The Latest from NFL divisional game Saturday. (All times EST)
6:04 p.m.
The scoreboard shows it's still close, but Tom Brady and the Patriots are in control.
New England leads Kansas City 14-6 at halftime of the AFC divisional playoff game Saturday, with the offense moving the ball efficiently and Bill Belichick's defense holding the Chiefs out of the end zone.
Brady is 17 of 25 for 157 yards and a touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski. Brady also has a 1-yard run for a score. New England has just seven rushed for 26 yards, but the Chiefs haven't been able to manage much when they've had the ball.
Kansas City settled for two field goals by Cairo Santos and missed a prime opportunity for a touchdown shortly before halftime when the Chiefs got down to the Patriots 9. A delay-of-game penalty on third-and-9 pushed the ball back to the 14, and Alex Smith's pass to Chris Conley fell incomplete, setting up Santos' 32-yarder.
Smith opened the game 5 of 5 for 29 yards, but is at 10 of 21 for just 65 yards at halftime.
— Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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5:48 p.m.
Tom Brady rushed for his sixth postseason touchdown, second in Patriots history, to give New England a 14-3 lead over Kansas City with 3:23 remaining in the first half.
The score came moments after Brady scrambled for 10 yards to get to the 1; video review upheld the ruling that he went out of bounds just short of the goal line. With center Bryan Stork back in after leaving briefly with an ankle injury and backup center David Andrews lined up as a fullback, Brady pushed forward into a pile of Chiefs for the score.
Brady is one rushing TD behind LeGarrette Blount, who has seven for the Patriots. Steve Young holds the NFL postseason record for quarterbacks with eight.
— Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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5:45 p.m.
The referees are trying to keep this game under control, a week after the game between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh was tainted by illegal hits and penalties.
Patriots receiver and punt returner Danny Amendola was flagged for a hit on Kansas City's Jamell Fleming midway through the second quarter. Amendola was back to receive a punt, but Fleming was covering and got under the ball at around the 4-yard line. Amendola lowered his head and leveled Fleming.
On the next drive, Dezman Moses tried to take it out on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and was called for roughing the passer.
— Jimmy Golen reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.
6:04 p.m.
The scoreboard shows it's still close, but Tom Brady and the Patriots are in control.
New England leads Kansas City 14-6 at halftime of the AFC divisional playoff game Saturday, with the offense moving the ball efficiently and Bill Belichick's defense holding the Chiefs out of the end zone.
Brady is 17 of 25 for 157 yards and a touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski. Brady also has a 1-yard run for a score. New England has just seven rushed for 26 yards, but the Chiefs haven't been able to manage much when they've had the ball.
Kansas City settled for two field goals by Cairo Santos and missed a prime opportunity for a touchdown shortly before halftime when the Chiefs got down to the Patriots 9. A delay-of-game penalty on third-and-9 pushed the ball back to the 14, and Alex Smith's pass to Chris Conley fell incomplete, setting up Santos' 32-yarder.
Smith opened the game 5 of 5 for 29 yards, but is at 10 of 21 for just 65 yards at halftime.
— Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.
___
5:48 p.m.
Tom Brady rushed for his sixth postseason touchdown, second in Patriots history, to give New England a 14-3 lead over Kansas City with 3:23 remaining in the first half.
The score came moments after Brady scrambled for 10 yards to get to the 1; video review upheld the ruling that he went out of bounds just short of the goal line. With center Bryan Stork back in after leaving briefly with an ankle injury and backup center David Andrews lined up as a fullback, Brady pushed forward into a pile of Chiefs for the score.
Brady is one rushing TD behind LeGarrette Blount, who has seven for the Patriots. Steve Young holds the NFL postseason record for quarterbacks with eight.
— Dennis Waszak reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.
___
5:45 p.m.
The referees are trying to keep this game under control, a week after the game between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh was tainted by illegal hits and penalties.
Patriots receiver and punt returner Danny Amendola was flagged for a hit on Kansas City's Jamell Fleming midway through the second quarter. Amendola was back to receive a punt, but Fleming was covering and got under the ball at around the 4-yard line. Amendola lowered his head and leveled Fleming.
On the next drive, Dezman Moses tried to take it out on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and was called for roughing the passer.
— Jimmy Golen reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.
