MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.
BY BARRY WILNER | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady silenced Tebowmania with a record-shattering performance.
Brady threw six touchdown passes, five in the first half, putting the New England Patriots into the AFC championship game after roughing up Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos 45-10 Saturday.
The Patriots (14-3), winners of nine straight games, will host either Baltimore or Houston next Sunday for a spot in the Super Bowl. Saturday night’s romp snapped a three-game postseason losing streak, two of those at Gillette Stadium, and lifted the Patriots to the verge of their fifth Super Bowl appearance in 11 seasons. They’ve won three of those.
“We came in and started fast and it was a big win for us,” said Brady, who even got off a 48-yard punt on third down.
From the first snap, this was a mismatch. The Patriots were not going to make the same mistakes the Steelers made against this team.
A nation transfixed by Tebow’s play, if not his principles, tuned in Saturday to see if he had more heroics in store for Brady and company. He had nothing left as the Patriots made this must-see TV only for those who live in New England.
With New England up 42-7, the fans began their derisive Teeee-bow chants. On the next play, the Broncos quarterback was sacked for an 11-yard loss — one of five sacks for New England’s 31st-ranked defense.
And so ended one of the season’s most exciting story lines — one that began when Denver was 1-4 and made Tebow a starter. The one-time third-stringer promptly won six in a row and seven of eight, with a string of stunning comebacks. That surge ended with a 41-23 home loss to New England, and the Broncos dropped their next two, backing into the AFC West title.
But they rebounded nicely in their first playoff game since the 2005 season with the longest overtime touchdown in playoff history, an 80-yard catch and run by Demaryius Thomas against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like everyone else on the Broncos’ offense, Thomas was invisible against the Patriots.
Patriots 45, Broncos 10
Denver 0 7 3 0 — 10
New England 14 21 7 3 — 45
First quarter
NE—Welker 7 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), 13:09.
NE—Gronkowski 10 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), 6:42.
Second quarter
Den—McGahee 5 run (Prater kick), 14:54.
NE—Gronkowski 12 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), 7:42.
NE—Branch 61 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), 1:57.
NE—Gronkowski 19 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), :05.
Third quarter
NE—Hernandez 17 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), 11:46.
Den—FG Prater 41, 2:14.
Fourth quarter
NE—FG Gostkowski 20, 12:39.
A—68,756.
Den NE
First downs 15 31
Total Net Yards 252 509
Rushes-yards 40-144 30-146
Passing 108 363
Punt Returns 0-0 2-28
Kickoff Returns 4-68 1-28
Interceptions Ret. 1-17 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 9-26-0 26-34-1
Sacked-Yards Lost 5-28 0-0
Punts 7-38.9 3-42.0
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 1-1
Penalties-Yards 5-55 2-20
Time of Possession 33:23 26:37
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Denver, McGahee 17-76, Ball 13-44, Tebow 5-13, Johnson 4-10, Royal 1-1. New England, Hernandez 5-61, Green-Ellis 13-28, Woodhead 4-25, Ridley 4-21, Brady 3-8, Polite 1-3.
PASSING—Denver, Tebow 9-26-0-136. New England, Brady 26-34-1-363.
RECEIVING—Denver, D.Thomas 6-93, Royal 2-25, Willis 1-18. New England, Gronkowski 10-145, Welker 6-55, Hernandez 4-55, Branch 3-85, Edelman 1-11, Green-Ellis 1-8, Ridley 1-4.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.