Game Notes: Patriots Punch Ticket to Super Bowl With 45-7 Win Over Indianapolis Colts

In less than desirable weather on an evening in Foxborough, it was déjà vu for running back LeGarrette Blount as a 148-yard and 3-touchdown performance helped the New England Patriots punch their ticket to Glendale, AZ with a 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

“That was a great win for our football team today. It’s all about the players. They did a tremendous job in all three phases. We made plays in the kicking game: we had a turnover, we had a couple returns. We scored a lot of points offensively; had some turnovers on defense. The players played great, like they have all year. This is really a good group, it’s a hardworking group. They work with each other, they try to help each other get better and I couldn’t be happier for this group of guys,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said.

For the Patriots, it is their eighth appearance in the league’s championship game and the sixth of the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era. The appearance ties the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys for the most Super Bowl games by a franchise.

In addition, Brady (226 yards, 3 TDs), will have the most appearances by a quarterback in Super Bowl history with six.

Waiting for the Patriots will be their former coach Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks pulled off an improbable comeback against the Green Bay Packers earlier in the day, rallying back in the fourth quarter and winning the NFC Championship in overtime.

It was Blount that got New England on the board during their first drive of the game, capitalizing on a drive saved by a Darius Flemming’s recovery of Josh Cribb’s muffed punt at the New England 26-yard line. After a pass to Julian Edelman got the Patriots down to the Colts’ 3-yard line on the six-play drive, back to back runs by Blount and a Gostkowski extra point gave New England a 7-0 lead.

The Patriots continued to pile on points during their second drive of the game after a 30-yard pass to Vereen brought New England down to the Colts’ 17-yard line. Inside the 5-yard line thanks to an Edelman reception, Blount’s run to just outside the goalline led to a 1-yard touchdown pass for James Develin, the first of his career.

Initially getting hit outside the end zone, Develin showed great power shaking off D’Qwell Jackson and diving into the end zone.

When he wasn’t scoring, Blount was setting up touchdowns for other Patriots against a Colts defense that has yet to find an answer to the Patriots’ running game. On the first drive of the second half, Blount’s 22-yard run up the left, followed by runs of eight and one yard setup more passing trickery from New England.

Facing third and one from the Colts’ 16-yard line, it was a pass to unlikely target and offensive lineman Nate Solder that resulted in a Patriots touchdown.

Wide open around the 13-yard line, Solder was able to dive into the end zone despite Jackson attempting to tackle him at the goalline.

“It was amazing. To have a play like that in a game like that is really cool,” Solder said.

Capitalizing on a Darrelle Revis interception and run from the Indianapolis 43-yard line down to the 13-yard line resulted in a 13-yard touchdown rush by Blount, extending the Patriots lead to 31 late in the third quarter.

If there was any slight doubt of the Patriots dominance during the evening, a third Blount touchdown for two yards with 10:05 left in the game placed a stamp on a stellar performance.

“I just wanted to come out and run the ball as hard as I can and try to be effective on the way to have the game like I had,” Blount said. My offensive line played amazing. They played great.”

Now with seven career postseason rushing touchdowns with the Patriots, Blount passes Brady and Curtis Martin for the team record. Both men have five.

Andrew Luck (126 yards, 2 interceptions) showed little life during the game, briefly bringing the Colts to within seven thanks to a well placed pass and some poor defensive penalties by the Patriots. After a 15-yard personal foul on Vince Wilfork, Luck found T.Y. Hilton at the New England 33-yard line, with very little room to spare on the right sideline. Illegal contact Jamie Collins during a third and seven at the Patriots’ 28-yard line moved the ball to the 23-yard line along with a first down. Tipton would complete the drive after an 11-yard run and catch both by Fleener from the 1-yard line.

The drive represented the summary of any positive output by the Colts’ offense, who had only 209 yards of net offense.

“They did a good job making plays and we didn’t. It seemed like they were more on the details and we weren’t. I know my play wasn’t up to par for where it needs to be. To give you a chance to beat a quality, quality team like them. And it’s a great atmosphere, it is a great place to play, but they certainly had our number tonight,” Luck said.

On the next drive, the Patriots stalled at the Colts’ 3-yard line but were able to get a field goal out of the drive to enter the half up 17-7.

With the Solder touchdown extending the lead to 24-7, the proceeding 8-play, 72-yard drive resulted in another Brady touchdown pass, this time to Rob Gronkowski on a third and one from the five yard line with 3:24 left in the third quarter.

For New England, the win represents a total turnaround from a team that was embarrassed in Kansas City earlier this season. Losing only a game since the infamous Monday night debacle, the Patriots now find themselves going against the undisputed best defense in football.

