Game report
And last but not least, read all about this instant classic right here.
Postgame
This game had just about everything, but in the end, it was almost predictable. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady heading to the Super Bowl for a ninth time.
Considering the way they were dominated in the second half, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs launched what seemed to be an almost improbable comeback, but in the overtime, New England and Brady took over and the kid never got the ball. There’s good reason to believe that he’ll reach this stage for years to come, but for now, he yields to the old raisin who has one more crack at a title.
We’ll have coverage of this game and all the Super Bowl trimmings soon enough, but for now, thanks for reading, and food night.
TOUCHDOWN! Patriots 37-31 Chiefs, final
Burkhead is in the endzone and New England are heading to the Super Bowl for the third straight year!
Don’t pass the torch yet, Tom Brady has reached the big show one more time!
It’s New England v Los Angeles in Atlanta in two weeks time!
Patriots 31-31 Chiefs, 10:16 overtime
Now Burkhead barrels ahead down to the five! The game is in the balance for KC!
Burkhead has it again, he’s down to the two.
It’s 2nd & goal!
Patriots 31-31 Chiefs, 11:33 overtime
Brady looks for Patterson, incomplete. It’s 3rd & 10. Does that mean Edelman again?
No, it’s Gronkowski, who has a reception at the 15! First down!
Patriots 31-31 Chiefs, 12:03 overtime
Flea flicker! Razzle dazzle!
Brady goes endzone...incomplete!
2nd & 10 from the 30...
Patriots 31-31 Chiefs, 12:07 overtime
Streaking into the middle of the field, Patterson can’t grab a ball thrown slightly behind him, incomplete. It’s 3rd & 10 and now Brady hooks up with Edelman again for 15!
Ball is at the KC 30. TD wins the game.
Patriots 31-31 Chiefs, 13:02 overtime
Brady finds Edelman at midfield, Edelman is pummeled to the ground and holds on! First down and NE keep their drive alive.
Patriots 31-31 Chiefs, 13:40 overtime
Hogan has a 10-yard reception on the left side before Burkhead runs into the line for a yard.
Now it is 2nd & 9 and the NE 36. Brady steps up to avoid the pressure but fires near side, incomplete.
It’s 3rd & 9.
Updated
Coin toss and rules
We will continue playing until we have a winner. Both teams get a possession unless the first team scores a touchdown: in that case the game is over. Each team gets three timeouts.
New England win the toss, they’ll take the ball.
Here we go!
Correction:
We had a tech hitch with the score: please refresh your browser to see the changes.
Updated
FIELD GOAL! Patriots 31-31 Chiefs, 0:08 4th quarter
And so for the second time today, a championship game will go to overtime as Butker’s kick splits the uprights.
Name your superlative for this game folks, none of the will be good enough.
Patriots 31-28 Chiefs, 0:11 4th quarter
Mahomes throws it away. Here comes the field goal unit. It will be a 39 yard attempt for Butker to tie this up.
Updated
Patriots 31-28 Chiefs, 0:16 4th quarter
Mahomes hits Robinson deep in NE territory, and a neutral zone flag on the Pats stops the clock.
The refs are talking about the clock accuracy, but that gives KC time to figure out their next move.
Meanwhile, The Chiefs are on the NE 21 and can take a shot at the endzone.
Patriots 31-28 Chiefs, 0:23 4th quarter
Mahomes buys all kinds of time, but time isn’t something the Chiefs have. Tremendous athletic play from Mahomes, who finds Ware across the 50. Timeout KC.
Updated
Patriots 31-28 Chiefs, 00:32 4th quarter
Smith’s return is at the 30. KC have one timeout to help the Chiefs get into field position.
TOUCHDOWN! Patriots 31-28 Chiefs, 0:39 4th quarter
After a big catch by Gronkowski takes NE to the three, then Burkhead rolls ahead into the endzone! Brady has done it again!
Updated
CRAZY! Patriots 24-28 Chiefs, 0:54 4th quarter
The pass deflects off Gronkowski and is picked off! Except there’s offsides on KC called. So now it’s 3rd and 5!
