Julian Edelman fumbles a punt return before recovering. Wilfredo Lee
Wilfredo Lee
The Patriots’ campaign could hardly have gotten off to a rockier start as they lost on opening weekend for the first time since 2003 (a season in which they won the Super Bowl, for what it’s worth.)
Leading conference rivals the Miami Dolphins 20-10 at half-time, the Pats collapsed and shipped 23 unanswered points in the second half.
2. L 14-41 @ Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)
Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith celebrates an interception. Colin E. Braley
Colin E. Braley
After an uninspiring win against the Raiders in Week 3, the Patriots went on the road to Kansas City for Monday Night Football and were beaten back out the gate.
The Chiefs’ superstar running back Jamaal Charles returned from injury to score three touchdowns while the Pats’ passing game faltered with Tom Brady throwing for just 159 yards with two interceptions.
The knives were out afterwards and a season looked to be hanging in the balance.
3. W 27-25 New York Jets (5-2)
Brady and Amendola celebrate Elise Amendola
Elise Amendola
Wins against Cincinnati and in Buffalo moved the Patriots to a much healthier 4-2 and they were expected to make mincemeat of their old divisional foes the New York Jets who arrived in Foxboro with a pitiful 1-5 record.
But Gang Green came to play and led 19-17 in the third quarter, only to be denied by a Brady touchdown pass to Amendola and then a blocked field goal which would have snatched victory on the final play of the game.
It meant a third straight win for the Pats and continued the momentum of a spell that would come to define their season.
4. W 42-20 Denver Broncos (7-2)
Brady channels his inner Gronk as he celebrates against the Broncos Elise Amendola
Elise Amendola
Both New England and Denver came into this game on the back of four straight wins but the latest instalment of Brady v Manning was a blowout.
The Patriots led 27-7 at the break thanks to a 24-point second quarter, and ran out 22-point winners against a team fancied to be one of their main AFC rivals.
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5. W 35-31 Baltimore Ravens
There were few speedbumps for the remainder of the regular season as the Pats comfortably finished with a 12-4 record and top seeding in the AFC.
But they found themselves in a hole in the divisional round of the playoffs when they trailed the Ravens by 14 points not once, but twice.
Julian Edelman turned the clock back to his college quarterback days and threw a touchdown to Danny Amendola in a masterful piece of trickery before Brady led the game-winning drive late on.
“It was a wild game,” Bill Belichick said. Seems about right.
Amendola reaches for the endzone against the Ravens. Charles Krupa
Charles Krupa
6. W 45-7 Indianapolis Colts
Few expected the Colts to cause a shock at Foxboro but equally, few expected the AFC Championship game to turn into the blowout it did. The Patriots were ruthless, not least in the third quarter where they outscored Indy 21-0.
All talk since has been of “Deflate-gate” and the allegations that the Patriots deliberately used under-inflated balls. Will that prove to be a distraction come Sunday?
Brady celebrates another AFC Championship, but "Deflate-gate" have overshadowed the Pats' preparations for the Super Bowl. Matt Slocum
Matt Slocum
Seattle Seahawks
1. W 36-16 Green Bay Packers (1-0)
DeShawn Shead celebrates Scott Eklund
Scott Eklund
The reigning champions were handed a tough opener against one of the NFC’s most fancied teams but did their back-to-back credentials no harm with a dominant performance against the Packers on opening night.
Russell Wilson threw two touchdowns and Marshawn Lynch ran in two more as the Seahawks sent out a message.
2. L 26-28 @ St Louis Rams (3-3)
Russell Wilson is sacked during the defeat to the Rams. Tom Gannam
Tom Gannam
If there was a moment when the Seahawks’ season looked like it had come off the rails, this was it. After a rare home defeat against the Cowboys in Week 6, Pete Carroll’s side went to St Louis where they were completely outfoxed.
Stedman Bailey ran in a trick 90-yard kick return touchdown and punter Johnny Hekker threw a touchdown pass to Benny Cunningham as the Rams registered only their second win of the season and Seattle fell to a disappointing 3-3.
3. W 30-24 Oakland Raiders (5-3)
Seattle corner Richard Sherman gets to grips with Oakland's Mychal Rivera AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
The Seahawks got back to the feet with a dour win against Carolina and their indifferent form continued against the Raiders in Week 9.
Wilson threw for just 179 yards with no touchdowns as Seattle very nearly let a 21-point half-time lead slip. They didn’t and, for the rest of the regular season, they only lost once.
4. W 35-6 Arizona Cardinals (11-4)
Doug Baldwin fights for every last yard against the Cardinals Rick Scuteri
Rick Scuteri
Coming in on the back of seven wins from their last eight, this was the night the Seahawks emphatically rubber-stamped their Super Bowl credentials.
A superb defensive performance held the playoff-bound Cardinals to just six points in total while Wilson led the offense to a team record of 596 yards total offense.
Unmatched on both sides of the ball, the Seahawks showed that back-to-back titles were now well within their grasp.
5. W 31-17 Carolina Panthers
Kam Chancellor's 90-yard interception return TD killed off the Panthers' challenge. John Froschauer
John Froschauer
With home advantage guaranteed through the playoffs, the Seahawks brushed aside Cam Newton and Carolina in the divisional round.
Turnovers killed the Panthers while Wilson’s eye and arm were both in as he threw three touchdown passes to set up an NFC Championship clash with the Packers.
6. W 28-22 OT Green Bay Packers
Seahawks fans celebrate an NFC Championship that seemed unlikely moments earlier. Elaine Thompson
Elaine Thompson
This was arguably the game of the season. Let’s be honest, it would be the game of most seasons, unrivalled for drama.
