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.
BA Sports
Guest
The Browns have won 29 games since the start of the 2010 season (8 seasons). In that time The Pats have won 13 Post season games over the same period... with one to come.. And the Browns let Bill go....
kevin
Guest
That pass interference against jags just before half time was baloney.. i thought the hit on gronk was unfortunate, but geez big call too..
piru
Roar Rookie
It's pretty amazing what they've achieved. Like Brady or not he's a phenomenon.
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
Good teams tend to get those 50/50 calls go there way. Its the same all in sports.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
I hope even a Patriots hater can agree that what we’re seeing the Patriots do, after earning their eighth trip to the Super Bowl in the Belichick/Brady era, is something truly special. It hasn’t happened before in NFL history and probably won’t happen again. Brady is going to his eighth Super Bowl as the Patriots’ starting quarterback. No other NFL player has even been to seven Super Bowls, and only one other player at any position, a backup defensive lineman named Mike Lodish who played for the Bills and Broncos, has been to six. John Elway is the only other quarterback who has been to five Super Bowls. Brady has been the Patriots’ starting quarterback for 16 seasons (every year since 2001, minus 2008 when he missed the season with a knee injury), and he has ended up in the Super Bowl in eight of those seasons. That’s extraordinary. Belichick is going to his eighth Super Bowl as the Patriots’ head coach. No other head coach has even been to seven Super Bowls, and only Don Shula has coached in six. Belichick is already the only head coach with five Super Bowl rings, and he’s doing it at a time with more teams in the league and with greater parity than the league saw in Shula’s day. Belichick has seven Super Bowl rings when you include the two he won as a Giants assistant coach, and if he gets his eighth in two weeks he’ll be the only person ever to earn eight Super Bowl rings in any role with a team. The only other person with seven Super Bowl rings is a former team executive named Neal Dahlen, who received five Super Bowl rings while working for the 49ers and two while working for the Broncos. Since Brady became the starting quarterback in 2001, the Patriots have won 27 postseason games. You can combine the total postseason wins of 15 NFL teams and it doesn’t equal the number the Patriots have won: The Titans, Bears, Texans, Rams, Raiders, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Cowboys, Chiefs, Redskins, Bengals, Lions, Dolphins, Bills and Browns combined have won 25 postseason games since 2001. Looking forward to the game no matter who wins. This is America at its sporting hype best.
piru
Roar Rookie
That Philly O line has been getting it done, with the result that Foles is confident to hang in the pocket. I think if they can contain the pass rush the way they have been, the Eagles are a chance
Pete McAloney
Roar Pro
Another SB win to team evil would be the worst. I don't actually believe there is any deliberate collusion from the refs, even though I think the NFL memes are hilarious. But the pats really do get the rub of the green and seem to get some sort of unconscious bias. It seems odd that the pats O and D were penalised a total of zero times (their special teams copped a meaningless flag) whereas the Jags were hammered. That pass interference that led to a crucial TD was particularly dodgy. When you look at the stats from the game the standout difference is in the penalties.
DJW
Guest
C'mon the Eagles!
Kurt
Guest
Cheatin' Tom and the Pats to win this one unfortunately. Hopefully there's a few fans left to tune into next year's season.
Bruce
Guest
Cowboy. Us ?
KingCowboy
Guest
BB will have two weeks to game plan for the Eagles. As much as I love their D and their front 7 with Fletcher Cox being a beast, I just can't see them point up enough points to beat us. Prediction 34 -10 Pats
League Man
Guest
Belichick & Brady Making NFL Great Again The Greatest Two Trumpsters in the world