Updated
CALL OVERTURNED!
So it’s 3rd and 10 at the 34 and NE keep a timeout: they have two now.
The clock is reset to 1:01.
PLAY UNDER REVIEW! Patriots 24-28 Chiefs, 0:54 4th quarter
Brady goes to Hogan again on the far sideline for a 14 yard gain. New England call their first timeout.
The ball is at the KC 21. Or is it?
Did Hogan have the ball as he hit the ground? I don’t think that will stick.
Updated
Patriots 24-28 Chiefs, 1:05 4th quarter
Brady finds Hogan for another first down. NE are at the KC 34.
Updated
Bill Belichick
The Patriots head coach just threw his tablet on the ground and then over the bench. It seems that he is a little upset about that pick play that helped KC take the lead.
New England start at their 35. It’s in Brady’s hands and he starts with a dart to Edelman for a gain that takes the Pats into KC territory.
TOUCHDOWN! Patriots 24-28 Chiefs, 2:03 4th quarter
Williams up the middle, and the running back has his third TD of the quarter!
The Chiefs are back on top as the kid passes the gut check in a major way, leading his team down the field to reclaim the lead!
Patriots 24-21 Chiefs, 2:04 4th quarter
Now Mahomes has Watkins, he’s open thanks to a pick that isn’t called! Watkins is down at the three yard line, first and goal!
Patriots 24-21 Chiefs, 3:02 4th quarter
Now Mahomes is going deep down the far sideline, incomplete, but we have a flag...
...or flags. Roughing the passer, which is declined, and a pass interference call on Jackson, which is the big one! It puts KC on the NE 40. First down!
Three big calls on Jackson down the stretch here.
Patriots 24-21 Chiefs, 3:11 4th quarter
Mahomes drops back and throws to nobody: Kelce was closest, but there was a miscommunication there. No time for that folks. It’s big boy pants time.
Patriots 24-21 Chiefs, 3:11 4th quarter
Mahomes finds Kelce, who drops it and NE pick it up...but there is a defensive holding call against Jackson that voids the whole play and pushes KC up to their 37. Still a ways to go.
New England have all three timeouts, KC have two, FYI...
Patriots 24-21 Chiefs, 3:21 4th quarter
Smith takes the kickoff across the 30 and here we go!
Can the kid make like the king and cap the second half comeback for KC?
Mahomes rolls right and throws incomplete on first down.
TOUCHDOWN! Patriots 24-21 Chiefs, 3:32 4th quarter
Brady kills the play at the line, takes the nap, hands to Michel, who steams ahead in between the tackles and into the endzone! New England are back on top!
Patriots 17-21 Chiefs, 3:50 4th quarter
3rd & 1. Burkhead has it and is tripped up short of the first down!
A measuring says they’re inches short. NE are going, of course. Here we go...can KC stop them again on fourth down?
Patriots 17-21 Chiefs, 4:05 4th quarter
The clock is ticking. It’s 2nd & 7. Brady is complete to Burkhead on the far sideline, he’s about a yard short of the first down at the 13.
Patriots 17-21 Chiefs, 4:49 4th quarter
Burkhead runs left and he’s untouched through acres of space for a gain of 14.
Now Grownkowski has a first down catch on the far side, Pats have 10 more yards: New England are driving and on the KC 19.
THE CALL STANDS!
NE have their first down confirmed, much to the chagrin of the KC crowd.
Pats on the Chiefs 44.
PLAY UNDER REVIEW! Patriots 17-21 Chiefs, 6:06 4th quarter
Brady, tons of time, and he slings it to Hogan for a great first down catch...or was it!
Reid throws a challenge flag. The ruling on the field was complete but the ball is moving as he hits the ground. It looks like a catch to me but it’s really close, just like this game.
If it stands NE are in KC territory.
Patriots 17-21 Chiefs, 6:25 4th quarter
Brady facing pressure again and he throws incomplete...but there’s a roughing the passing call that wasn’t immediately evident, and that’s because I am not sure it actually happened.
