The New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts met in their AFC divisional round playoff clash at Gillette Stadium for a place in the conference championship game.
The Patriots were looking to reach the title match for the third season in a row, while the Colts eyeing their first appearance since the 2009 campaign.
However, it was the home side who progressed as despite the best efforts of Andrew Luck, Bill Belichick's side ran the ball all over the visitors as they rushed for six scores, with LeGarrette Blount leading the way with four to guide his side into the championship match next week.
Read how all the action unfolded below.
Good morning and welcome to the live commentary of the AFC divisional round playoff clash between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.
It's make or break time in the AFC playoffs as the Patriots take on the Colts, who staged one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history to reach this point in the season as they came from 28 points down to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the wildcard round last week.
The Patriots come into the game fresh off their bye week following their 12-win season, which is quite a remarkable feat given their injuries to key players this season. Starters Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, Brandon Spikes, Jerod Mayo, Rob Gronkowski and Sebastian Vollmer are all out for the season, as Tom Brady has dragged his side to the post-season on grit, determination and a bit of luck.
Bill Belichick's side's running game has really helped them over the past few weeks, as back LeGarrette Blount has undergone as resurgence this season to get to 772 yards, while Stevan Ridley also passed 700 this season. Shane Vereen has become the focal point of the Patriots offense, since his return from injury in week 11 of the season. His threat in the redzone, and also on third down, has been invaluable since Gronkowski went down in week 14.
The Patriots defense has been hit hard with injuries as well, but importantly for them their secondary as remained intact. Aqib Talib has been voted as an All-Pro this season for his performances, as he has locked down the number one receiver on several teams this year. He along with Devin McCourty have helped protect the defense from deep passes, while Alfonzo Dennard, Kyle Arrington and Logan Ryan have all helped lock down sides as well.
Those players will have to be at their best to lock down TY Hilton after his 13-catch 224-yard performance last week, which also featured two touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs. Hilton is not unstoppable but he is very shifty, and like a player like DeSean Jackson, he can make several players miss when he is out in space. Hilton will need to have a big game for the Colts to advance as their other options aren't that great.
The Colts will need Luck to be at his best as well to find Hilton, as he will have to be pinpoint accurate against the Patriots secondary, as his weapons are limited. The running game also has to step up as Donald Brown will have to find the form he had last week, where he scored twice against the Chiefs, against the Pats weakness in run defense. In wet conditions in New England, he has to take the pressure off Luck, while Trent Richardson has to show why the Colts traded a first-round pick for him.
PATRIOTS INACTIVES: Barker, Beauharnais, Bequette, Sopoaga, Dobson, Green, Williams.
COLTS INACTIVES: Branch, Heyward-Bey, Lenz, Price, Adongo, Holmes, Reitz.
The Patriots are without wide receiver Aaron Dobson in the only injury on their active list, while the Colts are missing Darius Heyward-Bey.
The Colts will start at the 20, as Gostkowski's kick sails out of the endzone.
INTERCEPTION PATRIOTS!
A disaster start for the Colts as Luck throws his first interception of the game into the hands of Alfonzo Dennard and he returns the ball to the two-yard line where he gets knocked out of bounds to save the touchdown. Brady will take over for the Patriots.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!
The Patriots take one play to get into the endzone as Brady hands the ball off to Blount on the goalline and he gets behind the block of his full-back to power in for the score. Great start for the home side.
Luck will start at the 20-yard line again, as Gostkowski's kick sails out of the endzone.
The Colts go three out as Luck's throw to Hilton is complete but he can only get two yards on the play before he's hauled to the ground by Talib, after Brown could only get three yards on first and Luck's pass on second was incomplete under pressure from Jones. Edelman returns McAfee's punt to the 41-yard line but a penalty will bring that back to the 26.
The Patriots get the first down as Brady takes the snap in the shotgun and drills the ball to Vereen on the right side and he moves the chains and gets 10 yards before he gets pushed out of bounds, after Blount had gotten six yards over the middle of the field.
Brady fires over the middle of the field for Edelman and he catches the ball in stride and takes it all the way to the Colts' 30 with a 25-yard reception.
The Patriots keep their drive moving with a sublime throw from Brady on third and four as he drills the ball to Amendola for a 16-yard reception to the Colts' seven, after Vereen and Blount had churned out seven yards on first and second down.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!
The Patriots find the endzone again as Blount gets the handoff on the two-yard line, after a five-yard carry on first and again he plows into the endzone for the score. Great start by the Patriots.