“It’s a great challenge. We’re going to play a great team. That’s why they’re in it too. They’ve overcome a lot of adversity too. They’re really well coached, but we have two weeks to prepare. We’ll be ready to go,” Brady said.

The Patriots and Seahawks will play Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Below are game notes provided by Patriots Media Relations:

PATRIOTS IMPROVE TO 8-3 IN AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

The Patriots are 8-3 in AFC Championship Games, including a 4-1 record at home and a 3-1 record at Gillette Stadium.

PATRIOTS ALL-TIME IN PLAYOFF GAMES

The Patriots have compiled a 27-18 record in their 45 playoff games and their .600 playoff winning percentage is tied for third in NFL history among teams that have played at least 15 playoff games.

PATRIOTS HAVE SECOND-BEST POSTSEASON WINNING PERCENTAGE AT HOME

The Patriots have a 17-4 (.810) all-time record in home playoff games. The Patriots’ .810 winning percentage at home in the postseason ranks second among teams with at least 10 home playoff games.

PATRIOTS TIE POSTSEASON HIGH WITH 45 POINTS; SET RECORD FOR TEAM PLAYOFF VICTORY MARGIN

The Patriots’ 45 points tied the franchise record for most points in a playoff game, equaling their total against Denver in the 2011 Divisional Playoffs (1/14/12). The Patriots’ 38-point margin of victory is the largest in franchise history for a playoff game, topping the 35-point margin of victory (45-10) over Denver in the 2011 Divisional Playoffs (1/14/12). New England’s 45 points are its second highest total of the 2014 season (including regular season and playoffs), trailing only the 51 points that New England scored against Chicago on Oct. 26, 2014. The game marked the sixth time in 18 games in the 2014 season that the Patriots have topped 40 points.

PATRIOTS SOLID ON THIRD DOWN AGAINST COLTS

The Patriots converted 12-of-18 third-down opportunities against the Colts, with their 66.7% third down conversion rate standing as the second-best in the team’s 45-game playoff history, trailing only the franchise-record 68.8% conversion rate against the New York Jets on Jan. 7, 2007 (11-of-16).

THE PATRIOTS DEFENSE DOES WELL AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS

Including a pair of interceptions in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots defense has 10 interceptions in four meetings against Andrew Luck. In the last four games against Indianapolis, including two playoff games, the Patriots have outscored the Colts 189-73 with a 59-24 win on Nov. 18, 2012, a 43-22 win on Jan. 11, 2014, a 42-20 win on Nov. 16, 2014, and a 45-7 win on Jan. 18, 2015.

HALFTIME HELP

During the 2014 regular season, the Patriots scored in 10 of the 16 games in the final two minutes of the first half with 66 points. Against Indianapolis, the Patriots scored on a 21-yard field goal with 10 seconds to play.

BELICHICK HAS MOST POSTSEASON WINS

With the victory over Indianapolis, Bill Belichick collected his 21st career playoff win, the most postseason wins by a head coach.

BELICHICK EARNS SIXTH CONFERENCE TITLE; TIES DON SHULA FOR MOST CONFERENCE TITLES IN SUPER BOWL ERA

The 2014 AFC Championship was Bill Belichick’s sixth conference championship as a head coach. Belichick’s six conference titles are tied with Don Shula for the most in NFL history during the Super Bowl era (since 1966).

BELICHICK REACHES NINTH SUPER BOWL OVERALL

Belichick secured his ninth Super Bowl during his coaching career, the most among any head coach or assistant coach in NFL history.

SUPER SUCCESS

Bill Belichick is one of just four head coaches to win three Super Bowl championships. Belichick is the only coach to win three Super Bowls in the post-1993 salary cap era. He will attempt to tie Chuck Noll with his fourth Super Bowl title.

SUPER COMBINATION

New England head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady won their sixth conference championship together in 2014.

WINNINGEST COACH AND QB TANDEM IN THE POSTSEASON

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are the winningest coach and quarterback tandem in the postseason.

BRADY’S SIX CONFERENCE TITLES ARE THE MOST OF ANY QB IN SUPER BOWL ERA

The 2014 AFC Championship was Tom Brady’s sixth conference title as a starting quarterback, passing John Elway (5) for the most conference titles in NFL history during the Super Bowl Era (since 1966).

BRADY SET AN NFL RECORD WITH HIS 9TH START IN A CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Tom Brady made his ninth start in a Conference Championship game in 2014, the most starts in a Conference Championship game NFL history. S Charlie Waters (Dallas) and LB Jack Reynolds (LA Rams/SF) are second with eight starts.