Oh well, that’s 15 yards and cancels out a 3rd & 7 and turns it into a first down. Thats what we call a break.
Now Brady is looking for Gronk who is getting destroyed down the sideline but no flags! That’s a makeup call right there.
Big 3rd & 8 coming up.
Patriots 17-21 Chiefs, 7:24 4th quarter
There’s a Chiefs fan on the field but sadly we don’t get to see it. Luckily there’s been a decent chunk of action here in the second half, don’t you think?
A security guard sneaks into the shot: he or she must be giving the men in black trouble...
TOUCHDOWN! Patriots 17-21 Chiefs, 7:45 4th quarter
Here comes the blitz again and Mahomes floats a pass to Williams on the near side, he has the football and he is STREAKING DOWN THE SIDELINE! TD KC!
The Kansas City Chiefs have come all the way back from a demoralizing first half, 14 points down at halftime, to take a late lead at Arrowhead!
Updated
INTERCEPTION! Patriots 17-14 Chiefs, 7:55 4th quarter
But wait, there’s more! Brady is picked off! The pass bounced off Edelman and into the hands of Daniel Sorensen!
So now KC take over on the Pats 23!. If you’re a Chiefs fan, that’s justice.
PLAY UNDER REVIEW!
Here’s the verdict:
Edelman did NOT touch the ball, that means New England have it after KC downed it.
I have no idea how there’s enough evidence to overturn the ruling on the field, but that was a tough replay to figure out.
So it’s 1st & 10 and NE start on their 28, approaching eight minutes to play.
That is a crazy moment in a bizarre game that is becoming crazier by the moment.
PLAY UNDER REVIEW!
Edelman fields the punt, but the ball bounces in front of him. Now Gehrig Dieter of KC is running into the endzone! Did Edelman touch the ball?
The ruling on the field is that Edelman did touch the ball, and that it can’t be advanced by KC and that the Chiefs have the ball deep in Pats territory.
Stand by.
Patriots 17-14 Chiefs, 8:40 4th quarter
Mahomes in the shotgun, New England send everybody, and the pivot throws it away.
So after all the emotion of KC holding on 4th and inches, they fail to do anything with the opportunity and will punt.
Patriots 17-14 Chiefs, 8:51 4th quarter
Well, after all this, KC have the momentum and the ball. Quickly however, it’s 3rd & 8 after Mahomes fires high over the hands of Williams.
Patriots 17-14 Chiefs, 9:33 4th quarter
Huge play, here we go.
Brady under center, he hands to Burkhead who leaps and is STUFFED BY KC FOR A LOSS!
That means the Chiefs take over on downs with a chance to take the lead!
Mahomes will get to work from his own 25!
Patriots 17-14 Chiefs, 9:47 4th quarter
Here’s a big 3rd & 2 and the crowd is up at Arrowhead.
Brady is in the shotgun, he hands to White who runs right and is a half-yard short.
They’re at the KC 24 and New England are going for it on 4th and inches!
Patriots 17-14 Chiefs, 11:36 4th quarter
Brady is rushed but he hits the fullback after a lightning quick release. That’s Devlin for nine yards as the clock ticks...
Patriots 17-14 Chiefs, 12:36 4th quarter
Michel is running again, and once more he has room up the middle. He runs for nine for a first down.
KC has to close that out immediately. Michel is approaching 100 yards rushing on the day.
Patriots 17-14 Chiefs, 13:35 4th quarter
So here comes Tom Brady, bidding to reach his 42nd Super Bowl, looking to hold off this second half rush from Kansas City.
He starts off by finding a wide open Edelman over the middle for a healthy gain of 19, up to the Pats 43.
TOUCHDOWN! Patriots 17-14 Chiefs, 14:51 4th quarter
Mahomes is rolling to his right and lets it go, right into the chest of Damien Williams in the corner of the endzone. Touchdown!
It’s a three point game at Arrowhead! KC have upped their second half yardage production from 3o odd to 145.
Updated
Patriots 17-7 Chiefs, 14:56 4th quarter
Mahomes floats a ball towards Kelce but Jackson hits him too early and flags fly! It’ll be first and goal from the one for KC!