The Packers looked to be on their way to Arizona when they led by nine points with a little over two minutes remaining.
But the Seahawks showed remarkable resilience to score two late touchdowns, aided by an onside kick and a two-point conversion, before Mason Crosby’s late field goal sent the game into overtime.
All the momentum was with Seattle though and it took them a little more than three minutes to finish the job, Wilson throwing the game-winning pass to Kearse to send the Seahawks — improbably, impossibly — to the Promised Land.
The Road to the Super Bowl - 6 key games in the Patriots' and Seahawks' seasons
New England Patriots
1. L 20- 33 @ Miami Dolphins (0-1)
The Patriots’ campaign could hardly have gotten off to a rockier start as they lost on opening weekend for the first time since 2003 (a season in which they won the Super Bowl, for what it’s worth.)
Leading conference rivals the Miami Dolphins 20-10 at half-time, the Pats collapsed and shipped 23 unanswered points in the second half.
2. L 14-41 @ Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)
After an uninspiring win against the Raiders in Week 3, the Patriots went on the road to Kansas City for Monday Night Football and were beaten back out the gate.
The Chiefs’ superstar running back Jamaal Charles returned from injury to score three touchdowns while the Pats’ passing game faltered with Tom Brady throwing for just 159 yards with two interceptions.
The knives were out afterwards and a season looked to be hanging in the balance.
3. W 27-25 New York Jets (5-2)
Wins against Cincinnati and in Buffalo moved the Patriots to a much healthier 4-2 and they were expected to make mincemeat of their old divisional foes the New York Jets who arrived in Foxboro with a pitiful 1-5 record.
But Gang Green came to play and led 19-17 in the third quarter, only to be denied by a Brady touchdown pass to Amendola and then a blocked field goal which would have snatched victory on the final play of the game.
It meant a third straight win for the Pats and continued the momentum of a spell that would come to define their season.
4. W 42-20 Denver Broncos (7-2)
Both New England and Denver came into this game on the back of four straight wins but the latest instalment of Brady v Manning was a blowout.
The Patriots led 27-7 at the break thanks to a 24-point second quarter, and ran out 22-point winners against a team fancied to be one of their main AFC rivals.
5. W 35-31 Baltimore Ravens
There were few speedbumps for the remainder of the regular season as the Pats comfortably finished with a 12-4 record and top seeding in the AFC.
But they found themselves in a hole in the divisional round of the playoffs when they trailed the Ravens by 14 points not once, but twice.
Julian Edelman turned the clock back to his college quarterback days and threw a touchdown to Danny Amendola in a masterful piece of trickery before Brady led the game-winning drive late on.
“It was a wild game,” Bill Belichick said. Seems about right.
6. W 45-7 Indianapolis Colts
Few expected the Colts to cause a shock at Foxboro but equally, few expected the AFC Championship game to turn into the blowout it did. The Patriots were ruthless, not least in the third quarter where they outscored Indy 21-0.
All talk since has been of “Deflate-gate” and the allegations that the Patriots deliberately used under-inflated balls. Will that prove to be a distraction come Sunday?
Seattle Seahawks
1. W 36-16 Green Bay Packers (1-0)
The reigning champions were handed a tough opener against one of the NFC’s most fancied teams but did their back-to-back credentials no harm with a dominant performance against the Packers on opening night.
Russell Wilson threw two touchdowns and Marshawn Lynch ran in two more as the Seahawks sent out a message.
2. L 26-28 @ St Louis Rams (3-3)
If there was a moment when the Seahawks’ season looked like it had come off the rails, this was it. After a rare home defeat against the Cowboys in Week 6, Pete Carroll’s side went to St Louis where they were completely outfoxed.
Stedman Bailey ran in a trick 90-yard kick return touchdown and punter Johnny Hekker threw a touchdown pass to Benny Cunningham as the Rams registered only their second win of the season and Seattle fell to a disappointing 3-3.
3. W 30-24 Oakland Raiders (5-3)
The Seahawks got back to the feet with a dour win against Carolina and their indifferent form continued against the Raiders in Week 9.
Wilson threw for just 179 yards with no touchdowns as Seattle very nearly let a 21-point half-time lead slip. They didn’t and, for the rest of the regular season, they only lost once.
4. W 35-6 Arizona Cardinals (11-4)
Coming in on the back of seven wins from their last eight, this was the night the Seahawks emphatically rubber-stamped their Super Bowl credentials.
A superb defensive performance held the playoff-bound Cardinals to just six points in total while Wilson led the offense to a team record of 596 yards total offense.
Unmatched on both sides of the ball, the Seahawks showed that back-to-back titles were now well within their grasp.
5. W 31-17 Carolina Panthers
With home advantage guaranteed through the playoffs, the Seahawks brushed aside Cam Newton and Carolina in the divisional round.
Turnovers killed the Panthers while Wilson’s eye and arm were both in as he threw three touchdown passes to set up an NFC Championship clash with the Packers.
6. W 28-22 OT Green Bay Packers
This was arguably the game of the season. Let’s be honest, it would be the game of most seasons, unrivalled for drama.
The Packers looked to be on their way to Arizona when they led by nine points with a little over two minutes remaining.
But the Seahawks showed remarkable resilience to score two late touchdowns, aided by an onside kick and a two-point conversion, before Mason Crosby’s late field goal sent the game into overtime.
All the momentum was with Seattle though and it took them a little more than three minutes to finish the job, Wilson throwing the game-winning pass to Kearse to send the Seahawks — improbably, impossibly — to the Promised Land.
First published at 21.30pm
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