BRADY ADDS TO NFL RECORD; FINISHES WITH 49 CAREER PLAYOFF TD PASSES

Tom Brady had three touchdown passes against the Colts, finishing the game with 49 career touchdown passes in the playoffs, and adding to his NFL record. In the 2014 Divisional Playoff Game against Baltimore in 2014, Brady passed Joe Montana’s total of 45 to set a new NFL record.

BRADY RECLAIMS LEAD IN ALL-TIME POSTSEASON PASSING YARDS

Tom Brady improved upon his standing on the NFL’s all-time postseason passing lists. Brady entered the game needing 10 yards to move past Peyton Manning for the most postseason passing yards, and finished the game with 7,017 playoff passing yards, setting a new NFL record and becoming the first player in NFL history to eclipse the 7,000-yard mark in the playoffs. Following the Colts game, Brady was the all-time NFL leader in completions, yards, playoff victories as a starting quarterback, and postseason starts at quarterback.

BRADY PLAYS IN 28th POSTSEASON GANE, THIRD-MOST ALL-TIME

Brady played in his 28th NFL postseason game, the third-most all-time. He will tie Jerry Rice for the second most postseason games with 29 in the Super Bowl.

TOM BRADY THROWNS THREE TDS IN A POSTSEASON GAME FOR 7th TIME

Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes against Indianapolis. It was his seventh career postseason game with three or more touchdowns and the second time in the 2014 postseason that he has thrown three touchdown passes in a game. Only Joe Montana has more playoff games with three touchdown passes since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger (9). Brady is 7-0 in the playoffs when throwing three or more scoring passes.

BRADY TIES BRETT FAVRE WITH 15TH MULTI-TD GAME IN THE POSTSEASON

Brady threw three touchdown passes in the win vs. Indianapolis and tied Brett Favre with 15 multi-TD passes in the playoffs.

STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI MOVES UP ALL-TIME POSTSEASON SCORING LIST

Stephen Gostkowski had 6 extra points and a field goal against Indianapolis, moving up the NFL’s all-time playoff scoring list. Gostkowski finished the game with 113 postseason points, and is one of just two Patriots players to score 100 playoff points, along with Adam Vinatieri (117). Gostkowski and Vinatieri are the only active players with 100 or more points in the playoffs. Gostkowski is the 11th player in NFL history to have 100 or more playoff points and is the seventh kicker to achieve the feat.

GOSTKOWSKI BECOMES 11TH NFL PLAYER WITH AT LEAST 20 POSTSEASON FIELD GOALS

Gostkowski (20) became the 11th NFL player to reach at least 20 postseason field goals with a 21-yard field goal in the second quarter.

VINCE WILFORK PLAYS IN HIS 20TH POSTSEASON GAME; TIED FOR THIRD-MOST POSTSEASON GAMES PLAYED IN PATRIOTS HISTORY

Vince Wilfork played in his 20th NFL postseason game with the Patriots. He is tied for the third-most playoff games in Patriots history.

BLOUNT HAS SECOND 100-YARD RUSHING GAME IN POSTSEASON; HAS SECOND-HIGHEST RUSH YARD TOTAL IN TEAM PLAYOFF HISTORY

Blount had his second career postseason 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 148 yards on 30 carries, with three touchdowns. Blount’s 148 rushing yards are the second highest total in team history, trailing only the 166 rushing yards that Blount had in the 2013 playoff game against Indianapolis on Jan. 11, 2014, a total that tied the 166 rushing yards amassed by Curtis Martin against Pittsburgh on Jan. 5, 1997.

REVIS HAS FIRST PLAYOFF INTERCEPTION AS A PATRIOT

Darrelle Revis intercepted an Andrew Luck pass in the third quarter and returned it 30 yards to the Indianapolis 13-yard line, setting up LeGarrette Blount’s 13-yard scoring run on the next play that gave the Patriots a 38-7 lead. The interception was the third of Revis’s playoff career, and the first of his Patriots playoff career. Revis had a pair of interceptions for the New York Jets in the 2009 playoffs.

COLLINS HAS SECOND CAREER PLAYOFF PICK

Jamie Collins intercepted an Andrew Luck pass in the fourth quarter. The interception was the second of Collins’s playoff career. He also picked off Luck in the 2013 Divisional Playoff game at Gillette Stadium (1/11/14).

PATRIOTS SET UP GAME’S FIRST SCORE WITH SPECIAL TEAMS TAKEAWAY

Darius Fleming recovered a muffed fumble by Indianapolis’s Josh Cribbs at the Colts’ 26-yard line in the first quarter, setting up a 6-play, 26-yard Patriots touchdown drive that ended in LeGarrette Blount’s 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead.

Photo Credit: New England Patriots