New England Patriots 37-31 Kansas City Chiefs (OT)
Monday 28 January 2019 09:20, UK
The New England Patriots reached an 11th Super Bowl - the ninth of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era - as they edged out the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31 in overtime after a thrilling AFC Championship game on Sunday night.
After a crazy fourth-quarter, during which the lead changed hands on five occasions, Rex Burkhead touched down to send the Pats to a fourth Super Bowl in five years.
The game took a while to spark into life, with the Patriots quite comfortably going into half time with a 14-0 lead, before the Chiefs' No 1 offense finally sparked into life in the second half.
Patrick Mahomes delivered a 12-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce - following on from a 52-yard passing play to Sammy Watkins - to see the Chiefs finally onto the scoreboard with their opening possession after the interval. But, it was in the fourth quarter where the game turned into the shootout many had expected pre-game.
Mahomes had two further touchdown passes, both to running back Damien Williams, to see Kansas City take the lead for the first time. But the Patriots weren't done either - a Championship game-record 38 points were scored in the final quarter, with four lead changes taking place before a 39-yard field goal from Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker in the dying seconds sent the game into overtime.
Earlier, the Chiefs had initially taken the lead off the back of a second interception of the game by Brady - the ball deflecting off the hands of Julian Edelman, who only a couple of plays earlier had seemingly fumbled a muffed punt return, only for the call to be overturned with it deemed he hadn't touched the football.
Williams' second TD took the Chiefs into the lead, but the Patriots answered back with Sony Michel's second TD of his own, Williams then ran in for a third score to see Kansas City lead 28-24 with two minutes to go.
Having made a career out of orchestrating game-winning drives in such two-minute scenarios, Brady was picked off for a third time, thus giving the Chiefs the chance to run the final minute and change off the clock and win the game. But, the Patriots earned a reprieve, with the play called back due to Dee Ford lining up offside on the Chiefs defense.
It would prove to be a hugely costly error, as the Patriots again edged ahead courtesy of a Burkhead touchdown run. And it would be Burkhead who would win it in overtime after Butker's kick tied things up.
After New England won the toss and elected to receive the ball first in the extra period, Brady delivered a couple of key third-down strikes to Julian Edelman, before Burkhead went in for the game-winning score to send the team to Atlanta.
FIRST QUARTER
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs: Sony Michel one-yard touchdown run (Stephen Gostkowski extra point good)
SECOND QUARTER
Patriots 14-0 Chiefs: Tom Brady 29-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Dorsett (Gostkowski extra point good)
THIRD QUARTER
Patriots 14-7 Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes 12-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce (Harrison Butker extra point good)
Patriots 17-7 Chiefs: Gostkowski 47-yard field goal
FOURTH QUARTER
Patriots 17-14 Chiefs: Mahomes one-yard touchdown pass to Damien Williams (Butker extra point good)
Patriots 17-21 Chiefs: Mahomes 23-yard touchdown pass to Damien Williams (Butker extra point good)
Patriots 24-21 Chiefs: Michel 10-yard touchdown run (Gostkowski extra point good)
Patriots 24-28 Chiefs: Damien Williams two-yard touchdown run (Butker extra point good)
Patriots 31-28 Chiefs: Rex Burkhead four-yard touchdown run (Gostkowski extra point good)
Patriots 31-31 Chiefs: Butker 39-yard field goal
OVERTIME
Patriots 37-31 Chiefs: Burkhead two-yard touchdown run
