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FOXBORO — The Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl for a record 10th time and they have Danny Amendola to thank for it.<\/p>\n
The receiver came up with countless clutch plays and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead the Patriots over the battle-tested Jaguars, 24-20, Sunday night in the AFC Championship at Gillette Stadium. Amendola’s toe-tap catch for 4 yards in the back of the end zone with 2:48 was the game-winner.<\/p>\n
The Patriots will face the Eagles in Super Bowl LII Feb. 4 in Minnesota in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX. The Eagles dominated the Vikings in Philadelphia, ending the hopes of the Vikings becoming the first time to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium.<\/p>\n
Amendola’s numbers were good, catching seven passes on nine targets for 84 yards. But that doesn’t come close to measuring the clutch value of nearly every single catch he made. Every catch in the second half either extended a drive or resulted in a score. All After the game, it was Amendola who said he was most thankful for his time in New England.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m thankful for my opportunity here and what it\u2019s been the last five years,” Amendola said. “I have a lot of great memories here. Any negative thing or anything that\u2019s tried to hinder me, I try to ignore and focus on the positive things that have been going on in this building for the last five years for me. I\u2019ve tried to build off that and be a good teammate and that\u2019s the only thing I really focus on.”<\/p>\n
“It was great. He\u2019s made so many big catches, and I saw he got the one foot in and I just saw it up on the big screen one time,” Tom Brady said of the game-winner with 2:48 left. “He\u2019s got great hands and just a great sense about where he\u2019s at on the field. So, I mean, he\u2019s made so many big plays for us, and this was huge, and without that, we don\u2019t win. It was an incredible play.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m always looking for him at some point. I mean, he\u2019s a big part of what we do, so he\u2019s never not part of what we\u2019re doing. He\u2019s a huge part of what we\u2019re doing always.”<\/p>\n
“‘Dola \u2013 everyone says it all the time \u2013 he\u2019s clutch,” Devin McCourty beamed. “That\u2019s another guy, you don\u2019t worry about being prepared, you don\u2019t worry about having to show up.”He exemplifies being a great teammate, he\u2019s a brother in that locker room, a veteran guy, and [has] great leadership. To me, that\u2019s what leadership is, and he shows up when we need it the most. Obviously, tonight we needed a big game out of him. I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll need more big catches in a couple weeks, and I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll be there ready to produce.”<\/p>\n
Click here<\/a> for the full box score.<\/p>\n Dola does it. \u2014 New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Brady overcame his right thumb injury to post another epic second-half comeback from 20-10 hole, completing 26-of-38 passes for 290 yards and the Patriots overcame the loss of Rob Gronkowski to a concussion.<\/p>\n After declining to answer any questions about his injury on Friday afternoon, Brady, who was not wearing the black bandage he wore during game, was more forthcoming after the game.<\/p>\n “Never had anything like it,” Brady said of the thumb injury. “Well, I\u2019ve had a couple crazy injuries, but this was pretty crazy. They come up and you just deal with them, and I wasn\u2019t quite sure how I was going to do on Wednesday, Wednesday night, and then Thursday wasn\u2019t sure.<\/p>\n “And then Friday gained a little confidence and then Saturday was trying to figure out what we could do, and Sunday, try to come out here and make it happen. You know, we all put a lot out there. I mean, this was a little injury at the end of the day. It\u2019s certainly a big part of what a quarterback does. I mean, I\u2019ve had a lot worse injuries than this, but if this was on my left hand, I could [not] care less, but just based on where it was, we had to deal with it.”<\/p>\n “I\u2019d rather not wear (the wrap). But, I think it sounds kind of arrogant to say, \u2018Oh yeah, it bothered me,\u2019 when we had a pretty good game. So, I wouldn\u2019t say that. Doesn\u2019t that sound arrogant if I said that? It\u2019s like when Tiger Woods said, \u2018That was my C game,\u2019 and he won the tournament.”<\/p>\n Stephon Gilmore broke up a fourth-down pass to clinch the Patriots’ third trip to the Super Bowl in four years.<\/p>\n Blake Bortles did the improbable and outplayed a dinged up Brady at Gillette for the first three quarters. Then Brady took over in the fourth.<\/p>\n Tom Coughlin, Jacksonville’s president of football operations was in the second row of the press box taking it all in.<\/p>\n With Rob Gronkowski knocked out of the game with a helmet-to-helmet injury late in the first half, the Patriots struggled to find any offensive rhythm.<\/p>\n Brady made all the throws in pregame, with accuracy and velocity. He even shook hands with teammates.<\/p>\n The biggest hurdle Brady had to clear in pregame was not his right thumb but rather a CBS cameraman who got too close and in the middle of Brady and backup QB Brian Hoyer as they took the field from the north end zone ramp. Brady yelled “F#$% out of the way” to the cameraman.