KANSAS CITY, Mo. B次元官网网址� The New England Patriots are headed to their third straight Super Bowl, once more thanks to Tom BradyB次元官网网址檚 brilliance.
The five-time NFL champion guided the Patriots 75 yards after winning the overtime coin toss, and backup Rex BurkheadB次元官网网址檚 2-yard TD lifted New England past Kansas City 37-31 for the AFC championship Sunday night.
The drive, during which New England had three third-down conversions, against an exhausted defence was reminiscent of when the Patriots beat Atlanta in the only Super Bowl to go to OT two years ago.
B次元官网网址淥vertime, on the road against a great team,B次元官网网址� Brady said. B次元官网网址淭hey had no quit. Neither did we. We played our best football at the end. I donB次元官网网址檛 know, man, IB次元官网网址檓 tired. That was a hell of a game.B次元官网网址�
New England (13-5) benefited from two critical replay reviews and made its ninth Super Bowl with Brady at quarterback and Bill Belichick as coach.
B次元官网网址淭his is crazy,B次元官网网址� Brady said. B次元官网网址淲hat a game.B次元官网网址�
Tom Brady Live Postgame Press Conference:
B次元官网网址� New England Patriots (@Patriots)
Awaiting them in Atlanta are the Los Angeles Rams, who won 26-23 in overtime in New Orleans for the NFC championship. The Rams last made the Super Bowl in 2002 while based in St. Louis, losing to the Patriots.
ItB次元官网网址檚 the first time both conference title games went to OT. The last time both visitors won conference championship matches was 2012.
Several times, the Patriots appeared to have it won, only to see Kansas City (13-5) come back in spectacular fashion.
Brady, at 41 already the oldest quarterback to have played in a Super Bowl, drove New England 65 yards in 1:24 to BurkheadB次元官网网址檚 go-ahead 4-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left in regulation. That was enough, though, for his far younger counterpart, the 23-year-old Patrick Mahomes, to take the Chiefs 48 yards to Harrison ButkerB次元官网网址檚 39-yard field goal with 8 seconds left to force overtime.
It was a sizzling offensive showing in the fourth quarter after defence had been in charge most of the way. Indeed, the Chiefs were blanked in the opening half for the first time all season.
And they never saw the ball in overtime, which along with the two replay decisions might call into play NFL rules and officiating.
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No matter to New England, which 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.
COIN TOSS
ReidB次元官网网址檚 decision to defer after winning the opening coin toss proved unwise as New England had 22 plays in the opening period, and Kansas City had seven. Then, the Chiefs lost the more important toss before overtime. Less than five minutes later, they were headed to the off-season.
UP NEXT
The Patriots head to Atlanta to play the Rams in the Super Bowl, a showdown between the NFLB次元官网网址檚 past and its future.
Led by 24-year-old quarterback Jared Goff, the Rams and their 21st-century offence will take on Brady and the Patriots, who are in search of a record-tying sixth Super Bowl title.
At 32, Sean McVay of the Rams (15-3) will be the youngest Super Bowl coach. HeB次元官网网址檒l be going against 66-year-old Belichick, who is taking the Patriots to their third straight title game, fourth in the last five years and ninth since 2002.
That streak started against who else? The Rams.
Back then, though, they were in St. Louis. New England came in as a two-touchdown underdog and won 20-17.
The Rams open as a 1-point pick in this one, set for Feb. 3 in Atlanta.
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