New England Patriots profile: Tom Brady chasing his sixth Super Bowl ring with Pats in the play-offs yet again
Here is SunSport's lowdown on the New England Patriots ahead of the NFL play-offs
THE NFL play-offs are set and, to nobody's surprise, the New England Patriots are in the mix.
SunSport casts an eye over the perennial NFL powerhouse from the north east.
SEASON SUMMARY
Once again the New England Patriots are AFC East champions and once again they are the AFC's No 1 seed for the play-offs.
The Pats sealed their ninth division title in a row and the No 1 seed for the seventh time in the Tom Brady era.
After a average 2-2 start with a defence leaking like a sponge, the Patriots have tightened up and lost only one more game since to finish with a 13-3 record.
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TURNING POINT
New England have a first round bye in the play-offs, and it all came down to one game.
Their dramatic 27-24 win over Pittsburgh made them No 1 seed in the AFC and gave them home-field advantage all the way to the Super Bowl.
Had the Patriots lost that thriller, they would have potentially been as low as No 3 seed and have to play on wild card weekend.
KEY MAN
Somehow, some way, despite his advancing years, Tom Brady continues to perform like one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
The 40-year-old has had another excellent season to catapult him into MVP consideration once again.
Brady has thrown 32 touchdowns and just eight interceptions this season for over 4,500 yards.
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X FACTOR
Rob Gronkowski takes this offence from a good one into a scary beast.
The 6'6", 19-stone tight end is a matchup nightmare for defences - too quick for linebackers his size and too big for defensive backs.
Gronk missed the play-off run last year with a back injury, but expect him to be Brady's safety net when the going gets tough in January.
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QUICK FACTS
Regular-season record: 13-3 (1st in AFC East)
Location: Foxboro (MA)
Stadium: Gillette Stadium (66,829)
Head coach: Bill Belichick
Best performance: 5-time Super Bowl winners