Patriots 17-7 Chiefs, end of 3rd quarter
Now Mahomes drops back and throws to his right to Williams who has room and is running downhill!
Williams spins down inside the 20 and the quarter comes to a close.
There’s one quarter between one of these teams and Super Bowl LIII!
Patriots 17-7 Chiefs, 0:57 3rd quarter
On 3rd & 3, Mahomes is crushed, but not before slinging it sidearm to Watkins who has it for a first down!
Patriots 17-7 Chiefs, 1:22 3rd quarter
Mahomes is facing a blitz on 2nd down runs it himself, taking a hit on a nine-yard scramble up the middle after electing not to dive.
Then the QB sneaks it for a yard for a first down. The somewhat muted crowd don’t really believe in this, it seems. But it’s still a. close game, sort of.
FIELD GOAL! Patriots 17-7 Chiefs, 4:02 3rd quarter
Gostkowski drills it into the back of the net, and we’re back to a two-score game.
That 12-yard loss on the Hill punt return was such a killer.
Patriots 14-7 Chiefs, 4:19 3rd quarter
White runs up the middle to the KC 30 on a draw play. It will be a 48-yard attempt by Stephen Gostkowski.
Patriots 14-7 Chiefs, 4:38 3rd quarter
Michel on first down, runs right, with little to no room for a gain of two.
Now Brady is in the shotgun and tosses it over to White out of the backfield, complete.
There’s a flag for pass interference on the offense, Dorsett set a pick.
So now NE are on the KC 33, so that’s a big penalty, or it could be a big penalty if the kicking game comes into play.
On 2nd and 19, NE have a gain of two.
Big 3rd & 17 coming up.
Updated
Patriots 14-7 Chiefs, 6:38 3rd quarter
Now New England have a chance to keep the ball on the ground, kill some clock and get three points at least. But Brady goes to the air, complete on the near sideline to Hogan for a first down at the KC 28!
Here come New England.
Patriots 14-7 Chiefs, 7:38 3rd quarter
Mahomes is sacked! That’s a pressure and coverage takedown.
So it’s 3rd & 18: Mahomes faces heat again and fires over the middle, incomplete towards Conley.
KC have to punt. That overall sequence, starting with the reverse punt return was mostly mess.
Now Brady and his Pats will start on the KC 37. Starting on the precipice of field goal range is generally considered to be a positive.
Patriots 14-7 Chiefs, 9:05 3rd quarter
Play fake and a handoff to Williams who has room and plows up towards a first down. It’s their biggest run of the night: 10 yards.
This is an odd game, isn’t it?
Chiefs are done for holding, it’s 1st & 15 from the KC 16.
Patriots 14-7 Chiefs, 10:33 3rd quarter
On 3rd & 6, Brady’s pass is batted down in the line by Chris Jones and the Pats have to punt!
Now Hill has it for KC and is running the wrong way: it’s a loss of 12 on the runback!
How is that for quashing momentum!
But wait, there’s more: there’s also a penalty for an illegal block in the back that sets them back even farther! KC will start at their own five yard line.
What the...
Patriots 14-7 Chiefs, 11:13 3rd quarter
Burkhead struggles but has just enough, pushing for a first down. So the Pats drive continues.
Updated
Patriots 14-7 Chiefs, 11:56 3rd quarter
OK, so maybe I went a little far with the Super Bowl line predictions.
Now, let’s see how New England try to settle things down.
Well, to start, there’s a six-yard reception on the far side to Burkhead.
Now Brady has Edleman, again on the far side, short of a first down by about a yard.
Big 3rd & 1 coming up.
As it happened
The Kelce score right after the big gainpic.twitter.com/zYQCq0H3mH
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 21, 2019
TOUCHDOWN! Patriots 14-7 Chiefs, 12:56 3rd quarter
Mahomes finds Kelce streaking across the middle and just like that, KC are right back in it!
That’s quite a change!
Patriots 14-0 Chiefs, 14:27 3rd quarter
It’s 3rd & 2 as Andy Reid tries to avoid yet another bone crushing playoff loss.