The Colts will start at the 20 yet again.
The Colts get a first down as Brown churns up the middle of the field for an eight-yard carry and then on third down throw Luck finds Fleener on an out route for a nine-yard reception to the Colts' 36.
Luck takes an absolute blast on third down and the ball loops over the Patriots defensive back into the hands of Whalen over the middle and he makes the grab for a 22-yard reception to take the ball to the Patriots' 38. A crucial catch by the receiver.
TOUCHDOWN COLTS!
The Colts are back in the game as Luck fakes the handoff to Brown and he goes deep down the right side looking for Brazill and he makes the grab over Dennard and walks into the endzone for the 38-yard touchdown. A great throw by the quarterback.
The Patriots will start at the 20.
SACK! Brady goes down on third down as Walden beats Cannon around the edge and the quarterback, has nowhere to go and just takes the hit, after Ridley could only get two yards on second and Butler broke up a pass to Amendola on first down. Brazill takes the punt from Allen to the Colts' 27.
The Colts go three and out as Luck's pass to Fleener on third down falls incomplete as it sails just over his outstretched hands with Collins in coverage, after Richardson only got two yards on second and Rogers dropped a pass on first down. Edelman takes the punt to the 41 and another penalty brings the Patriots back 10 yards.
The Patriots get the first down as Vereen gets the carry up the middle of the line and he gets levelled by Freeman just after the marker, after Ridley had gotten six yards on the ground on first and second.
Ridley gets the carry again and he can only find one yard on first down, so the Patriots will have second down and nine, when the second quarter begins.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: Indianapolis Colts 7-14 New England Patriots
The Patriots get the first down as Blount gets the handoff on third and one and he powers through the line to move the chains at the Colts' 48, after Vereen found nine yards on down.
The Patriots get moving again as Brady goes play-action as he fakes the handoff to Blount and he hits the receiver over the middle of the field for a 27-yard gain to the Colts' 25. He appears to be holding his hand after he shook off several tackles before he was brought down, that would be huge for the Patriots if he was to be injured.
Brady goes to Edelman on third down and he makes the catch for 15 yards to take the ball to the Colts' 10 as Davis tried to cover him over the middle of the field.
The Patriots go run again on third down as Vereen gets the first down, and takes his side to the two-yard line with a five-yard run up the middle, after Ridley got five yards on second down through the middle of the line.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!
Blount is in the endzone again as he powers through the line and leaps into the endzone for the one-yard score. That is his third score of the night. The Patriots are running all over the Colts at the moment.
The Colts will start at the 20.
The Colts get moving immediately as Luck fires to Fleener over a corner route and he makes the grab for a 27-yard reception to take his side to the 50-yard line.
Another first down for the Colts as Luck takes off himself over the left side of the line and he runs for six yards to move the chains after Brown had gotten four yards on a first down carry. Colts at the 38 of the Patriots.
The Colts keep another drive alive as Luck fires over the middle of the field to Whalen who makes the grab for the nine-yard reception to move his side to the 21 of the Patriots, after Brown could only get two yards on a short catch over the middle of the field.
Indianapolis can't go any further as Luck's pass to Hilton falls incomplete as he tried to hit him over the right side of the line after Brown only got four yards on first and second, after Hightower came up with a big hit to force the runner back. This will leave a 35-yard field goal for Vinatieri.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! COLTS 10-21 PATRIOTS
Blount returns the ball to the 25-yard line, where Brady will start.
The Patriots get the first down as Blount powers to the 42-yard line as he gets eight yards on first down and then another 14 on second down, the back is really starting to put the hammer down for the home side.
New England can't go any further as the Colts get a major stop on third and two as Freeman is able to get to Blount to bring him down and for a loss.
SAFETY!! The Patriots concede a safety as the snap from Aiken goes well over the head of Allen and he tries to take the gather the ball then throw it from his own two-yard line and fortunately for him, it hits a Colts player and goes out of the endzone.
The Colts get the ball at the 27-yard line as Allen boots the free kick to Whalen.
Luck gets away with throwing a sure interception into the hands of Dennard as he looks downfield for Brazill again, but the the Patriots man has the ball knocked out of his hands by his teammate McCourty. Brown gets the handoff on second but he is stuffed for no gain, leaving third and 10 after the two-minute warning.
