Monday 22 January 2018 00:30, UK
Tom Brady shook off an injury to his throwing hand to lead the New England Patriots to a 24-20 comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship game on Sunday.
Brady showed no ill effects and completed 26 of 38 passes for 290 yards and two TDs to Danny Amendola, including the game-winner with just under three minutes remaining to send the defending champion Patriots to a 10th Super Bowl.
On the following drive, Jacksonville faced a fourth-and-15 after moving down to New England's 43-yard line, but Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles' deep pass to Dede Westbrook was broken up brilliantly by cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
The oft-maligned Bortles threw for 293 yards and a touchdown in a decent display, while rookie running back Leonard Fournette rushed for 76 yards and a TD on 24 carries. But the Jaguars offense was bottled up in the second half.
Early in the second quarter, Bortles found a wide-open Marcedes Lewis for a four-yard TD pass to see the Jaguars into a 7-3 lead after a 76-yard drive. Then, on their next possession, Fournette's own four-yard rushing score extended Jacksonville's advantage further, to 14-3.
But, a one-yard TD by James White with a minute to go in the first half saw the Patriots pull back to within four. However, Rob Gronkowski was injured on the drive and would not return to the game.
Shortly after a 21-yard reception moved him past Dallas Clark into first place on the NFL's all-time postseason receiving yardage list for a tight end, Gronkowski left the game concussed after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jaguars safety Barry Church.
In the second half, the Jaguars failed to find the endzone, but did stretch out in front again courtesy of a pair of Josh Lambo field goals.
But, Brady and New England then took over in the fourth quarter, with two drives ending in TD strikes to Amendola, the second of which courtesy of a superb toe-tap catch from the wide receiver in the back of the endzone.
