FOXBORO, Mass. --

The New England Patriots are back in the AFC Championship Game because of a dominant running attack and an opportunistic defense.

Oh, yeah. There's Tom Brady, too. You know, the holder on extra points when the starter gets hurt.

In a game in which he became the first player to reach 6,000 yards passing in the postseason, Brady's main offensive roles were to adjust play calls at the line and hand off the ball Saturday.

New England rushed for 234 yards and beat the Indianapolis Colts 43-22 to advance to Sunday's game against Denver.



And if he has to hold again for kicker Stephen Gostkowski? Well, at least he has some experience.


When Stevan Ridley scored on a 3-yard run with 6:18 left in the third quarter, the Patriots went for a two-point conversion. Ridley ran the ball for a 29-15 lead.

"The holder was no factor at all. We were perfectly comfortable with Tom doing the holding," head coach Bill Belichick said Sunday. "It was more just the strategic plan of either being up by 13 or being up by 14."

Brady did get two chances to hold on extra points after fourth-quarter touchdowns and, as usual, did fine.

He said that the last time he held on extra points was in the 2000 Orange Bowl for Michigan. Brady also threw four touchdown passes in that game.


Gostkowski said Brady does practice holding, just not every week.





So Brady handed off the ball 45 times and threw 25 passes for 13 completions and 198 yards. Blount rushed for 166 yards, 73 coming on the touchdown before Gostkowski's kick out of Brady's hold made it 36-22.

Now the Patriots are in their third straight AFC Championship Game with a chance at their second Super Bowl appearance in three years.

They'll be facing a Broncos team that they defeated 34-31 on Nov. 24, a game in which Brady passed for 344 yards and three touchdowns.