Hilton makes the grab on third and 10 for 20 yards for a crucial grab to move the Colts to their 40, as he gets the ball over the 40-yard line with no Patriot in coverage. A great throw under pressure.
The Colts get moving again as Luck gets the cannon of the arm out again and he drills the ball to Whalen over the middle of the field for a gain of 20 yards with Ryan in coverage on a dig route.
INTERCEPTION PATRIOTS!!
The Patriots make a crucial turnover as Luck tries to check down to Havilli and he can't make the grab and it rebounds into the hands of Hightower, who makes the play and takes it to the Patriots' 36.
The Patriots can't move the chains as Vereen drops the ball on third down on a wheel route after he was dropped for no gain on second down. An injury to the Patriots punter Allen, forces kicker Gostkowski to punt and he drops a beauty as Whalen is dropped inside the 20.
Luck hands the ball off to the Brown and they allow the clock to run out for the half to end.
HALF TIME: Indianapolis Colts 12-21 New England Patriots
The Patriots hold a nine-point lead over the Colts at the break, as running back LeGarrette Blount powered for three scores, while the Colts got on the board with a deep strike to Brazill, a Vinatieri field goal and a safety. There have been some bizarre incidents in this game as Luck has turned the ball over twice, while Brady has hardly thrown the ball.
The Colts are still in this game despite trailing 21-7 at one point in the game, but the Patriots will get the ball to start the half, they will need a ton of stops to get back in to the match and halt Belichick's side running game. New England need to keep limiting Hilton, who has just two catches so far and they are forcing Luck to go to his other options, with mixed results.
Blount takes a knee in the endzone and Brady will start at the 20.
The Patriots go three and out as Vereen drops another pass on third down over the middle of the field, after Hoomanwanui got a seven-yard reception over the middle of the field on second. Gostkowski's punt lands at the 35-yard line, as Allen is yet to return to action.
Luck drills a perfect strike to Hilton downfield and he makes the grab for the 40-yard reception down to the New England 20. What a throw by the quarterback and a magnificent diving grab by the receiver.
Luck fires to his tight end Fleener down the right sideline and he makes the grab on a back shoulder fade for a 16-yard reception down to the Patriots four yard line.
The Patriots make the stand on their goalline as Luck's pass to Fleener falls incomplete on the fade route over Collins, who made a good play, this was after Brown and then Richardson were stood up on the four-yard line. That will leave a 21-yarder for Vinatieri.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Colts 15-21 Patriots
The Colts drag themselves within six points as Vinatieri fires through the posts.
Blount takes the ball out and hesitates and is dropped at the 12-yard line, where Brady will begin.
Brady goes deep on play-action on first down as he fires to Amendola who gets open and he takes the ball to the 35-yard line of the Colts for a 53-yard reception, just what the home side needed to get back into rhythm on offense.
Brady somehow escapes the pressure up the middle on third and seven and he throws on the run to Edelman who makes the grab for the eight-yard reception taking the Patriots to the Colts' 24, after Ridley had gotten three yards on first down and an incompletion on second.
The Patriots get a break on third and eight as Brady's pass falls incomplete looking for Edelman down the sideline but Gordy is flagged for pass interference down the right-sideline that costs his side 17 yards and the home side will take the ball at the five-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!
The Patriots get into the endzone as Ridley get the handoff on the two-yard line and he gets over an initial tackle to get in for his side's fourth rushing score of the night. He gets the handoff again as the Patriots go for two and he gets in again, for the two-point conversion. The Pats lead by 14.
The Colts will start at the 20.
What a throw by Luck as he somehow escapes the rush and hits Hilton deep downfield for a 46-yard reception to get the Colts right into Patriots territory.
TOUCHDOWN COLTS!
The Colts are back in the game and Luck has just produced two of the best throws you'll ever see in the NFL to hit Hilton and then Brazill in the endzone for a 38-yard strike down the middle of the field for a 38-yard touchdown. What a play by Luck, incredible.
The Patriots will start at their 20.
The Patriots go three and out as Blount can only get seven yards on first and second, on third Brady's pass to Thompkins over the middle of the field falls incomplete. Gostkowski's punt is collected at the 30, where Luck will begin.
SACK! The Patriots finally get to Luck in the pocket and he goes down for an eight-yard loss on second down and his pass on third down falls incomplete looking for Whalen, forcing the punt from McAfee and Edelman collects the kick at the 22-yard line and goes down.
