solid effort against Dwight Freeney, this unit holds up in pass protection against an athletic Colts front.

Asante Samuel -- Interception return for a touchdown, as cornerback capped off a tremendous season.

Down
Reche Caldwell -- Two dropped passes, the second of which forced the Patriots to settle for a field goal to go up 34-31.

Linebacking unit -- Just not enough plays from the crew that consisted of Rosevelt Colvin, Tedy Bruschi, Eric Alexander and Mike Vrabel, especially in the second half.

Laurence Maroney -- Rookie running back was a disappointment, finishing with eight carries for 13 yards (1.6 avg.) and a fumble on the goal-line.

Jabar Gaffney/Jarvis Green/Heath Evans/Tully Banta-Cain -- With the game coming down to the wire in the fourth quarter, each player commits a costly penalty.

MONDAY LOOK-AHEAD: Monday will be a travel day back to Indianapolis. We'll be on and off the web and will pass along any updates along the way.