Julian Edelman performed his duty as a longtime playoff veteran in the AFC Championship Game in a few ways.

He came up clutch in the fourth quarter and overtime after making two egregious errors earlier in the game, including a tipped pass that resulted in a Tom Brady interception.

Afterward, he bestowed some vet wisdom onto rookie Sony Michel. Well, maybe it's just Patriots veteran wisdom.

NESN's Doug Kyed reported that Edelman had some words for Michel about the moment he was enjoying following the Pats clinching another AFC Championship.

"This is cute. We win that next one, that's where the real fun is. That's where you'll always be a champion. This is cute. This is awesome. Don't get me wrong. But the next one. Let's go."

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For the Patriots, truer words have never been spoken. Their end-game is to win Super Bowls, and nothing else. As Edelman said, just getting to the Super Bowl after a thrilling victory is cool, but the next one is where the fun starts.

It also served as a reminder to a young guy that the job isn't done until the final seconds tick off in Atlanta. It's advice that can be necessary for younger players who haven't been in this position before. Or even the veterans, such as Jason McCourty, who find themselves playing for their first ring.

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