<\/p>\n Tom Brady took the field and told the cameraman “F*** out the way”pic.twitter.com\/eQ26FFH9R7<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) January 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The biggest confrontation in pregame took place after Brady’s traditional pregame run down the Patriots sideline. After yelling “Let’s Go!” to the crowd in the south end zone, he turned around and was within earshot of Jalen Ramsey, who had words for Brady. The two briefly exchanged words and went about their pregame prep.<\/p>\n Tom Brady and his hand have safely arrived at @GilletteStadium<\/a>. ? (Watch until the end to see him and Jalen Ramsey briefly go at it) pic.twitter.com\/VFu5xfDmSJ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Patriots on NBCSB (@NBCSPatriots) January 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n When the game finally began under ideal conditions of sun and 48 degrees, the Jaguars won the opening toss and deferred. Brady showed right away that the thumb wasn’t going to slow him down. He threw a swing pass to Dion Lewis for seven yards and a laser of a pass for 31 yards down the right seam to Brandin Cooks. Later, on 4th-and-1 after a Brady timeout, the quarterback threw a perfect pass to Danny Amendola on a fade to the left sideline to put the Patriots in the red zone at the Jaguars 10. But the drive stalled after two pass completions and a sack. Stephen Gostkowski’s 31-yard field goal put the Patriots on top, 3-0.<\/p>\n But the Jaguars took over from there.<\/p>\n Blake Bortles directed an efficient 76-yard drive in seven plays, capped by a 4-yard pass to a wide open Marcedes Lewis.<\/p>\n After forcing a 3-and-out on the next Patriots possession, Bortles beat the Patriots defense again, spreading the ball with passes to the outside to Corey Grant and T.J. Yeldon and five power runs from Leonard Fournette, including a four-yard burst up the middle for a touchdown and a stunning 14-3 lead.<\/p>\n WE.<\/p>\n WILL.<\/p>\n NOT.<\/p>\n BE.<\/p>\n DENIED.#DTWD<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/kFB5rx2tpg<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 z-#Sacksonville (@Jaguars) January 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n But the Patriots gained some valuable momentum going into halftime thanks to two costly penalties, including one that sent Gronkowski to the locker room for concussion protocol. With a first down at their 40, Brady threw a pass down the seam to Gronk. Safety Barry Church came over and lowered his right shoulder into Gronkowski’s shoulder to break up the pass. But Church’s helmet collided with Gronkowski’s helmet, sending Gronk to the ground. He got up wobbly as Chris Hogan came over to examine.<\/p>\n Helmet to helmet on Gronk. Nasty hit, could be done for the day. pic.twitter.com\/IjSImUrrSX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) January 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Gronkowski made his way to the sideline, then to the tunnel and locker room for concussion protocol. The flag came out for unnecessary roughness and the Jaguars lost their collective minds. On the next play after the 15-yard penalty, Brady threw for Cooks down the left sideline. A.J. Bouye ran Cooks out of bounds and was called for a 32-yard pass interference, putting the ball at the Jacksonville 13. Two plays later, it was James White off left tackle untouched for a touchdown that made it 14-10 at the half.<\/p>\n .@sweetfeet_white<\/a> finds the end zone. #GoPats<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/7AKRA6J9lA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n There was early optimism on Gronk after the game that he would go through NFL concussion protocol and be ready for the Super Bowl on Feb. 4.<\/p>\n Rob Gronkowski is in the concussion protocol. There\u2019s optimism Gronk will be cleared by the Super Bowl, according to a source<\/p>\n \u2014 Karen Guregian (@kguregian) January 22, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Jaguars came out with the ball and managed a third down conversion when Bortles found Yeldon for nine yards on third-and-8 at the Jaguars 49. The Jaguars managed to move the ball to the Patriots 36 and Josh Lambo connected from 54 yards to make it 17-10 with just over 10 minutes left in the third quarter.<\/p>\n Brady connected with Danny Amendola on a crossing pattern over the middle for 17 yards on third-and-5 to get the ball out to the Patriots 47. The Patriots had momentum. And then Cooks beat his man on a deep out to the left sideline, Brady put the ball right on Cooks hands but the receiver dropped it. On their next third down chance, a Brady pass to James White came up three yards short and the Patriots punted away.<\/p>\n The Jaguars extended their lead to 20-10 when Lambo connected from 43 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n The Patriots went back to their 2014 roots with a Brady-to-Amendola-to-Lewis 20-yard double pass. It all went according to plan until Myles Jack forced the fumble at the Jacksonville 33. After review, the ruling of fumble on the field stood and the Jaguars dodged a major bullet.<\/p>\n But the Patriots forced a punt and came back thanks to a huge play by Danny Amendola on third-and-18. Brady found his clutch target over the middle to keep the drive alive.<\/p>\n .@DannyAmendola<\/a> keeps the drive alive on 3rd-and-18. #GoPats<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/YicyhrrgIF<\/a><\/p>\n\n
\n@DannyAmendola<\/a> is ?. #GoPats<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/F4JdLamLbQ<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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