Brady, Belichick and Patriots headed back to Super Bowl
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady threw for three touchdowns and LeGarrette Blount ran in three more on Sunday to lead the New England Patriots into the Super Bowl with a 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
The Patriots won their eighth AFC championship — their sixth under Brady and coach Bill Belichick. They will play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 1.
New England (14-4) opened a 14-point lead in the first half and then broke it open in a driving rain with three third-quarter touchdowns and another to start the fourth. That made it the second-most lopsided game in AFC championship history.
Brady completed 23 of 35 passes for 226 yards. Blount ran 30 times for 148 yards.
Andrew Luck completed 12 of 33 passes for 126 yards with two interceptions for the Colts (13-6).
Brady completed all nine passes he threw in the third, when torrential rains drenched the players and fans, leading the Patriots to touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second half. He ended the first drive by completing a 16-yard pass to Solder, a one-time college tight end who had never caught a pass in the NFL, and then finished off the second by hitting his favourite target, Rob Gronkowski, from five yards out.
On the Colts’ next drive, Darrelle Revis intercepted Luck and ran it back 30 yards to the 13 yard-line. Blount scored on the first play — his second touchdown of the game.
Brady was 20 for 30 for 204 yards, three touchdowns and an interception through three quarters. Blount ran 25 times for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a one-yard run for the opening score after a muffed punt gave New England a short field.
James Develin scored on a one-yard touchdown to make it 14-0, then Luck led the Colts on a 93-yard drive that was capped by Zurlon Tipton’s one-yard run. The Patriots brought the ball to the Indianapolis 3, but Brady couldn’t connect on three straight passes and they settled for Stephen Gostkowski’s 21-yard field goal.
New England (13-4) played in its fourth consecutive AFC title game — its ninth under Brady and Belichick. Indianapolis (13-5) was going for its third Super Bowl berth in nine years, but its first since Luck replaced Peyton Manning at quarterback.
The teams traded threeand-outs to start the game, but on New England’s punt, the ball bounced off of return specialist Josh Cribbs’ visor and into the hands of Darius Fleming at the 26 yard-line. It took the Patriots six plays to get it into the end zone.