The New England Patriots have played in every AFC Championship Game since 2011. It's hard to envision a time when the Pats weren't in the conference title game, so we've dug up some nuggets from that period.

Patrick Mahomes, Brady's opposite number Sunday, was just 15 years old the last time the Patriots weren't in the conference championship.

While Brady had three Super Bowl rings and 10 years in the NFL under his belt by that point, Mahomes was still in high school.

The last time the Patriots failed to come within at least a game of the Super Bowl, they were eliminated by the Rex Ryan- and Mark Sanchez-led New York Jets in the divisional round of the 2010 playoffs.

Incredibly, six players from New England's 2010 playoff roster are still on the team, including special teamers Stephen Gostkowski and Matthew Slater.

Ben Roethlisberger returned from a four-week suspension at the start of the season to eventually lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Super Bowl, and the Minnesota Vikings' Metrodome roof collapsed under a heap of snow.

This was also the year a sub-.500 team made the playoffs for the first time. The 7-9 Seattle Seahawks went on to eliminate the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, thanks in part to the Beast Quake. 

The season ended with Brady winning his second MVP award and the Green Bay Packers hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

But what else topped the charts?

The last time the Pats missed the AFC title game, "Toy Story 3" was the highest-grossing film, taking in just over $1 billion worldwide.

Kesha's "Tik Tok" was the best performing song in the country.

"American Idol" was the most-watched show on television.

2010 was a big year for Facebook. The social media platform surpassed 550 million users, the film "The Social Network" hit theaters, and Mark Zuckerberg was named Time's Person of the Year.

"Angry Birds" was the biggest app of the year and Apple dropped its latest invention: the iPad.

The most unmistakable sound of the year came from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the vuvuzela climbed into the public's consciousness ... and ear drums.