The Patriots go three and out, yet again as Develin tries to get the yard on a full back carry but Landry gets to him behind the line and stops him for a loss, after Ridley ran for nine yards on second. Gostkowski hits a good punt to the Colts' 12 and Whalen is brought down immediately as he tried to return the ball as Kanorris Davis got to him.
The Colts end the third quarter with a four-yard run with Brown up the middle of the line and will have second and six, when the fourth quarter starts.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Indianapolis Colts 22-29 New England Patriots
Brown gets the handoff and the Colts move the chains as he gets eight yards on second at their 24-yard line.
SACK! Luck is brought down on second down by Vellano as he sticks out his leg and brings down the quarterback for a three-yard loss, Luck then goes deep down the sideline looking for Brazill but his pass falls incomplete. McAfee hits a punt to the 15-yard line but Edelman takes it back to his side's 26.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!
Blount breaks a big one on the first play of the drive as he powers 73 yards, through the tackle of Landry all the way to the endzone. A huge moment in the game, as the Patriots have a 14-point lead.
The Colts will start at the 20.
INTERCEPTION PATRIOTS!
The Patriots get their third interception of the game as Collins makes another big play in the passing game, as he drops into coverage and makes the pick of Luck as he tried to find Fleener over the middle of the field and he takes his side to the Colts' 18.
Brady gets lucky on second down as Bethea drops an interception in the endzone and on third and 10, Brady finds former Colt Austin Collie over the middle of the field for a 14-yard reception down to the four-yard line of the visitors.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!
Ridley gets the handoff on the goalline and he powers over the right side of the line for the one-yard score, to surely put this game to bed. The Patriots have six running scores today.
The Colts will start at their 20 again.
The Colts go three and out as Luck can only find Fleener on first for nine yards and on second and third his throws to the tight end and Brazill fall incomplete and that forces the punt and Edelman catches the ball and returns it to the Patriots' 26.
The Patriots move the chains on third and four as Brady fires the ball to Amendola on the sideline and he makes the grab on the out route for a seven-yard reception down to the New England 31.
The home side are milking the clock now as Blount gets the one-yard carry on third and one after Brady had hit Edelman for an eight-yard reception over the middle of the field on play-action.
The Patriots get back-to-back first downs as Blount finds a hole and explodes through for a 30-yard reception down to the Colts' 28 and the Ridley gets the ball and gets a similar amount of room to get 10 yards as he refuses to go down after the first hit at the Colts' 28.
SACK! Mathis finally gets to Brady and knocks the ball loose but fortunately for the Patriots, Mankins lands on it and they will have a chance to ice the game with a punt deep into Colts' territory, but Gostkowski's punt goes into the endzone, so Luck will begin at the 20.
The Colts get a first down as Luck hits Fleener on two short completions over the middle of the field, and gets 11 yards out of it at their own 31-yard line. It's pretty much game over trailing by 21 points with two-minutes remaining.
The Colts get another first down as Luck fires to Whalen on the sideline and he makes the grab for a nine-yard reception at their own 45-yard line.
Brown speeds through the middle of the line and gets the first down for the Colts with a 16-yard run through the middle of the line.
INTERCEPTION PATRIOTS!
Dennard makes the grab for the interception, his second of the game at the 25-yard line and that will be that. The Patriots are going to the AFC Championship game for the third year in a row.
Brady takes the kneel down for the win.
FULL TIME: Indianapolis Colts 22-43 New England Patriots
The Patriots are through to the AFC Championship game for the third season in a row, as they edge out the Colts here to advance, to face either the San Diego Chargers or the Denver Broncos, location to be confirmed.
Tom Brady did not have to throw a touchdown pass in this game as LeGarrette Blount and Stevan Ridley ran all over the Colt in the fourth quarter to ice the game. Andrew Luck tried his best to keep his side in it but his four interceptions proved to be costly as the home side did just enough to keep him at bay, despite some excellent throws.
Belichick's side are now just one game away from reaching the Super Bowl for the sixth time in his tenure at the Patriots a remarkable achievement considering, how much strife this team has been through this season, with injuries and the imprisonment of former tight end Aaron Hernandez. The Colts will look ahead to the Draft and free agency now with some big decisions to be made, as they are without a first round pick following the Trent Richardson trade, that doesn't look so good now. Still they have the quarterback and will be back next year.
Thanks for joining our commentary this morning. We'll be back tomorrow with the rest of the divisional round matchups, until then goodbye.
