How the New England Patriots arrived at Super Bowl LIII

New England held off the Texans in the season opener despite a second-half comeback by Houston. Tom Brady threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers.

A rematch of last year's AFC championship went the Jaguars way this time. Blake Bortles had a terrific game, throwing for 376 yards and four touchdowns, and Jacksonville held the Patriots to only 82 yards rushing.

Former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia got the best of his former team, holding Patriots to only 209 total yards. Rookie running back Kerryon Johnson rushed for more than 100 yards, a rare feat for the Lions.

New England bounced back from consecutive losses to dominate the division rival Dolphins, holding Miami to only 172 total yards. Tom Brady threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns.

While Andrew Luck put up big numbers for the Colts, throwing for 365 yards and three touchdowns, it wasn't enough to keep up with the Patriots offense. Tom Brady threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, while rookie Sony Michel ran for 98 yards and one score.

The Patriots jumped out to a 24-9 lead at halftime against the Chiefs, but Patrick Mahomes and Co. came storming back in the second half. A key Rob Gronkowski catch late in the game led to a Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard field goal to win the game.

Tom Brady had another big day with 277 yards passing and three touchdowns, but the Patriots barely escaped with a win at Soldier Field. Mitchell Trubisky completed a 54-yard Hail Mary to Kevin White as time expired, but White was stopped at the 1-yard line.

Buffalo was forced to start veteran quarterback Derek Anderson due to injuries, and he failed to generate much offense against the Patriots. The Bills trailed only 12-6 going into the fourth quarter, but a James White touchdown run and Devin McCourty 84-yard interception return sealed the win.

The Patriots and Packers remained locked up at 17 going into the fourth quarter, but the Patriots offense kicked into gear late in the game. James White scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown, and Josh Gordon caught a 55-yard pass to lead New England to the win.

The Patriots effectively faced New England Lite in Week 10, with Tennessee sporting several former Patriots coaches and players, including Mike Vrabel, Dion Lewis and Malcolm Butler. The Titans got the best of New England in a dominating win, holding the Pats to only 284 yards of offense.

New England rebounded following the bye week, stagnating the Jets offense led by Josh McCown. Sony Michel had 21 carries for 133 yard and one score in the win.

New England's defense held Kirk Cousins to only 4.6 yards per pass attempt and picked off the ball twice in a dominant performance. Tom Brady also had a good day with 311 yards passing and one touchdown.

The highlight of the Dolphins season came with the Miracle in Miami, a 69-yard touchdown by Kenyan Drake after two laterals to win 34-33. Tom Brady still threw for 358 yards and three touchdowns, but New England scored only six points in the second half.

New England's slide continued with a loss at the desperate Steelers. Backup Steelers running back Jaylen Samuels ran for 142 yards in the win.

A return home against the Bills was a great remedy for New England after two straight road losses. Tom Brady struggled for most of the day with only 126 yards passing and two picks, but Sony Michel made up for it with 116 yards rushing and one score.

Head coach Bill Belichick decided to play his starters with little on the line in Week 17, and the Patriots returned a dominant performance against the Jets. New York had only 239 yards of offense, while Tom Brady threw for 250 yards and four touchdowns.

Many prognosticators thought the Chargers would defeat New England after their wild-card win at Baltimore, but New England had no problem getting past L.A. The Patriots surged to a 35-7 lead at halftime, and Sony Michael finished the game with 129 yards rushing and three scores.

Despite a 14-0 lead at halftime, the Patriots needed overtime to defeat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Tom Brady threw for 348 yards but was picked off twice, and it looked like a third interception would send the Chiefs to the Super Bowl until K.C. linebacker Dee Ford was called for an offside penalty. Tied 31-31 at the end of regulation, the Patriots won the coin toss and then won the game on a Rex Burkhead 2-yard touchdown run. Both Burkhead and Sony Michel finished the game with two rushing touchdowns.