Mahomes is in the shotgun. He has time, lots of it. He runs right and lofts a long, high pass that is COMPLETE!
Now that’s a big play! Watkins has a 54-yard reception!
And we're back...
KC need to make plays. Big plays. And a lot of them. They start on their 26.
Most of us hope Brady retires after the game. @LengelDavid
— Gene Loves Jezebel (@gljezebel) January 21, 2019
When will this ever end?
Stats
CBS TV here in the US provided us with this nugget before the half ended.
Here’s NE in the first half of their two playoff games thus-far:
They’re up 592 yards to 175, on first downs 40 to 9 and by points 49 to 7.
Should we start setting Super Bowl lines yet? I’ll guess New England gives the Rams four, maybe 4.5 points.
Meanwhile, the Pats have outrun KC 99 to 10. Brady has 146 yards and a TD on 12/17 passing. Mahomes is 4/8 for 65 yards.
And last but not least, New England have had the ball for 21:03. KC, just 8:53.
Christopher Lee is back, and a bit perturbed.
“That was a depressingly good half from the bloody Patriots.
They’re flaming well gonna win aren’t they?”
I’m going to let the rest of you ponder that question.
Patriots 14-0 Chiefs, end of 2nd quarter
And that will do it for the first half, one thoroughly dominated by an old guy who is clearly finished.
This may sound ridiculous, but even after that thrashing, KC are down just two scores and it’s still poss...well, ok, maybe that does sound ridiculous.
TOUCHDOWN! Patriots 14-0 Chiefs, 0:27 2nd quarter
Brady, has time and is throwing deep down the far sideline into the endzone...
...Phillip Dorsett is being manhandled by Steven Nelson but comes up with the football and has a touchdown!
It’s a 90-yard drive in eight plays and the Patriots have demoralized the Chiefs to end the first half.
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 0:31 2nd quarter
They can’t stop the run. White runs left now as Brady changes the play at the line of scrimmage, again. It’s a gain of nine yards to the Chiefs 29 and the Pats use their second timeout.
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 0:41 2nd quarter
Here’s a screen to White on the near side line and he has room - ACRES OF ROOM! Where is everybody?
That’s a 30-yard gain that silences the crowd and puts the Pats near field goal territory!
Now the Pats will call for time as they set up for a new set of downs starting at the Chiefs 38!
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 1:13 2nd quarter
New England have little interest in stopping this clock. A play fake to Edelman and a toss to Michel goes for a yard.
Now Michel carries again for five yards.
It’s going to be 3rd & 4, and it’s the Chiefs that call for time.
TWO MINUTE WARNING Patriots 7-0 Chiefs 2nd quarter
KC’s crowd are doing their best to energize the weathered defense, but New England’s running game is finding holes: Michel is at it again, finding gaping holes. It’s a nine-yard run for a first down and that takes us to the warning.
Both teams have all of their timeouts, in case you were wondering.
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 3:08 2nd quarter
It’s 3rd and long for KC: Mahomes facing inside pressure and he’s wrapped up and sacked by Flowers!
That’s a loss of 14 yards and the play pushes the Chiefs out of field goal range. So that promising 42-yard play comes to nothing as the Chiefs have to punt.
Edelman calls for a fair catch at the 10 and another opportunity is lost for the offense, putting an already tired defense under more pressure to keep their team in the game.
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 4:10 2nd quarter
Mahomes throws deep to Hill who beats double coverage who has it! It’s a 42-yard huge play for Mahomes and KC, somehow down just seven in this game, are now on the NE 23.
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 6:39 2nd quarter
Big 3rd & 2 for KC as their offense tries to get on track. On their 11th play from scrimmage, Mahomes is in the shotgun, drops back, runs right, is nearly sacked by Van Noy, then fires complete! Watkins has a first down to keep the drive going.
Thomas Wahl writes:
“I’m in Colorado rooting for Brady. Well, I am now after seeing the other old guy QB get robbed by such a blatant non-call. So, I’ll root for the other old guy who is still in the hunt.”
