The Patriots are going to the Super Bowl after beating the Chiefs in a classic

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:

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.

Sony Michel ran one right up the middle on fourth-and-inches to make it a 24-21 game:

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.

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:

Here was the Mahomes no-call:

You be the judge! Onward we go.

On a third-and-eight from their own 45-yard line, Tom Brady completed this 11-yard pass:

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.

It gave Kansas City the 28-24 lead, on a drive that lasted just five plays, and went for 68 yards:

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:

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.

You know what happened already.

It was Tom Brady’s first, but this time, he can put a little more salt on Falcon wounds, and win it in Atlanta.