Patriots back where they usually are
Conversely, the red hot Chiefs were riding an 11 game winning streak.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates his touchdown pass to New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) in the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, …
With Saturday win, Brady will be advancing to his 10th career AFC Championship game. “It’s hard to do”. There’s only four teams playing next week, and we’re one of them.
The Patriots face the victor of the Steelers-Broncos AFC Divisional Playoff matchup in the AFC Championship.
Brady, seeking his seventh Super Bowl trip and fifth title, threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score. With receivers unable to get open, Brady was unable to get the ball away as quickly as he usually does, and a shaky offensive line was exposed, leaving Brady open to battering.
For as much consternation as there was about Edelman’s health, there was just as much involving tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was in and out of practice this week with knee and back injuries, with reports varying about the severity of his ailments and whether he did or did not have injections in his knee, or even whether he went to the hospital for his knee or for his back.
New England just got back left tackle Sebastian Vollmer, who missed the regular-season finale after an ankle injury against the New York Jets on December 27. I thought we worked hard, studied this team, watched a lot of film, so I think the preparation was good. “The chemistry was clicking tonight”.
“We wanted to get that play off”, Reid said, indicating that he didn’t understand why he was being asked about his clock (mis-)management. Of course the fact that Gronkowski was in Florida at the time was overlooked, but never let truth get in the way of a good conspiracy (see Deflategate).
Stephen Gostkowski, who set the franchise scoring record when he kicked the extra point following New England’s touchdown on the first possession of the game, also kicked two field goals. In their first game this postseason, New England defeated Kansas City by a score of 27-20.
Except, that is, for the six weeks this season when the Patriots finally appeared vulnerable – when the offense stumbled, when the passes fell incomplete, when Tom Brady was under duress, when the errors accrued on the New England side, and so did the losses. The Chiefs only other touchdown came with 1 minutes, 13 seconds to play when running back Charcandrick West found the end zone on a 1-yard run. Wide receiver Julian Edelman made a triumphant return – Brady hit him nine times for 88 yards.
Turnovers figured to play a huge role, as the two teams ranked one and two in the National Football League in terms of fewest giveaways.
Instead, Harmon made a play to intercept the pass. Instead of taking over at midfield, the Patriots would have the ball at their own 23-yard line. “That’s how we’ll take it. We’ll learn from our mistakes”.
The Patriots started off the game looking like the Patriots we saw in the first half of the season.
“At the end of the day it comes down to execution and they executed a little better than we did”, said KC punt returner Frankie Hammond Jr.
“I was trying to make a play; I feel like it swung the game”, Davis said of his fumble.
Smith had the Chiefs into New England territory on their first six possessions, but they managed just six points before he hit Albert Wilson on a 10-yard pass that made it 21-13.
Patriots defensive lineman Chandler Jones also had a big play to finish an odd week that started on Sunday when he left his home reeking of marijuana and showed up shirtless and confused at the local police station. A calm settled over Gillette Stadium on the Patriots’ opening drive. Since 2001, the Pats are 62-0 at home, including the postseason, when they lead by 15 or more points at any time in the game.
They also became the second team ever to make five straight conference championship games, joining the 1973-77 Raiders.
NOTES: New England LBs Jamie Collins (back) and Gerod Mayo (shoulder) left the game in the third quarter because of injuries….