Some sympathy for Brady outside of New England! The Brady doing it for the old folks (like me) line is alive!
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 7:39 2nd quarter
On 2nd & 10, Brady fakes a throw to Patterson then hands to Michel who runs right up the middle for a gain of nine.
But on 3rd & short, Michel has it again and this time he is wrapped up for no gain!
Huge stop there at the KC 42 and the Pats will punt.
NE are flagged for a delay of game.
Now the punt, and the speed daemon Hill calls for a fair catch at the Chiefs 15.
KC’s defense has settled in, but can their offense get it together?
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 9:07 2nd quarter
On 2nd & 7, Brady is nearly picked again! A diving Eric Berry could not come up with the pill.
It’s 3rd & 7, Brady, facing huge pressure, somehow gets the ball off and finds White who was coming out of the backfield. Ugly but effective: first down, and White has his fourth third down conversion of this young game.
I got nothing on that Tom Brady throw. I am baffled. @LengelDavid
— Hunter Felt (@HunterFelt) January 21, 2019
You got nothing, but now New England have the ball as the time of possession conquering continues.
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 11:57 2nd quarter
KC starts from their 20.
On first down, Mahomes has time, until he doesn’t. The pocket closes fast, the kid runs to his right, then throws it away. Good pressure from New England.
Now Travis Kelce has his first reception, a gain of nine on the far sideline.
But on 3rd & 1, Damien Williams is stacked up! He’s short on an important conversion attempt and KC will have to punt.
If this was a video game, you might go for it. But this isn’t a video game, just to be clear.
That was an opportunity lost for the home team as Andy Reid paces the sidelines...
NE will start on their 26 when we return.
INTERCEPTION! Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 13:37 2nd quarter
Reggie Ragland picks off Brady in the center of the endzone, and he kneels for the touchback!
And that’s the play the defense had to make!
Brady had gone over 200 throws without an interception until then.
Now, can the Chiefs capitalize on the rare mistake from the Pats?
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, end of 1st quarter
Big 3rd & 2.
Brady in the shot gun, takes a step back and throws to the far sideline where Edleman is wide open. It’s a five yard gain down to the Chiefs five-yard line.
And that’s how the first quarter ends folks. The Pats have run 23 plays, KC, six.
It’s total domination. KC’s gassed defense needs to make a play.
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 1:13 1st quarter
Brady throws right, Patterson has it and he has room! Big block by Gronkowski and it’s an 18-yard gain down the far sideline!
Pats inside the 20! Michel has nine carries in the first quarter for 40 yards.
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 2:19 1st quarter
Brady comes out throwing, incomplete on the far sideline looking for Edelman.
Then White runs right for four yards and Burkhead goes up the middle for a yards.
All that means it’s 3rd & 4. And New England are on the ground AGAIN on third down! Michel runs right for a new set of downs and that is totally demoralizing. The clock is running and the Patriots are moving.
They’re on KC’s 33!
Christopher Lee writes:
“C’mon no one wants the Pats to win right? Yes, Yes Brady and Belichick are GOAT, lucky to be watching them and all that but no one actually wants them to win do they?”
Outside of New England? Probably not. Where does Tom’s dad live?
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 4:33 1st quarter
Mahomes is sacked on 3rd & 10! Kyle Van Noy wraps up a perfect start for New England as they quickly force a punt following a methodical opening drive.
It really can’t get much better for the visitors: the KC crowd are punch drunk.
Edelman runs back the punt 11 yards to the KC 45: great field position coming up for Brady, as if he needed any additional help.
Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 5:28 1st quarter
Williams is wrapped up by Roberts on 2nd & 5 for a loss of two, and on third down, Mahomes fires incomplete...but there’s a flag. Defensive holding keeps the drive alive for KC.
Now Mahomes is throwing deep...to a patch of green grass, which I suppose was near Sammy Watkins.
Not looking sharp at the moment on offense are KC.
TOUCHDOWN! Patriots 7-0 Chiefs, 6:55 1st quarter
The Patriots, smashing Chiefs mouths, cap a marathon drive with a Sony Michel following a James Develin block into the endzone.
