Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are heading back to the Super Bowl where they will meet the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brady shook off a hand injury and threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola with 2:48 remaining , rallying the Patriots to a 24-20 comeback victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC championship Sunday.
The forty-year-old, wearing a black bandage on his right hand after cutting it during practice earlier in the week, showed no signs of being hampered.
With the game and season on the line, the Patriots star came up big again.
“I’ve had a lot worse,” Brady said. “I didn’t know that on Wednesday. It was a crazy injury. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday was a little scary. Then I started getting some confidence and today we did just enough to win.”
Brady finished 26 of 38 for 290 yards and two touchdowns to Amendola for the Patriots (15-3), who’ll meet the Eagles who routed the Minnesota Vikings 38-7 on February 4.
It will be the eighth Super Bowl appearance for Brady and coach Bill Belichick, who have won five times – including last year’s 34-28 overtime rally against the Atlanta Falcons.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Brady said. “It’s pretty amazing. Just to be on a team that wins these kinds of games, it’s just a great accomplishment. I’m just so proud of everyone on our team, we made so many great plays. Defence played so great when they needed to. Just an amazing game.”
Blake Bortles and the Jaguars (12-7) led 20-10 early in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold against the defending champions.
The NFL’s second-ranked defence kept Brady and the Patriots at bay for most of the game, but also lost linebacker Myles Jack and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus on consecutive plays on New England’s winning drive.
Jacksonville, looking to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, had one more shot but Bortles’ throw on fourth-and-15 to Dede Westbrook was knocked away by Stephon Gilmore.
It was different for the Eagles who thrashed the Vikings later.
Nick Foles threw for three touchdowns as the Eagles made big play after big play to make their first Super Bowl appearance since 2005, against the team that beat them then – AFC champion New England.
Foles was on fire, throwing for 352 yards in a performance that might make the Philadelphia faithful miss injured Carson Wentz a whole lot less.
Patrick Robinson ‘s spectacular 50-yard interception return got Philadelphia (15-3) started. Then Foles and his offence tore up the league’s stingiest scoring defence, with long TD throws to Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith.
LeGarrette Blount had an 11-yard scoring run when things were decided in the first half, and the Eagles were headed to an NFL title game the Vikings (14-4) hoped to be in at their own stadium.
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