Patriots quarterback Tom Brady gets a lift from his teammates as they celebrate Sunday's overtime win over the Chiefs and a third straight trip to the Super Bowl.
It took them overtime and more of Tom Brady’s brilliance to get there — for the third straight year. While the folks back home dealt with a frigid storm, Brady blew through Kansas City’s exhausted defense on a 75-yard drive that culminated in Rex Burkhead’s 2-yard touchdown run in a 37-31 victory Sunday for the AFC championship.
Awaiting them in Atlanta are the Los Angeles Rams, who won 26-23 in overtime in New Orleans for the NFC championship.
The Rams (15-3) last made the Super Bowl in 2002 while based in St. Louis, losing to the Patriots.
It’s the first time both conference title games went to OT. The last time both visitors won conference championship matches was 2012. New England was 3-5 on the road this season.
Brady, at 41 already the oldest quarterback to have played in a Super Bowl, drove New England 65 yards in 1:24 to Burkhead’s go-ahead 4-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left in regulation. That was enough, though, for his far younger counterpart, the 23-year-old All-Pro Mahomes, to take the Chiefs 48 yards to Harrison Butker’s 39-yard field goal with eight seconds left to force overtime.
It was a sizzling offensive showing in the fourth quarter after the defenses had been in charge most of the way. Indeed, the Chiefs were blanked in the opening half for the first time all season.
New England became the third franchise to reach three Super Bowls in a row. And Belichick now has 30 postseason victories, more than Bill Walsh and Don Shula combined. That Hall of Fame coaching duo also won five Super Bowls. Belichick shoots for No. 6 in two weeks.
An apparent muff by the usually reliable Julian Edelman on a fourth-quarter punt return was overturned by a lengthy video review, prompting raucous booing and some demonstrative arguing from the usually laidback Andy Reid. Edelman definitely touched his next try when Brady’s pass deflected off his hands directly to safety Daniel Sorensen. His 22-yard return set up Kansas City at the Patriots 23, and Damien Williams, who scored three times, had no defender near him down the left sideline for the score that made it 21-17, KC’s first lead.
With 3ﾽ minutes remaining, there was plenty of time for more points. Williams’ 2-yard run gave the Chiefs a 28-24 edge that New England took up most of the remaining time overcoming. The Patriots were helped by an offside call on linebacker Dee Ford that negated an interception which would have clinched a KC victory.
The Chiefs hadn’t been blanked in any half this season, but they barely were a presence in the first 30 minutes, when they had the ball for 8:53. Mahomes was sacked three times for 43 yards and Kansas City’s record-setting attack ran only 16 plays and gained a mere 32 yards.
In Week 6, the Patriots beat the Chiefs 43-40 in a game featuring 946 yards total offense. This one had 814.
New England has played in eight straight AFC title games, but this is its first road playoff win since the 2006 season vs. San Diego.
Brady matched former Patriots K Adam Vinatieri, now with the Colts, for the most wins in NFL history (236).
Kansas City’s defense tied for first in the NFL with 52 sacks, but had none on Sunday. New England had four.