Stevan Ridley's touchdown just before the break has put the New England Patriots in control of their clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers, holding a 24-10 advantage at the interval.
New England soon raced ahead after scoring late in the first quarter when Tom Brady found Danny Amendola, driving into the end zone off a 34-yard touchdown pass.
Brady then combined with Rob Gronkowski early in the second quarter as the Patriots moved 14-0 ahead, with Shaun Suisham finally offering a Steelers response with a 30-yard field goal soon after.
Ben Roethlisberger then found his rhythm in a sustained Pittsburgh drive late in the half, picking out Antonio Brown with a measured pass to move the Steelers to within striking distance.
That hard work was undone with the first half's final play, though, as New England got within scoring distance and drove over the line from close range thanks to Ridley, restoring their two-touchdown advantage in the process.
Liam Power
