Vollmer to play Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX
January 19, 2015
Tom Brady threw for three touchdowns and running back LeGarrette Blount ran in three more as New England trounced the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game 45-7. Björn Werner was inactive due to injury, leaving the German in the most frustrated position - sidelined and unable to help his team.
"I know we've had some ups and downs this year," Brady said afterwards, "but right now we're up, baby, and we're going to try to stay up for one more game."
It was the Patriots eighth AFC championship win - their sixth under Brady and head coach Bill Belichick - and puts Vollmer in with a chance of making history at the second time of asking. New England took a 14-point lead in the first half before taking the game away from the Colts and their star quarterback Andrew Luck in the third quarter. In the second-most lopsided game in AFC championship history, Brady completed 23 of 35 passes for 226 yards, with Blount running 30 times for 148 yards.
In the early game, the Seattle Seahawks completed a remarkable comeback to beat the Green Bay Packers 28-22 in overtime. Despite throwing four interceptions, Russell Wilson found Jermaine Kearse for a 35-yard touchdown on the first drive of overtime, sending the defending champions back to the Super Bowl.
"It's going to be a missed opportunity that I'm probably going to think about the rest of my career," said Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers afterwards.
In doing so, the Seahawks became the first defending champion to make the Super Bowl in 10 years. "The will and the drive of these men is unbelievable," Wilson said afterwards. "We always find a way to finish."
Outplayed, but still victorious
Outplayed for much of the game and hampered by five turnovers, the Seahawks were down 16-7 with only 2 minutes and nine seconds left. Wilson then ran in for a touchdown, before Seattle recovered an onside kick. Marshawn Lynch powered his way to a 24-yard touchdown before Luke Wilson somehow caught his quarterback's hopeful throw for the two-point conversion. Rodgers showed poise to lead Green Bay back up the field in order for Mason Crosby to level the scores with a 48-yard field goal with only 14 seconds left. Having won the coin toss, Seattle went down the field and Wilson threw to Kearse to complete the biggest ever comeback in a conference title game.
"You have the belief these guys have in one another, there is nothing you can't do," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said afterwards.
The Seattle Seahawks are aiming to become the first team to defend their Super Bowl title since the New England Patriots (2003, 2004). And their opponents will be none other than the New England Patriots, who are looking for their first Super Bowl in over ten years.
Super Bowl XLIX will take place in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 1 at 16:30 local time (23:30 UTC).
jh/asz (AP, Reuters)