That’s 15 plays, 80 yards in 8:05. Can the Chiefs answer? It’s pretty quiet in KC.
Updated
Patriots 0-0 Chiefs, 7:05 1st quarter
Brady looking for White on a screen pass is incomplete, setting up a big 3rd & 7.
Brady fires over the middle, complete! Edelman has a first down catch and New England are down to the 16!
Moments later the Pats are inside the 10: Michel running to his right with room!
First and goal to go and this drive is over eight minutes long!
Time out on the field, Chiefs lineman Xavier Williams was shaken up...
Patriots 0-0 Chiefs, 9:50 1st quarter
On 3rd & 1, White moves right, cuts left, and has a short gain for another first down.
New England are on KC’s 30.
Patriots 0-0 Chiefs, 10:49 1st quarter
Gronk is up and running, a nine-yard catch on the near side to their own 45...and now again, this time his catch is for five yards on the far sideline.
3rd & 4 coming up, and New England is going on the ground, establishing that run! James White has a first down, and that possession time is piling up early as the clock runs. Pats in Chiefs territory.
Kick-off
It really happened!
The Pats start from their 20 and begin on the ground, right up the gut, Sony Michel a first down and an 11-yard game.
We’re off!
Happy recap
That’s what this is, if you’re a Los Angeles Rams fan of course.
National Anthem
I usually keep national anthem ratings for the baseball World Seires, but Melissa Etheridge did a heck of a job and I’m giving the Kansas native an 8/10.
It sounded a lot of something like this...
Prediction
Patrick Mahomes, the young, side-arm-throwing phenom is must-see TV and certainly a must-read live blog.
So how do you keep him from lighting up New England’s defense, just as he did in the second half of these teams week six matchup? By keeping him off the field of course. Yes, the Pats can get into a track meet with KC, as they did successfully at home earlier this season. But that’s a considerably tougher play on the road.
So for the Pats to get out of Arrowhead and into the friendlier confines of Atlanta’s cozy dome, Belichick might recall the job he did as defensive coordinator for the Giants against the Bills in Super Bowl XXV. That’s when he kept a superior Buffalo offense on the sidelines with a meticulous, slow moving, run based attack that controlled the ball for a 40:33.
I believe the Pats will come close to pulling something like that off, but not close enough. The final score today? It’s 31-27 of course.
What say you? Let us know and we’ll make you famous. Kick-off is coming right up!
Updated
Super Bowl LIII
Well, thanks to a 57-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein, the Rams move from one German dome to another: Los Angeles have made their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history, three seasons removed from their former home in St Louis.
Who will they face in Atlanta? We’ll know soon enough.
Fashionistas
Snap poll, who won the pre-game fashion bowl?
Highly doubt Tom Brady thinks Chiefs -3 is the right side todaypic.twitter.com/0XLAmzDIKH
— The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) January 20, 2019
1️⃣5️⃣ has arrived. #LetsRoll pic.twitter.com/UyX8JfD0Rn
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 20, 2019
Bundle up?
There always seems to be a playoff game in the bitter cold and this year it’s in Kansas City. The Arctic blast is blowing over Arrowhead Stadium, a weather system which will bring temperatures to around 20 degrees Fahrenheit or -6 Celcius at game time, considerably warmer than its been in the region lately.
Around once a year I come on here and write pretty much the same exact thing. Cold weather does not matter. Snow matters, rain matters, wind matters. It won’t matter even if the broadcasters tell you it will matter: that is a game sell and this game needs no sell.
Patrick Mahomes isn’t going to be out on the field thinking “I wish I was inside right now with some warm coco and an Oreo cookie.”
No.
He is trying to get his team to the Super Bowl for the first time in decades.
Even if Tom Brady does get cold, well, he has a really big coat. So nothing to see here...
Tom Brady is wearing his comically oversized coat again #LACvsNE pic.twitter.com/mFsgeeOp5H
— Kevin Boilard (@247KevinBoilard) January 13, 2019
Perspective
After years of tough-luck losses and ineptitude, the Chiefs would love to hoist the Lamar Hunt trophy. Others, not so much.
