AFC Championship: New England Patriots host the Indianapolis Colts for a Super Bowl berth

If Bill Belichick is to break the record for the most postseason coaching wins in NFL history this weekend, he will have to be at his brilliant best to stop Andrew Luck.

The New England Patriots tactician has earned his reputation as the gold standard of gridiron coaching since he began his tenure with the franchise in 2000 but his ability to neutralise opponents will be fully tested in Sunday’s AFC Championship game.

The 62-year-old is at his best when shutting down an opponent’s most threatening weapon and although he will focus on quarterback Luck this weekend, the Colts have recently suffered from his nous.

Their most recent meeting in November saw Belichick masterfully provide help over top to slow Colts receiver TY Hilton down. The dangerous Hilton, hoping for better fortune with the Super Bowl at stake, had three catches for a season-low 24 yards in the November match.

Belichick will need to repeat the trick for his 21st postseason victory to overtake Tom Landry for the all-time record. But how do you stop Luck, one of the sport’s premier passers?

It will not have gone unnoticed that Luck completed 19 out of 21 attempts to his running backs in the two play-off games. David Herron has profited with 18 receptions on 19 targets from Luck’s vision.

Out of luck?

But the Patriots, making their fourth consecutive AFC Championship game appearance, have fared well against the Colts quarterback. Blessed with Tom Brady, an elite passer in his own right, the Patriots have a 3-0 record against Luck’s Colts with a combined score of 144-66.

Stopping the run, rather than Brady himself, will be the Colts’ priority. The Patriots have totalled 480 rushing yards in their last two games against the Colts and will not want to change that method.

Last time they met, Brady was subjected to a blitz on a season-high 53.5 percent of his dropbacks. It would not be beyond the all-time great to decide another mammoth encounter but the Colts must decide the most efficient way of smothering the offence he creates.

Since that November meeting, the Colts have had to make do without Ahmad Bradshaw whose season ended with a fractured fibula against the Patriots. He had 38 receptions for 300 yards and six touchdowns up until that point.

The Foxborough clash will, once again, pit brother against brother as Arthur Jones of the Colts faces Chandler of the Patriots under the watchful eye of their third sibling Jon, the UFC world champion. Not a family you’d want to be on the wrong side of.

The Patriots look like they’ll be without Bryan Stork due to a knee injury while Vontae Davis, D’Qwell Jackson and Greg Toler are touch-and-go for the Colts.

The Super Bowl in Arizona is within touching distance and with a pair of elite quarterbacks on either side and a legendary decision-maker in the dugout, only one side can reach the final hurdle.

You can watch the AFC Championship game on Sunday at 11.30pm on Sky Sports 1 HD.