New England Patriots through to AFC Championship game

The New England Patriots have qualified for the AFC Championship game with a comfortable 43-22 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in their divisional round playoff clash at Gillette Stadium.

The hosts were in control of the contest right from the start and went ahead with less than two minutes on the clock when LeGarrette Blount scored a touchdown after getting a handoff from Tom Brady.

Blount scored his second touchdown of the first quarter minutes later when he got the handoff on the two-yard line and marched into the endzone for the score.

The Colts made it 14-7 with 04:35 remaining in the first quarter. Andrew Luck faked a handoff to Donald Brown and passed the ball to LaVon Brazill, who then strolled into the endzone for a 38-yard touchdown after making the grab over Alfonzo Dennard.

However, the Patriots were soon back on top in the opening stages of the second quarter, thanks to Blount's third touchdown of the match.

The visitors, though, added to their score through a field goal and a safety inside the final six minutes of the quarter to head into half time trailing their opponents 21-12.

The Patriots were in no mood to relinquish their advantage when the second half commenced, scoring a touchdown through Stevan Ridley.

Chuck Pagano's side hit back before the end of the third quarter thanks to Luck, whose throw found Brazill for a 35-yard strike down the middle of the field for a touchdown.

The Patriots stepped up their game in the fourth and final quarter and scored two early touchdowns through Blount and Ridley to effectively end the match as a contest and progress to their third AFC Championship game in a row and their seventh in 11 years.