Belichick’s trophy room has too many trophies in it.
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 20, 2019
Proof: last year’s AFC Championship 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/NB6rpKwYrl
Pregame thoughts
OK, let’s just get something out of the way first: this is NOT a referendum on the state of Grandpa Brady and the Pats.
No, the referendum game for Brady and Belichick was last week. Had the Pats lost to a Los Angeles Chargers team traveling over 2000 miles to play a January game, in the Northeast, in the divisional round, then it would have been time to start asking questions.
That didn’t happen. In fact, the Pats put together their best game of the season, and perhaps in many seasons. So it’s business as usual in New England, even if they should not get past the Chiefs today, on the road, where they’re just 3-5 this season.
It’s the Chiefs, with their spectacular 23-year-old rookie quarterback Pat Mahomes and their vaunted but tortured head coach Andy Reid who will play with more pressure today.
The Chiefs exorcised their first daemon, winning a home playoff game, last week against the Colts. Now the Pats stand in the watch fa their next hurdle: hoisting the trophy named after their founder Lamar Hunt, a sports visionary who also happened to bring the American Football League into the world.
A victory would bring the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl since the early 1970’s while taking some of that piano weight off Reid, who lost his only prior Super Bowl appearance v the Pats while coaching in Philadelphia.
Can Reid and the Chiefs reach Atlanta, and a date with the NFC champs in Super Bowl LIII?
We guarantee an answer on this live blog, or your money back! So sit back, relax and get ready to read: we’ll have all the action for you as kick-off approaches.
Please stand by!
Updated
Hola!
Howdy folks, David Lengel here. Welcome to our live coverage of the American Football Conference Championship game between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. We’re glad to have you with us!
Now get back to the NFC Championship game with Hunter Felt over on Guardian 1. I’ll post some content in the meantime but we’ll see you back in a little bit. Sound good? Excellent.
David will be here shortly, in the meantime here’s Hunter Felt’s preview of today’s game:
What the Patriots need to do: Make Patrick Mahomes look like a playoff rookie. Mahomes had a successful postseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts, but he didn’t have a passing touchdown (although he did rush for one). That didn’t really matter in a comfortable 31-13 win, but that’s not going to cut it against Tom Brady and the Patriots. Every drive in which the Patriots defense can limit the Chiefs to a field goal (or less) will be crucial if this becomes a shootout similar to the teams’ previous meeting.
What the Chiefs need to do: Watch the clock. The Chiefs’ Andy Reid is one of the best head coaches in the league, but he’s also notorious for his poor clock management in big games. If Sunday’s meeting ends up being close down the stretch, both teams must use their timeouts wisely and have perfect awareness of how much time is left (or at least glance at the clock on occasion).
Key player for the Patriots: Julian Edelman, WR. There are plenty of benefits to being Tom Brady’s favorite target and that includes climbing up the Most Postseason Receptions list. With his 94th postseason reception last Sunday, Edelman moved up to second on the list, passing Reggie Wayne, and he ended the 41-28 blowout with 98. It’s safe to bet that he won’t beat Jerry Rice’s record of 151 but he’s probably a good bet to break the 100 mark this Sunday.
Key player for the Chiefs: Damien Williams, RB. You think the Patriots regret not signing Williams? Kansas City’s running game could have taken a stumble when they cut Kareem Hunt. Instead they inserted Williams who has thrived in their system. He is coming off a 129-yard performance against the Colts.
Unheralded player to watch: Cordarrelle Patterson, KR, New England Patriots. Patterson is technically a wide receiver, but the Patriots used him as a running back during the regular season when Sony Michel was unavailable. Now that Michel is healthy, as his mammoth game against the Chargers established, Patterson’s biggest impact will be as a kick returner. In fact, Los Angeles brought in a second kicker, Nick Rose, to handle kickoffs and limit Patterson’s chances (he would end up returning just one kick, for 23 yards). In a game that may well come down to the wire, one huge return could end up being key.
Prediction: Patriots 31-34 Chiefs
