The Patriots clinched yet another Super Bowl berth on a Tom Brady game-winning drive, beating the Chiefs 37-31.
Brady led the Patriots on a slow burn of a drive in overtime, where the game-winning score came from Rex Burkhead, a two-yarder that was inevitable at that point:
The @Patriots are headed to Super Bowl LIII pic.twitter.com/YpK3MWwdtV
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 21, 2019
Brady finished the game 30-of-46 for 348 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. While it wasn’t the most sexy box score he’s ever put up, he made plays when he had to.
The Patriots’ ground game was the story in this one, with Sony Michel having 113 yards and two touchdowns, while Burkhead had 41 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
Patrick Mahomes finished the game 16-of-31 for 295 yards and three touchdowns. While he made some big plays at the end, the Chiefs couldn’t overcome their slow start. Despite that, this ended up being an instant classic that we need to revisit.
The Patriots took a lead with 3:32 remaining, and it seemed like the game might have been over then.
Sony Michel ran one right up the middle on fourth-and-inches to make it a 24-21 game:
On fourth and inches... @flyguy2stackz scores his second TD!@Patriots have the lead!!! #NFLPlayoffs
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2019
: #NEvsKC on CBS pic.twitter.com/7K28JFcaQx
The drive came with a couple of controversial calls that added to what ended up being a hectic ending for a game that started off slow for the Chiefs.
The first one was a roughing the passer called against the Chiefs.
Earlier in the game, Patrick Mahomes took a similar hit to the face, but didn’t get the call. So when Brady got this call, it raised some eyebrows:
please send Tom Brady your prayers after this violent roughing the passer penalty pic.twitter.com/5Zt5S0TKo9
— Grant Goldberg (@GrantGoldberg) January 21, 2019
Here was the Mahomes no-call:
Flowers gets pressure on Mahomes, J-MAC gets the PBU on 3rd down! pic.twitter.com/gNeYTeONWI
— #NobodyDied (@ftbeard_17) January 21, 2019
You be the judge! Onward we go.
The second was a Chris Hogan catch that was upheld as such.
On a third-and-eight from their own 45-yard line, Tom Brady completed this 11-yard pass:
IT'S A CATCH pic.twitter.com/CaVaSSPN8E
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 21, 2019
The NFL’s new catch rule, which was passed in March of 2018, is written as such:
1. Control
2. 2 feet down or another body part
3. A football move such as:
- A 3rd step
- Reaching/extending for the line-to-gain
- Or the ability to perform such an act
What’s not explicitly written there, is that the ball CAN touch the ground under the new rule, as long as the receiver has control, which Hogan did.
Six plays later, the Patriots got into the end zone to make it a 24-21 game.
Damien Williams and the Chiefs answered with his third touchdown of the game.
It gave Kansas City the 28-24 lead, on a drive that lasted just five plays, and went for 68 yards:
Damien Williams gives the @Chiefs the lead again! #LetsRoll
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2019
: #NEvsKC on CBS pic.twitter.com/gXnOQEn3wY
It left 2:04 on the clock, and well... Tom Brady and the Patriots happened.
The Patriots were down 28-24 with just over two minutes left, and Brady led the Patriots on a six-play, 65-yard drive that lasted 1:24.
It ended with a Rex Burkhead four-yard touchdown rush with just 39 seconds left:
Rex Burkhead is IN.@Patriots take the lead with 39 seconds left! #EverythingWeGot
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2019
: #NEvsKC on CBS pic.twitter.com/gZSXatujHA
But the Chiefs refused to die, and sent us into the second overtime of the day.
Harrison Butker knocked in a 39-yard field goal to make it a 31-31 game with just eight seconds to go. The Patriots would kneel, and send the game into overtime.
In overtime...
You know what happened already.
Now, the Patriots have a chance to beat the Rams in a Super Bowl again.
It was Tom Brady’s first, but this time, he can put a little more salt on Falcon wounds, and win it in Atlanta.