Tom Brady led a touchdown drive in overtime to book his ninth trip to the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots as they pipped the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC Championship.
It's a third straight Super Bowl appearance for the Patriots, and a ninth in 19 years for Brady, after they toppled hot-shot Patrick Mahomes and the high-flying Chiefs offence 37-31.
The Pats will face the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL's showpiece game after they too needed overtime to defeat the New Orleans Saints 26-23.
The Patriots went into the game in the rare position as underdogs in the post-season, but they dominated a first half before having to survive a fourth-quarter comeback from an inspired Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Even when Brady looked to have won the game late on, Mahomes engineered a field goal to send the game into overtime.
They won the coin toss. Then the game.
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2019
Every play from the OT drive that sent the @Patriots to the @SuperBowl! #SBLIII #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/iyGCYeTYSx
Brady, looking for his sixth NFL championship, then helped guide New England to the win with a 75-yard drive on the first possession in overtime, capped by a Rex Burkhead two-yard rush as the side secured the AFC Championship.
It was not all plain sailing for the Pats as Kansas City put on 24 points in the final quarter to force the game beyond the regulation 60 minutes.
Damien Williams scored three touchdowns for the Chiefs in the final 15 minutes while New England's Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead also found the end zone as the lead changed four times.
Harrison Butker forced the game into overtime with a field goal in the dying seconds from 39 yards, but Brady went on to break hearts at the Arrowhead.
A Brady pass to Julian Edelman for 20-yards was followed by a second for 15 as the Patriots took up good field position.
Burkhead was the one to seal the deal with a two-yard rush up the middle.
Tom Brady just posted this on his Instagram.
— Tyler Sullivan (@TylerSully) January 21, 2019
Silencing everyone pic.twitter.com/YlKSJNpkF0
